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19th C. Wedgwood Black Basalt Cup and Saucer browse these categories for related items... All Items: Sculpture: Metal: Pre 1920: item #699399
$175. |
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| 19th Century Wedgwood Black Basalt Cup and Saucer with decorative cherubs and design pattern on the cup and saucer both. H: cup in the saucer 3" Diameter of the saucer 5.5" Historically speaking Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) was the 12th child of potter Thomas Wedgwood, and his grandfather and great-grandfather had been potters, too. In his early 20's Joseph formed a partnership with the preeminent English potter of the day, Thomas Whieldon. Under Whieldon's eye, Wedgwood practiced with glazing, bodies, shapes, and colours. In 1759 his dreams came true when two relatives leased him the Ivy House in Burslem to allow him to start his own pottery business. One of the greatest boosts to the business in those early years was an advantageous marriage to a distant cousin, Sarah Wedgwood, who brought a large dowry into the marriage. The course of Josiah life changed and in 1766 he bought Etruria, in Staffordshire, as a base for his factory and a magnificent new house. Wedgwood was a constant innovator, a thinker, and a scientist. In 1782 he perfected a tool for measuring heat in kilns. On the basis of his work Wedgwood was elected to the Royal Society in 1783. Prior to that his innovation of Wedgwood introduced into the pottery field was the development of Queen's Ware, a cream-coloured, lead-glazed earthenware. This was durable china formed with a mixture of flint and white clay. In 1765 Wedgwood provided a tea service in this new material for Queen Charlotte, wife of George III. She was so pleased with it that she gave Wedgwood permission to call it Queen's Ware, and to style himself, "Potter to Her Majesty". Queen's Ware became an enormous success spread the name of Wedgwood across all of Europe. This was the precursor to the now Black Basalt Bust of Ninerva as we show here in pristine condition. In 1768 Wedgwood developed a fine black porcelain called Black Basalt. With this fine-grained stoneware he was able to produce copies of the newly excavated Etruscan pottery from Italy. The new innovation proved another huge commercial success. The surface was lustrous and smooth, with a purple-black sheen. Wedgwood's factory could scarcely keep up with the demand for candlesticks, medallions, tableware, and vases in the material. This particular Bust is reflecting the revival of the classics and interest of the day. The third major innovation for which Wedgwood is remembered was Jasper Ware, which has been described as the most important invention in the history of ceramics since the discovery of porcelain. It took Wedgwood years of experimentation to perfect his design for this unglazed stoneware with the uncanny ability to be both durable and delicate, and to take colours so evenly throughout its surface. Jasper can be almost any colour, although the most famous examples are are pale or dark blue and white. The new material was used in an astonishing array of objects, including, of all things, a grand piano! Jasper Ware is also famous for the bas relief applied to the sides, often in imitation of classical Greek motifs. This particular cup and saucer have a romantic and well detailed pattern on both pieces. | |||||||
