The copy of the Warwick Vase was the greatest production of Sir Edward Thomason (1769-1849), who was among the foremost of Birmingham craftsmen. The original marble vase was excavated in Italy c 1770 and dates to between 118 and 133 AD. It was 170 cm high and 150 cm in diameter and weighed about 3.5 tons. In 1788 the Earl of Warwick installed it in a special greenhouse at Warwick Castle where it remained until 1979, when it was purchased by Glasgow Museums and Art Galleries. Completed in 1820, the copy was cast in iron with brass handles and a decorative finish, and Thomason issued a bronze medal to commemorate the event. Following further work on the decorative finish of the vase Thomason issued two more medals in bronze and white metal.