▁already ▁had ▁it ▁described ▁to ▁him ▁by ▁the ▁sculpt or ▁John ▁F lax man ▁as ▁" the ▁fin est ▁production ▁of ▁Art ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁brought ▁to ▁England ▁and ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁very ▁a pe x ▁of ▁per fection ▁to ▁which ▁you ▁are ▁endeav oring ". ▁ ▁Wed g wood ▁devoted ▁four ▁years ▁of ▁pain st aking ▁tri als ▁at ▁dup lic ating ▁the ▁v ase ▁– ▁not ▁in ▁glass ▁but ▁in ▁black ▁and ▁white ▁j as per ware . ▁He ▁had ▁problems ▁with ▁his ▁copies ▁r anging ▁from ▁crack ing ▁and ▁bl ister ing ▁( clear ly ▁visible ▁on ▁the ▁example ▁at ▁the ▁Victoria ▁and ▁Albert ▁Museum ) ▁to ▁the ▁spr ig ged ▁relief s ▁' l ifting ' ▁during ▁the ▁firing , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 6 ▁he ▁fe ared ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁never ▁apply ▁the ▁Jas per ▁relief ▁thin ly ▁enough ▁to ▁match ▁the ▁glass ▁original ' s ▁subt le ty ▁and ▁del ic acy . ▁ ▁He ▁finally ▁managed ▁to ▁perfect ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 0 , ▁with ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁the ▁" first - ed ition " ▁of ▁copies ▁( with ▁some ▁of ▁this ▁edition , ▁including ▁the ▁V & A ▁one , ▁copying ▁the ▁came o ' s ▁del ic acy ▁by ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁under cut ting ▁and ▁sh ading ▁the ▁relief s ▁in ▁grey ), ▁and ▁it ▁marks ▁his ▁last ▁major ▁achiev ement . ▁ ▁Wed g wood ▁put ▁the ▁first ▁edition ▁on ▁private ▁show ▁between ▁April ▁and ▁May ▁