Restoration of Coade Stone Vases

Eleanor Coade (1733–1821)

For nearly a quarter of a century, a pair of remarkable early Coade vases, purchased in the 1760s by the 2nd Earl of Shelburne (later 1st Marquess of Lansdowne) have flanked the main entrance to Bowood House from the Italianate terrace.

They were designed to sit in the niches of Robert Adam’s Mausoleum in the woodland gardens of the park.

Robert Adam design of Bowood Mausoleum, circa 1760. Soane Museum.

In the 1970s they were moved by the current Marquis of Lansdowne to the portico of the entrance to the main house. Here they were enjoyed by visitors and occasionally used as a lace-up stool for shoes.

In need of quite extensive restoration, the vases were placed into the care of
Stephen Pettifer and his team at Coade who were commissioned to carry out the work. According to Pettifer, Coade stone, developed in the 18th century by the visionary Eleanor Coade, offers a unique blend of durability, exquisite detail, and the appearance of natural stone.

Eleanor Coade, a successful businesswoman of her time, was sought after by renowned architects, and her work can be found throughout the British Isles and beyond. Remarkably resistant to harsh weather conditions, many of her creations remain in pristine condition even after two centuries.

When Pettifer discovered that the use of Coade stone as a sculptural medium had declined and the techniques had been lost over time, he embarked on a mission to revive and perfect the original recipe and production methods from the mid-1700s.

The Bowood vases are a fine example of Coade’s work. Pettifer found that the original iron dowel that connected the vase to its socle had rusted and expanded, blowing the socle apart. He carefully deconstructed the vases on site and then transported them to his studio at Wilton House. He removed the dowel, pinned the socle together, and fitted a replacement stainless steel dowel. Some elements of the vases that had broken and been lost over time, including two lion masks and some foliate turnovers, were replaced in Coade stone.

Pettifer and his team cleaned the vases to remove considerable paint deposits and other substances before filling in cracks and recreating the missing elements. They then reconstructed the vases and delivered them back to Bowood.

The vases now stand atop two cylindrical stone plinths on the inside of the doors near to where they were originally located. A ‘very pleasing result, they look perfect in that location’ is Stephen Pettifer’s verdict of their restoration and their relocation inside the house.

The Coade stone vases are on view in the Orangery during the forthcoming visitor season.