Conserving an 18th-Century Sephardic Jewish Vase While…
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Conserving an 18th-Century Sephardic Jewish Vase While Preserving Its History
This remarkable 18th-century vase has survived centuries of use, repair, and changing tastes. The inscription, *"M. & R. Fidanque,"* suggests it was likely a commissioned piece created for members of the Fidanque family, a surname closely associated with Sephardic Jewish communities descended from Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal during the late 15th century.
By the 18th century, many Sephardic families had rebuilt prosperous lives across Europe and the Mediterranean while preserving their religious traditions, family identity, and cultural heritage. Personalized porcelain and decorative objects bearing family names or monograms often commemorated marriages, important family milestones, or reflected a family's social standing.
Over the centuries, this vase underwent multiple repairs, lost a significant section, and its original gilding was repeatedly repainted. Layers of overpainting gradually concealed the delicate hand-painted gold decoration, while much of the original gilding had faded away.
At the owner's request, our goal was not to make the vase appear new, but to restore it as closely as possible to its original appearance while respecting the evidence of its long history and preserving the story it has carried through generations.
\#lakesidepottery
#religion
This remarkable 18th-century vase has survived centuries of use, repair, and changing tastes. The inscription, *"M. & R. Fidanque,"* suggests it was likely a commissioned piece created for members of the Fidanque family, a surname closely associated with Sephardic Jewish communities descended from Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal during the late 15th century.
By the 18th century, many Sephardic families had rebuilt prosperous lives across Europe and the Mediterranean while preserving their religious traditions, family identity, and cultural heritage. Personalized porcelain and decorative objects bearing family names or monograms often commemorated marriages, important family milestones, or reflected a family's social standing.
Over the centuries, this vase underwent multiple repairs, lost a significant section, and its original gilding was repeatedly repainted. Layers of overpainting gradually concealed the delicate hand-painted gold decoration, while much of the original gilding had faded away.
At the owner's request, our goal was not to make the vase appear new, but to restore it as closely as possible to its original appearance while respecting the evidence of its long history and preserving the story it has carried through generations.
\#lakesidepottery
#religion
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