Of ovoid form, each with berry finial with foliate moulding, mounted with handles modelled as female masks, the body with laurel moulding, on turned circular socles on a moulded square plinth
15 in. (38 cm.) high; 8 in. (20 cm.) diameter

Almost certainly supplied to Alexander Baring, 1st Lord Ashburton (1774-1848) for The Grange, Northington, Hampshire, circa 1817;
thence by descent.

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Lot Essay

Carved in valuable and unusual green porpyhry and mounted with sober yet elegant ormolu, these vases, and the vase navette with which they formed a garniture (lot 89), are an excellent example of the predilection of the British elite for French decorative arts in the first quarter of the 19th century. Most probably acquired for the celebrated collection of Alexander Baring, 1st Lord Ashburton, the mounts relate to the work of the eminent bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire and their workmanship and design is typical of the Consulat period as is the use of Corsican granito.

The quality of the mounts and the design of the laurel leaf socle mount in particular recalls the work of Pierre-Philippe Thomire and is closely related to the mount on a vase supplied to George IV by Dominique Daguerre currently preserved in the Royal Collection (RCIN 36107). Interestingly the mounts around the upper rim of the vases and vase navette are the same as mounts used on the legs of a group of royal writing tables by Riesener, one of which is currently preserved in the Royal Collection (RCIN 21209).

Alexander Baring, son of Francis Baring, 1st Baronet and founder of Barings Bank, was ennobled as 1st Lord Ashburton in 1835 after serving as Master of the Mint in the ministry of Robert Peel.
After spending time in the United States on bank business Baring married the daughter of one of America's wealthiest families, Ana Bingham in 1798 and returned to Britain in 1807. He travelled to France in January-February 1817 to raise a loan for the French government and it is very likely that he acquired the vases at this point to furnish The Grange, Hampshire which he purchased in the same year. The existence of two other vases with the same mounts but yet another type of green hard stone implies that Baring acquired all five as a garniture in varying shades of green porphyry and granite. The Grange had been constructed by William Wilkins for the Drummond family from 1804 and is claimed to be one of the earliest Greek Revival houses in Europe. The Lords Ashburton resided in the house until 1934.