Wedgwood Cup and Saucer

Thanks to Josiah Wedgwood an English potter from 1730-1795 we have the heritage that produced this piece of fine china. His works are among the finest examples of ceramic art.

”In 1754 the English ceramist Josiah Wedgwood began to experiment with coloured creamware. He established his own factory but often worked withothers who did transfer printing (introduced by the Worcester Porcelain Companyin the 1750s). He also produced red stoneware; basaltes ware an unglazed blackstoneware; and jasperware made of white stoneware clay that had been colouredby the addition of metal oxides. Jasperware was usually ornamented with whiterelief portraits or Greek Classical scenes. Wedgwood’sgreatest contribution to European ceramics however was his fine pearlware anextremely pale creamware with a bluish tint to its glaze. During his longcareer Wedgwood developed revolutionary ceramic materials notably basalt andjasperware.

Wedgwood built a newfactory in Etruria which began operating in 1769 the same year he formed a partnership withThomas Bently. Wedgwood’s mostfamous set of Queen’s Ware the1 000 piece ”Frog” service created for Catherine the Great Empressof Russia was produced at the Etruria factory in 1774. By the late 1770s theWedgwood product line included black basalt creamware jasper pearlware andredware. Moonlight luster was made from 1805 to 1815. Bone china was producedfrom 1812 to 1822 and revived in 1878. Fairyland luster was introduced in1915 but all luster production ended in 1932.

In 1906 a Wedgwood chinamuseum was established at the Etruriapottery. A new factory was built at nearby Barlaston in 1940 and the museumwas moved to and expanded at this location. The Etruria works was closed in 1950.During the 1960s and 1970s Wedgwood acquired many English potteries.

Today the Wedgwood Groupis one of the largest fine china and earthenware manufacturers in the world.Wedgwood’s marketing strengthcenters on the breadth of its wares – in style type and price range varyingfrom luxurious fine bone china tableware to inexpensive earthenware  and oven-to-tableware.”

You can read more about the Historyof Wedgwood China.