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Rare vase made by iconic potter Wedgwood faces leaving Britain

Xinhua, December 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

One of only four vases made by the world famous 18th century potter Josiah Wedgwood risks being exported from Britain.

The vase will leave Britain unless half a million pounds can be raised to match the price offered by an overseas buyer. The other three vases are all in Britain.

Culture Minister Matt Hancock has put a temporary export ban on the vase, known as the Black "Basaltes" First Day's Vase.

The ban could stay in place until July 2017 in an attempt to save it for the country.

Wedgwood, famed as one of the pioneering potters of the Industrial Revolution, treasured the First Day's Vases and said they should not be sold. He made them himself when his new factory opened in June 1769.

Two of the other vases are owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and displayed in the Wedgwood Museum in Staffordshire. The third is on long-term loan to the British Museum.

"This beautiful vase has an extraordinary history. ... It is a unique piece and a reminder of the pioneering work of Wedgwood during the Industrial Revolution," Hancock said.

"I hope a buyer comes forward so we can keep all four First Day's Vases in the UK for the public to enjoy," he added. Endit