Wedgwood black basalt mug, silver mounted, 1808.
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Wedgwood black basalt mug, silver mounted, 1808.
About the Item
Wedgwood
Arguably the most celebrated of all English ceramics makers, Wedgwood was founded in 1759 by potter Josiah Wedgwood (1730–95) in Staffordshire, which was home at one time to hundreds of pottery workshops. The company is famed for its Jasperware — molded neoclassical stoneware vases, plates and other pieces inspired by ancient cameo glass, featuring white figures, scenes and decorative elements set in relief on a matte-colored background. The best-known background hue is light blue, but Wedgwood’s iconic silhouettes also appear on green, lilac, yellow, black and even white grounds. Some antique Wedgwood dinnerware pieces and other items feature three or more colors.
The Wedgwood firm first came to prominence for its tableware, which quickly gained favor in aristocratic households throughout Britain and Europe. In 1765, Wedgwood was commissioned to create a cream-colored earthenware service for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. The queen was so thrilled with her new china that Wedgwood was given permission to call himself “Potter to Her Majesty,” and the decorative style became known as Queen’s Ware.
Not to be outdone, Catherine the Great of Russia commissioned her own set of Wedgwood china in 1773. Nearly 200 years later, the firm created a 1,200-piece service for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In recent years, leading designers including Jasper Conran and Vera Wang have collaborated with Wedgwood — in the tradition of such distinguished 18th-century artists such as the painter George Stubbs and metalsmith Matthew Boulton.
From plates and other dinnerware to decorative items like urns, cachepots and candlesticks, Wedgwood designs lend a traditional air to Anglophile interiors. And even if you have to make your own tea, you may find it comforting to sip it from a delicate cup that was manufactured in the same Stoke-on-Trent kiln that produced Her Majesty’s tea service. Be sure to keep your pinky raised.
Find antique Wedgwood pottery on 1stDibs.
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- Pair of Flaxman Ewers in Black Basalt. Wedgwood C1830.By WedgwoodLocated in Melbourne, VictoriaOne of the iconic early wedgwood pieces, the pair of ewers Sacred to Neptune & Sacred to Bacchus was designed by Flaxman in the 1780s for Josiah Wedgwood. They have remained popular ...Category
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$6,000 Sale Price20% Off - Encaustic Painted Basalt Vase, Wedgwood, circa 1780By WedgwoodLocated in Melbourne, VictoriaA fine, large vase in black basalt, decorated with an encaustic painted figure of a youth and an older man, taken from The Hamilton vase in the British Museum. It is unusual to find ...Category
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