A PAIR OF ITALIAN PORPHYRY VASES

PORPHYRY HAS BEEN PRIZED SINCE ANTIQUITY FOR ITS LUSTROUS COLOUR (THE WORD DERIVES FROM THE GREEK FOR PURPLE) AND REMARKABLE HARDNESS. ONLY MINED AT MONS PORPHYRIUS IN EGYPT, THE ROMANS IMPORTED PORPHYRY IN GREAT QUANTITIES FROM ANCIENT EGYPT, USING IT BOTH IN ARCHITECTURAL SCHEMES AND TO CARVE PORTRAIT BUSTS. ITS RICH PURPLE COLOR, THE IMPERIAL SYMBOL OF POWER, WAS NO DOUBT OF SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN ANCIENT ROME. WITH THE REDISCOVERY OF CLASSICAL ROME IN THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD, THE POTENT SYMBOLISM OF PORPHYRY WAS PRIZED ONCE AGAIN, AND IT WAS AVIDLY COLLECTED BY POWERFUL FIGURES SUCH AS THE MEDICIS, LOUIS XIV (WHO HAD A BUYING AGENT IN ROME FOR HIS ACQUISITIONS), AND THE CARDINALS DE RICHELIEU AND MAZARIN.