Llorente’s Vase

This ornate florero de Llorente (early 19th c.) ignited Colombia’s independence movement. On July 20, 1810, Creole leaders staged a confrontation with Spanish merchant José González Llorente, who refused to lend it for a patriotic banquet. The incident sparked riots in Bogotá’s Plaza Mayor, leading to the creation of a local junta and the first steps toward independence.