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The wedgwood company is a British pottery firm, originally founded by Josiah Wedgwood c1795, and possibly the most famous name ever associated with pottery.Wedgwood merged with Waterford Crystal in 1987 to become Waterford Wedgwood.
Wedgwood developed creamware, known as Queen's Ware in honour of Queen Charlotte, that rivalled porcelain throughout Europe in the 1760s and 70s and competed with the endless supplies of chinese export porcelain. Other landmarks include a fine red stoneware known as rosso antico, black basaltes and the jasperware that came to be the company's best-known product. By the mid-18thC its products ranged from brooches and snuffboxes to statuettes, plaques and tablewares. It was widely copied and it exported all over Europe and the USA. The companys successes in the 18thC maintained styles into the 19thC, when the emphasis shifted from handcrafted pottery to the production of bone china and majolica. Wedgwood 20thC designers include Keith murray, Voysey and Eric Ravilious. Josiah
Wedgwood (1730-1795) 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. The first major innovation Wedgwood introduced to 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 Queens Ware, and to style himself, "Potter to Her Majesty". Queens Ware became an enormous success and spread the name of Wedgwood across all of Europe. Today Queens Ware is highly collectable and very affordable... Wedgwood Queens Ware for Sale 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.
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. Jasper Ware has been in production for over 200 years, and in that time the methods of production have remained virually unchanged. It would seem that Josiah Wedgwood got it right first time. Jasper Ware for Sale John
Wedgwood (1766–1844) Josiah
Wedgwood II (1769-1843) Josiah Wedgwood III (1795-1880) son of Josiah II, partner from 1825 until he retired in 1842. Francis
Wedgwood (1800-1880) Godfrey
Wedgwood (1833-1905) Clement Wedgwood (1840-1889) son of Francis Wedgwood, partner. Laurence Wedgwood (1844-1913) son of Francis Wedgwood, partner. Major
Cecil Wedgwood DSO (1863-1916) Kennard
Laurence Wedgwood (1873-1949) Francis
Hamilton Wedgwood (1867-1930) Josiah
Wedgwood Josiah
Wedgwood V (1899-1968) Is it genuine Wedgwood porcelain.
Some of the imitators' work is quite good and would grace a collection
of 18th and 19th century English potters work. Fortunately Josiah Wedgwood was the first potter of note to mark his production with his own name, rather than easily copied potters marks like the crossed sword mark used by meissen or the sevres double L or the chelsea potteries' anchor mark. Josiah was also quick to defend his marks and reputation in court during his lifetime and his successors have followed that pattern to the present day. While early Wedgwood works may be unmarked, the presence of the correct mark is both an indication that the piece is genuine and an indicator of its true age. Before 1781 very few unmarked pieces can be correctly attributed to Wedgwood. Beware of pieces marked 'Wedgwood & Co', an Enoch Wedgwood mark and also wares of the 1790-1801 period by the Knottingley Pottery which are also marked 'Wedgwood & Co' Significant dates in wedgwood company history.1775 - Jasper ware perfected and introduced 1777 - Jasper ware dip introduced 1780 - Death of Thomas Bentley and the end of the Bentley and Wedgwood partnership 1805 - underglaze blue printing introduced 1806 - Wedgwood Lustre ware glaze introduced. Fairyland lustre ware for sale 1812 - First printed mark used. 1827 - Francis Wedgwood in partnership with Josiah II and Josiah III until 1841 1860 - Wedgwood majolica introduced. 1860 - Three letter impressed mark (dating code) introduced for earthenwares 1875 - Turquoise jasper introduced. Run ended c1885 1891 - ENGLAND added to base marks 1895 - Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd is incorporated 1912 - wedgwood powder blue introduced 1953 - royal blue jasper ware introduced to celebrate Queen Elizabeths coronation. 1980 - 250th anniversary of the birth of Josiah I. 1980 - 200th anniversary of the end of the Wedgwood and Bentley partnership |
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