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Wonders of Wedgwood

"Wedgwood" first brings to mind Jasperware. This pottery, commonly made with a blue body and white classical, bas-relief figures, is well-known enough to give name to a color, "Wedgwood blue." Developed circa 1775, Jasperware’s popularity has endured through the centuries. The Wedgewood Group — now a division of Waterford — still produces both new patterns and old designs today. In fact, many Wedgwood (notice there’s no "e") collectors get hooked on these modern "collectibles," rather than truly antique pieces, which are expensive and hard-to-find.

Credit for the stoneware’s creation undeniably goes to Josiah Wedgwood (1730–1795), the "father of English potters." Like many other great artists, however, Josiah’s success came in spite of (or perhaps because of) great difficulties in his life.

When Josiah’s father, a second-generation potter, died in 1739, the nine-year-old boy left school and became apprenticed to his oldest brother, who had inherited the family’s pottery works. Disaster struck again in 1742, when 12-year-old Josiah fell victim to a smallpox epidemic. The disease left him with a permanently weakened right knee so he could not operate the foot pedal on a potter’s wheel. Years later, at age 38, the leg was amputated.

Creative and business-oriented, Josiah turned his attention to reading, researching and experimentation. His older brother, however, refused Josiah a partnership in the family business. Instead, in 1754, an innovative English potter, Thomas Whieldon, accepted Josiah Wedgwood into partnership.

After five years, Josiah was ready to set up in business on his own. In 1759 he established his own enterprise. He started to produce, in large quantities, a distinctive and original creamware finished with a brilliant clear green glaze to decorate leaf and vegetable shapes; in 1762, he first produced cream colored earthenware later to be known as Queen's Ware by royal consent of Queen Charlotte. This new, inexpensive and beautiful tableware was, without question, Josiah Wedgwood's greatest achievement and contribution to the British pottery industry.

In 1762, Josiah Wedgwood met Thomas Bentley, a Liverpool merchant, with whom he formed an intimate and lasting friendship; and after several years of negotiation they signed, in 1769, a partnership which ended only on Bentley's death in 1780. Bentley's taste, knowledge of the arts and social contacts were of inestimable value to Josiah Wedgwood and his influence was paramount in the international success of the firm.

Among collectors, the term "Old Wedgwood" refers to wares produced before Josiah’s death in 1795. These include a half dozen types of pottery, including: Early Wares, Queen’s Ware, Black Basalt, Jasper, Cane Ware, and Rosso Antico. Josiah Wedgwood’s son, Josiah Wedgwood II, was responsible for the company’s first bone china wares. Read more about these in the accompanying sidebar.

However finely crafted, Old Wedgwood can be difficult to date. To complicate matters, Wedgwood pottery is probably the most imitated in history. One way to learn to recognize the pottery is to take advantage of opportunities to examine it at antique shows and auctions.

Factory marks that can help in determining age can be found on almost every piece. Josiah started marking his pieces with his name in about 1759, impressing it into the underside of the pottery with printer's movable type. The resulting mark was often uneven and sometime arced. From 1860 on, the Wedgwood factory marked its wares with a three-letter code. The first letter of the code represents the month of manufacture, the second identified the potter who threw the shape and the last letter signified the year the piece was made — starting with 0 for 1860. The series was repeated four times.

After 1891 the word "England" was added to the Wedgwood mark, continuing until 1908, when the words "Made in England" replace it in all cases. "Made in England" appeared on some wares as early as 1898 but was not generally used until 1908.

In the nineteenth century, the Wedgwood company survived periods of economic difficulty; important progress was made in the use of new machinery, the introduction of the first colored earthenware bodies and the manufacture of bone china which now accounts for the most valuable part of the company's export trade.

In the 1930's, at a time when many potteries closed because of unfavorable economic conditions, the fifth Josiah Wedgwood decided to build a new factory. A country estate of 382 acres (now around 500 acres) near the village of Barlaston was purchased and a new expansive, modern, all-electric Wedgwood factory was built. Production started in 1940.

A visitor center was added in 1975 to provide facilities for the increasing number of visitors from home and abroad. There, one may see the museum collection — and a new "living" museum showcasing the traditional skills of craftsmen and women at work, which the company continues to regard as an important part of its continuing success.

Variations of Old Wedgwood
EARLY WARES
One of Josiah Wedgwood’s earliest achievements was the creation of a rich green glaze which, unlike similar glazes being developed by his rivals, resisted crazing in extreme temperatures. The 'red letter day' was 23 March 1759, when he recorded the result of a very early trial in his Experiment Book, saying — 'A Green Glaze, to be laid on common white (or cream color) biscuit ware. Very good.' The glaze was used on novelty wares shaped as cauliflower, pineapples and cabbages.

QUEEN'S WARE
eWedgwood brought the cream ware body to a degree of perfection never known before. White clay and flint were among the principal ingredients. Flint increased the whiteness of the composition, giving a durable body, which could vary in color from buff to a deep cream, after dipping in a clear glaze. In 1765, Wedgwood provided Queen Charlotte, wife of George III with a tea and coffee service in the new body. She was so delighted with the ware that she gave Royal Assent for Wedgwood to call this new body Queen’s Ware, a name by which it is still known today.

The reputation of Queen’s Ware was further heightened by a commission received from the Empress Catherine II of Russia for a magnificent dinner and dessert service which was intended for a Palace known as La Grenouillère.

BLACK BASALT
The first ornamental body developed by Josiah Wedgwood was described by him as 'A fine black Porcelain, having nearly the same Properties as the Basaltes (mineral rock), resisting the Attacks of Acids; being a Touch-stone to Copper, Silver and Gold, and equal in Hardness to Agate or Porphyry'. Smooth as silk, with a lustrous purplish-black sheen, Black Basalt was adored by the public, who purchased as many vases, candlesticks, tablewares, and portrait medallions as the factory could produce.

JASPER
Jasper has been described as the most significant innovation in ceramic history since the Chinese discovery of porcelain a thousand years before. It was certainly a unique body, described by Josiah Wedgwood as, 'a white porcelain biscuit of exquisite beauty and delicacy... receiving colors throughout its whole surface, in a manner which no other body, ancient or modern has been known to do.' In the 18th century, as today, Jasper was available in a range of colors, including lilac, yellow, green, crimson, black, gray and even brown. Beginning with tablets and cameos, Wedgwood went on to craft Jasper candlesticks, vases, tea sets, jewelry, buckles, snuff boxes, plant pots, busts, statuettes, door and sword handles. Wedgwood even offered Jasper chests of drawers, coach panels and, most astonishing of all, grand pianos.

CANE WARE
Cane ware was first catalogued by Josiah Wedgwood in 1787, when he described it as 'Bamboo, or cane-coloured bisqué (or, biscuit) porcelain', although the ware had been in production long before. Like Jasper, Black Basalt, White Terracotta and Rosso Antico, Cane Ware is a dry-bodied stoneware. Josiah capitalized on the reference to 'bamboo' coloring by producing elaborate items of which sections were molded to resemble bamboo.

ROSSO ANTICO
Despite its refined qualities, Rosso Antico (old red) was one of Josiah Wedgwood's least favourite bodies, so much so that he never listed it in his catalogues. The reason for this lack of enthusiasm may lie in the fact that it was the only body developed at the request of Bentley rather than by Josiah's choice. Nevertheless, existing examples, particularly those dipped in Black Basalt slip and patterned using Wedgwood's engine-turning lathe are very handsome. They demonstrate Josiah's passion, even in this instance, for making only the finest bodies and wares.