The Piranesi Vase at The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

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According to legend, this vase was unearthed from the ruins of Emperor Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli. However, the vase was skillfully assembled from various fragments at Giovanni Battista Piranesi's workshop, a renowned Italian engraver and antiquarian. The vase's body was crafted from an Ancient Rome puteal, a stone barrier surrounding a well dating back to the Flavian emperors' era (third quarter of the 1st century AD). It boasts new features such as a cover, rim, numerous inserts on the handles, a Silenus mask, and a pedestal. The vase's bottom, handle-shaped vine sprouts, and base-shaped Silenus protome were carefully selected by Piranesi and did not belong to a single object. This fact is evident in the way the fragment with a protome is cut into the bottom. These fragments can be attributed to neo-Attic craftsmen, dating back to the 1st century BC. If the fragments originated from Tivoli, they would have adorned rich villas before Emperor Hadrian's time. This object is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative launched by MyMiniFactory, which creates a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks worldwide for public access. Scan the World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items nearby and wish to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can participate. Scanned: Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)