A plaster model of the Portland vase, probably late 18th century and attributed to James Tassie from a mould taken by Giovanni Pichler, moulded with figural decoration, the base with a roundel of a figure in a Phyrigian cap, the whole decorated in a brown lacquer, 25.5cm high. The Italian gem engraver, Giovanni Pichler, took a mould of the Portland vase c.1780 which was subsequently used by James Tassie to produce a number of casts. Examples can be found in the British Museum, no. OA 17055; the Boston Athenaeum and the Wedgwood Museum. See also an example sold by Sotheby`s on 5th December 2020, lot 65. The dating to the late 18th century is attributable to a number of factors. Firstly, the inclusion of the roundel at the base, which was removed in 1786; secondly, the visible fracture lines which are not present in copies taken after 1845 when the vase was broken and restored. The unevenness of the rim and handles is another feature present in earlier casts and not in the later Wedgwood and 19th century examples.