▁Cav end ish - Har ley , ▁wid ow ▁of ▁William ▁B entin ck , ▁ 2 nd ▁Duke ▁of ▁Port land , ▁and ▁dow ager ▁Duch ess ▁of ▁Port land . ▁It ▁was ▁sold ▁at ▁au ction ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 6 ▁and ▁passed ▁into ▁the ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁duch ess ' s ▁son , ▁William ▁Cav end ish - B entin ck , ▁ 3 rd ▁Duke ▁of ▁Port land . ▁ ▁The ▁ 3 rd ▁Duke ▁l ent ▁the ▁original ▁v ase ▁to ▁Jos iah ▁Wed g wood ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁Museum ▁for ▁safe - keep ing , ▁by ▁which ▁point ▁it ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Port land ▁V ase ". ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁depos ited ▁there ▁perman ently ▁by ▁the ▁fourth ▁Duke ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 0 , ▁after ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁his ▁broke ▁its ▁base . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Museum ▁ever ▁since ▁ 1 8 1 0 , ▁apart ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 9 – 3 2 , ▁when ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁Duke ▁put ▁it ▁up ▁for ▁sale ▁at ▁Christ ie ' s ▁( where ▁it ▁failed ▁to ▁reach ▁its ▁reserve ). ▁It ▁was ▁finally ▁purchased ▁by ▁the ▁museum ▁from ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁Duke ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁with ▁the ▁aid ▁of ▁a ▁be quest ▁from ▁James ▁Rose ▁Vall entin . ▁ ▁Cop ies ▁ ▁The ▁ 3 rd ▁Duke ▁l ent ▁the ▁v ase ▁to ▁Jos iah ▁Wed g wood , ▁who ▁had