FLOWER DISH: 13,5 X 9 CM
Wedgewood a short intro:
Wedgwood (Josiah)
He founded the wedgwood company and many of his descendants were closely involved in the management of the company. Right down to the time of the merger with the Waterford Company.
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.
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.
The third major innovation for which Wedgwood is remembered is 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.
Fortunately Josiah Wedgwood was the first potter of note to mark his goods with his own name, rather than use easily copied potters marks like the crossed sword mark used by meissen; the sevres double L, or the chelsea' anchor mark.
Early Wedgwood works may be unmarked, but the presence of the correct mark is an indication that the piece is genuine and should allow you to determine its true age.
Read more about dating wedgwood by www.antique-marks.com
