{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1790182"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1790182/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PP2217/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PP2217/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2026PP2217","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1790182/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1790182","accessionNumber":"WE.12504-2014","objectType":"Bust","titles":[{"title":"Bust of Pindar'","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Pindar (518-438 B.C) was a Greek lyric poet born near Thebes. He is considered by some scholars to be the greatest of the Greek poets. This black basalt bust was cast from a bust supplied by Hoskins & Grant. Hoskins & Grant, earlier known as Hoskins & Oliver, supplied Wedgwood with both plaster moulds and casts of figures and busts until 1779. Black basalt was a black stoneware first introduced in 1768 by Josiah Wedgwood I (1730-95). It is a fine grained black stoneware, composed of ball clay, calcined ochre and manganese oxide. It was developed by Josiah I as an improvement of the earlier ‘Black Egyptian’ ware produced in Staffordshire in the mid 18th century. Wedgwood said of his newly refined black basalt body that ‘the Black is Sterling and will last forever’. Ornamental wares became a popular feature of Georgian country house décor during the neo-classical movement of the mid to late 18th century. Contemporaries in Britain increasingly sought to decorate their houses in a style that emulated the classics and ancients of Greek and Rome in an attempt to reflect their own highly educated status. Josiah and business partner Thomas Bentley (1730-80) sought to take advantage of this trend, producing ornamental busts depicting Greek poets like Pindar in the neo-classical style. They produced ornamental wares in partnership as 'Wedgwood & Bentley' from 1767 to 1780.","physicalDescription":"Black basalt bust said to be the Ancient Greek poet, Pindar. He has curly, receding hair and a beard and faces forward and down. The nude torso is squared and sits on top of a pedestal with a name plaque that reads 'PINDAR', the bust is hollow with air holes verso.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Josiah Wedgwood and Sons","id":"A1450"},"association":{"text":"manufacturers","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Hoskins and Grant","id":"A18989"},"association":{"text":"modellers","id":"AAT25417"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"black basalt","id":"x30176"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulded","id":"AAT53134"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"black basalt","categories":[{"text":"V&A Wedgwood Collection","id":"THES276060"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"WED","id":"THES270009"},"images":["2026PP2217"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"WDG1","id":"THES264736"},"free":"","case":"CA24","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"busts","id":"AAT47457"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Etruria","id":"x33200"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1775 - 1780","earliest":"1775-01-01","latest":"1780-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"V&A Wedgwood Collection. Presented by Art Fund with major support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, private donations and a public appeal.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"490","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"233","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of shoulders","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"222","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"nose to back of shoulders","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"187","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Wedgwood / & Bentley' (impressed on reverse)","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Bought from Rathbone. £17-0-0. 1908","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Bust of Pindar, black basalt, modelled by Hoskins & Grant for Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, Etruria, 1775 - 1780","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"WDG1/CA24","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"24.10 Bust of Pindar, Black basalt / Plaster model supplied by Hoskins and Grant, 1774 / 1775-80'","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["WE.12504-2014"],"accessionNumberNum":"12504","accessionNumberPrefix":"WE","accessionYear":2014,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Wedgwood Museum Accession number","id":"THES269972"},"number":"76"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-04","recordCreationDate":"2024-11-05","availableToBook":false}}