{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1795750"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1795750/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PK6223/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PK6223/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2025PK6223","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PK6243","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PK6203","copyright":"© Victoria & Albert Museum","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1795750/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1795750","accessionNumber":"C.38-2025","objectType":"Vase","titles":[{"title":"Pyrophorous vase","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"'Pyrophorus vases' were ancestors of the modern match box. Their name derived from the Greek, pur for 'fire' and phoros for 'bringing'. 'Instant light boxes' had been made in metal since 1810, and in 1812 Wedgwood began to manufacture them in a decorative ceramic version. The idea of making them in pottery came from the chemists Accum & Garden of Compton Street, Soho, London, who supplied Wedgwood with the matches, acid and acid bottles. The vases were soon copied at other ceramic manufactories.\r\n\r\nWooden splints were held in the central hole. One end of the splints had been dipped in chlorate of potash and sugar. When dipped in sulphuric acid these produced a flame. Pyrophorus vases were initially popular, probably because of their novelty, but they were not made after about 1830. Soon after this date the first friction matches of the modern type were introduced. By the mid-19th century the original purpose of these vases had been forgotten, and for more than a century they were thought to have been inkwells.","physicalDescription":"Pyrophorous vase of buff-coloured feldspathic stoneware, the form a tripod with caryatids support, decorated with applied moulded reliefs in white in foliate patterns","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Chetham & Woolley","id":"A19030"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Earthenware","id":"x29356"},{"text":"Stoneware","id":"x30197"}],"techniques":[{"text":"sprigging","id":"THES395896"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Buff-coloured feldspathic stoneware, applied moulded relief decoration","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"CER","id":"THES48594"},"images":["2025PK6223","2025PK6243","2025PK6203"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"139","id":"THES49874"},"free":"","case":"30","shelf":"6","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Vase","id":"AAT132254"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Staffordshire","id":"x29181"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"c.1815","earliest":"1810-01-01","latest":"1819-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"Wedgwood first produced pyrophorous vases from around 1812"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Colin Wyman","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"9.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"11.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"From the collection of Colin Wyman","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pyrophorous vase, buff coloured feldspathic stoneware, probably made by Chetham & Woolley, Staffordshire, c.1815","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["C.38-2025"],"accessionNumberNum":"38","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":2025,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-07-02","recordCreationDate":"2025-02-03","availableToBook":false}}