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Warwick Vase

The Warwick Vase is a Roman marble krater with Bacchic ornament, discovered in fragments in 1771 in the mud of a pond at Tivoli, near Rome, on the grounds of Emperor Hadrian’s villa. Gavin Hamilton, a Scottish painter, antiquary, and art dealer in Rome, had the excavation rights there. The vase is estimated to date to between AD 118 and 133. It stands 170 cm high and measures 211 cm across including the handles. Richly decorated, it was not originally a flower container but a garden architectural ornament. The handles are formed by intertwined vine strands, and the body is decorated with acanthus leaves, satyr heads, and the head of Dionysus; the reverse side shows Ariadne instead of Dionysus.

Side view of the Warwick Vase, showing its ornate carved heads and intertwined vine-like handles.
Side view of the Warwick Vase, with carved heads and elaborate vine-like handles.
March 2012 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Warwick Vase, a large ornate urn with two handles, standing on a pedestal before an arched backdrop.
The Warwick Vase photographed on its pedestal in front of an arched architectural setting.
© · Public domain
The Warwick Vase displayed on a tall inscribed pedestal in a conservatory, with figures and a small dog at its base.
The Warwick Vase stands on a pedestal in a conservatory, shown with figures below to emphasize its scale.
1845 · Public domain
The Warwick Vase shown as a detailed engraving of a large marble krater with two handles, bearded masks, and an inscribed pedestal, flanked by small decorative studies.
Engraving of the Warwick Vase, showing the ornate two-handled marble krater on its inscribed pedestal with decorative studies beside it.
1800 © Unknown · Public domain
Two engraved views of the Warwick Vase, showing its ornate handles, patterned rim, and richly decorated body on a pedestal.
Engraved views of the Warwick Vase with its elaborate handles, relief decoration, and pedestal base.
1821 © AnonymousUnknown author · Public domain

Identification

TitleWarwick Vase
TypeRoman marble crater
Alternative namesEl vaso Warwick; Vase of Hadrian

Historical context

DateEarly 2nd century CE, probably 118–133
OriginAncient Rome

Creator

DiscovererGavin Hamilton
Discoverer occupationScottish painter, antiquarian, and art dealer in Rome

Discovery and provenance

Provenance noteThe fragments were sold by Gavin Hamilton to Sir William Hamilton, then passed from Sir William Hamilton's collection to George Greville
Restoration specialistsJames Byres and Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Purchase and restorationSir William Hamilton spent 300 pounds on purchase and restoration; the work took nearly two years and cost about 30,000 pounds in total
Discovery locationHadrian's Villa, Tivoli, Italy
Subsequent ownerGeorge Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick
First owner after discoverySir William Hamilton
Discovery contextFound in several fragments in the mud or silt of a marshy pond at the lowest point of the villa's grounds; Hamilton had obtained excavation rights and drained the area
Discovery date1771

History and restoration

ConditionPartially restored
Restoration noteLater restored and reassembled; the Ariadne head was apparently added in the 19th century by an Italian sculptor, though one account says the addition was made in the 18th century

Physical characteristics

Height170 cm
Width including handles211 cm

Materials

MaterialWhite marble

Technique

FormMonumental crater-like decorative vessel
Decoration styleBacchic ornament

Appearance

Handle designTwo handles made of two intertwined strands of vine shoots, continuing below the rim with leaves and fruits
Lower body decorationAcanthus leaves
Figural decorationThe wall is decorated with satyr heads, a silenus, and the head of Dionysus on one side, and a corresponding Ariadne head on the other; a feline head appears on the shield or pelt motif
Original functionNot a flower container at its original size, but a decorative element of garden architecture

Iconography and meaning

Style / inspirationAn imitation of ancient drinking vessels and classical antiquity in form and decoration
Historical precedentImitations of such vessels existed since the Late Hellenistic period and were especially placed in gardens and colonnades

Location and ownership

Current locationBurrell Collection, Glasgow, Scotland
Acquisition by current collection1979
Former display locationWarwick Castle, Warwickshire, England
Former display contextDisplayed in a specially built greenhouse or garden structure

Significance

Artistic significanceConsidered one of the representative motifs of Roman decorative art
Popularity and reproductionsBecame widely known in Europe, especially in the 19th century, and was reproduced in many sizes and materials; replicas and reinterpretations were made in iron, zinc, bronze, silver, cast iron, and other materials
Later usesUsed as a model for garden ornament vases, porcelain decoration, industrial design pattern books, and modern reproductions; the 2006 Australian Open winner's trophy is based on its form