Saturday, 3 October 2026

Porphyry vase and the porphyry deposit that belonged to Cleopatra

Old photograph of a large two-handled porphyry vase on an octagonal base, captioned as in the National Museum in Naples.

A vase of porphyry, the volcanic rock that turns red when polished. The material came into fashion from the 1st century BC. The only deposit of porphyry known at the dawn of the Era belonged to Cleopatra

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