Wedgwood & Bentley Black Basalt Apotheosis of Homer Plaque. Circa 1780. Photo courtesy M.S.Rau Antiques

This exceptional black basalt plaque by Wedgwood & Bentley is an artistic and historical masterpiece. The scene on this intriguing bas relief plaque was originally modeled by the famed John Flaxman, Jr., and depicts the Apotheosis of Homer, an ancient Greek and Roman ceremony in which the legendary poet becomes a god. This is an exceptional example of the finest Neoclassical design, which took as its inspiration the forms found in ancient sculpture and architecture. Flaxman's designs exemplified this ideal, and his treatment of Apotheosis of Homer was one of his most famous designs for Wedgwood. Marked "Wedgwood & Bentley" on the reverse. 14 1/4" wide x 7 3/8" high. Price: $14,500

Developed in the 1760s during Josiah Wedgwood's partnership with merchant Thomas Bentley, black basalt was a rich, smooth stoneware. It was inspired by the hard, natural stone known as Egyptian basalt and was especially suitable for casting and was used for a myriad of items, including vases, urns and decorative plaques such as this.

Usually reserved for an important ruler, apotheosis was a popular phenomenon in Ancient Greece and Rome whereby a mortal was declared to be of divine status after death. This type of hero cult was also conducted in the name of some artists and writers Homer.

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