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Antique Wedgwood Basalt Bust of Homer
About the Item
An antique Wedgwood black basalt bust of Homer.
This Grand Tour style sculpture is a very stylish depiction of the scholar.
This English bust depicts the legendary poet and author Homer who is presumed to have penned the two of ancient Greece’s most epic poems: the Iliad and the Odyssey. Scholars are uncertain whether or not Homer actually existed but if he in fact did exist, Homer would be regarded as one of the greatest literary artists of his time.
At over 160 years old, this Homer bust is in good condition, features such as the nose, wrinkles of the brow and beard are still intact and clearly defined.
Wedgwood first began creating black basalt wares in 1768. This dense and fine-grained basalt bust remains to this day of fine quality.
This bust bares a great likeness to his famous portrait, which was likely first depicted during the Hellenistic era but remains recognisable to this day.
It captures his supposed likeness in incredible levels of detail including his blindness – though whether or not he was actually blind is another cause for debate.
Despite the questions over his existence, Homer has become synonymous with the history of Ancient Greece.
The bust is stamped Homer and Wedgwood to the reverse.
- Creator:Wedgwood (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 10.44 in (26.5 cm)Width: 7.68 in (19.5 cm)Depth: 5.32 in (13.5 cm)
- Style:Grand Tour (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1860
- Condition:Good structural condition. Clean condition. No restorations.
- Seller Location:Wormelow, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: 9361301stDibs: LU2096342947602
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.
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