The Beauty of Wedgwood, Now Mine

I have a lengthy bucket list of places I want to see, many of them in England. I have a much smaller bucket list of things I long to own, including a period-correct (a good reproduction would do) quizzing glass, a stereograph of the Grand Canyon taken before 1900, and a piece of Wedgwood. I have looked for the first and last many times but was always turned away by either the price or the poor quality. Imagine my surprise, then, to discover at the back of an antique mall in the cozy little town of Kalama, the stuff that dreams are made of.

I have blogged about my obsession with Wedgwood before. I had no illusions that I could afford a piece dating from the nineteenth century. But it wasn’t so much the age of the piece but the classical rendering that was important to me. It had to be the famed Wedgewood blue, with white embossing, the color and shape so reminiscent of the Regency period I love.

So, without further ado, here she is:

You can see I got my wish—blue and white, classical pattern--cherubs embracing. I have researched the maker’s marks on the back and can safely say while mine is genuine Wedgwood, it isn’t an antique. It proudly sports a registered trademark symbol, which wasn’t used until 1974.

But I still love it. One down. Two to go. 😊

Wedgwood Blues

Most often, I dine on simple, white, rather indestructible plates we bought when our sons were small. I do have a fancier set of china, blue and white, for special occasions.  But what I dream of owning is what many of the aristocracy dined on, buttoned themselves up with, and decorated their homes with in nineteenth century England--Wedgwood.

In the nineteenth century, Wedgwood was synonymous with stoneware and china made by potter Josiah Wedgwood and his sons and partners. He was a man of rare vision and talent, developing new types of pottery called black basalt and jasperware. He had a way of putting white relief on a colored background.  His work so impressed Queen Charlotte that she gave him permission to call a creamy colored version queen’s ware. And his innovations in the pottery process so impressed the Royal Society that they elected him a member to sit among the scientists.

 

I had always thought Wedgwood jasperware was blue (in fact, the exact color is often called Wedgwood blue), but I recently learned it came in a variety of colors as well, including jade, lavender, yellow, black, terra cotta, and white.  At the time, ancient art from Rome, Greece, and Egypt was all the rage, so it wasn’t surprising that Wedgwood decided to copy the designs.  He was even willing to put silhouettes of his clients into the pieces.  He hired artists like George Stubbs and John Flaxman to create designs for him. Wedgwood’s work was so popular, it was used for jewelry, furniture, wall moldings, and even buttons. 

I was further intrigued to find that two of his artists were ladies, at a time when it was relatively rare for a woman to be recognized and paid for her art. Elizabeth Upton, Lady Templetown, was the wife of an Irish peer and quoted for her taste.  You can see some of her work at the Victoriaand Albert Museum in London.   Emma Crewe was called an “amateur,” yet she provided art for Wedgwood and illustrated books.  Her work was also called charming, except she was criticized in one case for making the lady appear too voluptuous!  Some of her pieces are on exhibit at the Harvard Art Museum.   

Whoever did the art, Wedgwood’s pottery and china were widely acclaimed.  Today, Wedgwood pieces are found in nearly every museum of note and grace tables from the White House to the Kremlin.  Not, ahem, mine.

 

Yet. 

Interesting Uses for Easter Eggs

This Sunday is Easter, Resurrection Day for those of the Christian persuasion. At our house, this means spending much of the morning celebrating at church. For many households here in the U.S., however, it means baskets of candy and colored hard-boiled eggs. Colored eggs were also popular among young lads and ladies in nineteenth century England, although how they used those eggs might surprise you.

Then as now, the family would boil the eggs and color the shells by dunking them in concoctions. The most commonly used colors were red for the blood of Christ, blue for the water of baptism, and purple for royalty. On Easter Sunday, the eggs might be given as gifts to friends and family.

They might also be used to start a war.

Egg wars were a favorite among the lads (are you surprised?). You picked an Easter egg and your opponent picked an Easter egg and the two of you smacked them together. The least cracked egg was declared the winner, and the owner could receive a forfeit such as a small coin or piece of candy.

You could also roll your eggs. You picked a grassy hill, lined up at the top with each person holding an Easter egg, and pushed them off so that they rolled down to the bottom. You might also push them along with a spoon. Depending on your family tradition, the winner was the owner of the egg that reached the bottom first, lasted the longest among several rolls, or rolled between two goals.


Me? This Easter the only boiled eggs I’m dealing with will be those that are devilled and part of the menu. However, my mother gave me a lovely faux-nineteenth century porcelain egg. Reminds me a bit of Wedgwood, but it’s pink. What do you think?

Happy Easter, all!