Shape Number: 1328
Designed by Victor Étienne Simyan (1826–1886).
Minton debuted this impressive vase model at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1867 and went on to feature it at several subsequent world’s fairs, including the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia, where the firm showed an example with the rich turquoise blue ground seen here. Designed by French-born sculptor Victor Étienne Simyan, this vase takes its name from the Titan god Prometheus, who is represented on its lid. In Greek mythology, Zeus condemned the immortal to eternal torment for stealing the god’s sacred fire and taking it to Earth. As punishment, Prometheus is chained to a rock; every day, his liver is eaten by an eagle, only to regrow in the night, ensuring the torture is repeated.