Pair of 18th Century Derby Spa or Blue John Urns
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Pair of 18th Century Derby Spa or Blue John Urns
4463
Pair of 18th Century Derby Spa or Blue John Urns:
with gilded bronze ram’s head mounts and classical decoration, in the manner of Matthew Boulton; mounted on black marble bases.
Circa 1760 and restored. Blue John is a rare, crystalline gemstone unique to a single mine at Castleton, Derbyshire, and much admired in the 18th Century.
| Height: | 8¼" | - | 21.0cm |
| Width: | 4¼" | - | 11.0cm |
Glossary Words
Blue John (Derby Spar)
Blue John (also known as Derbyshire Spar) is a rare, crystalline, semi-precious mineral, a form of fluorite unique to a single mine at Castleton, Derbyshire. This particular form of fluorite, much admired for its characteristic bands of a purple-blue or yellowish colour, was mined intensively in the 18th and 19th centuries for its ornamental value. The name may have derived from the French bleu-jaune, meaning 'blue-yellow'. By repute, Blue John was exported to France where it was used by ormolu workers during the reign of Louis XVI (1774–1791). However, there is no archival record of any Blue John being exported to France, and the early ormolu ornaments which use Blue John were being manufactured by Matthew Boulton of Birmingham in the 1760s.
Boulton, Matthew
Matthew Boulton (1728-1809), an engineer and leading industrialist of his time, established a strong reputation as a craftsman between 1762 and 1775 at the Soho Manufactory in Birmingham, making high quality artistic objects in metal. To improve power supply to his machinery, he went into partnership with James Watt to develop the steam engine.
