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Hot Milk Jug, Engine-Turned Jasperware. Wedgwood, C1785
About the Item
Superb and exceptionally rare small jug in tricolour engine-turned diceware.
This is very early jasperware, made when "cherokee clay" was still being used. This clay, sourced from America, contained kaolin, the ingredient that makes porcelain translucent.
Exhibited: Wedgwood, Master Potter to the Universe, Roche Foundation, 2023.
Engine turning, also known as guilloche, is a decorative technique that was commonly used on eighteenth-century pottery. The process involved cutting intricate, repetitive patterns into a metal or ceramic surface using a machine known as a rose engine lathe. The technique was used to create decorative borders, patterns, and designs on a variety of objects, including pottery.
The process of engine turning on pottery involved several steps. First, the surface of the pottery piece was prepared by smoothing and polishing it to ensure that the pattern would be sharp and clear. Next, the pattern was marked out and transferred onto the surface of the pottery.
The pottery piece was then mounted on the rose engine lathe and the pattern was engraved into the surface using a cutting tool. The object was moved back and forth as it spun, giving the depth to the pattern. This action was guided by one or more specially shaped gears, or cams, which we installed in the lathe.
The pressure of the cutting tool created a cutting or engraving action, which removed material from the surface and produced the desired pattern. The lathe was turned by hand by the lathe-turner's assistant, usually a woman. The lathe operator always worked with the same assistant, as they developed a way of working together without the need for spoken instructions.
Sometimes, as with this piece, a coloured layer was applied so it could be cut away by the turning process, to create a two-colour effect. A third colour was then applied by attaching green decorative elements.
Engine turning was a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, but the results were often stunning and highly prized. The technique was widely used on a variety of decorative objects, including vases, teapots, and other types of pottery, and is still valued for its beauty and intricate detail.
- Creator:Wedgwood (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)Diameter: 3.5 in (8.89 cm)
- Style:Neoclassical (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1785
- Condition:Lacking cover. The jasper has sunk slightly under the spout; this happened in the kiln.
- Seller Location:Melbourne, AU
- Reference Number:Seller: 26261stDibs: LU3151332679182
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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