Etruria--Josiah Wedgwood--The Wedgwood Family--Indenture
of Apprenticeship--Ridge House Estate--Etruria Works
founded--Thomas Bentley--Flaxman--Catalogues of Goods--Jasper
and other Wares--Portland Vase--Monument to Josiah
Wedgwood--Marks--Various Productions of the Works--M. Lessore.
Having already, some years ago, written a work devoted to the life of
Josiah Wedgwood--a history of the family to which he belonged, of the
works founded by him, and of his various productions[52]--it will not
be necessary to enter at any very great length into the subject in this
chapter.
Josiah Wedgwood was born at Burslem in July, 1730, and was baptized
on the 12th of that month, the entry in the parish register being as
follows:--“1730. Josiah, son of Thomas and Mary Wedgwood, bapd. July
12th.” He was the youngest, the thirteenth, child of Thomas Wedgwood
(eldest son of Thomas Wedgwood and his wife, Mary Leigh, of the
Churchyard House and Works, Burslem), by his wife, Mary Stringer. This
Thomas Wedgwood was born in 1686–7, and his family consisted of seven
sons and six daughters. The daughters were, I believe, Maria, born in
1711; Anne, born in 1712; Mary, born in 1714; Margaret, born in 1720;
Catherine, born in 1726; and Jane, born in 1728: while the sons were
Thomas, of the Churchyard and Overhouse, born in 1716; Samuel, in 1718;
John, in 1721; Aaron, in 1722; Abner, in 1723; Richard, in 1725; and
Josiah, in 1730.
[Illustration: Figs. 517 to 523.--Wedgwood’s Jasper Ware.]
The Wedgwoods were an ancient family of Staffordshire, being
originally, I believe, of Wedgwood in Wolstanton, where a Thomas de
Weggewood “was frankpledge, or headborough, of the hamlet of Weggewood”
in 1370; and a century later John Wedgwood, a descendant, then of
Blackwood or Dunwood, married Mary Shawe, the heiress of Harracles.
The Wedgwoods of Burslem, who belonged to this family, had, for many
generations before the birth of Josiah, been potters there, and indeed
a considerable portion of the place passed into the hands of one of
them, Gilbert Wedgwood, by marriage with Margaret Burslem, heiress of
the De Burslems, the original owners of the place, about the year 1612.
The issue of this marriage was, it appears, six sons and two daughters:
Joseph, who died without issue; Burslem, whose line became extinct in
the third descent; Thomas, who married Margaret Shaw (who survived
him, and afterwards married Francis Fynney), and had a family of seven
sons and nine daughters, and was the ancestor of the families known as
the “Overhouse Wedgwoods” and the “Church Wedgwoods,” of which latter
Josiah was a member; William; Moses; and Aaron, who was ancestor of
the family known as the “Big House Wedgwoods;” Mary, married to Broad;
and Sarah, married to Daniell. The eldest son of Thomas and Margaret,
to whom I have alluded, was John, who appears to have been born in
1654 and to have died in 1705. He had by his wife, Alice, a daughter,
Catherine, who married her cousin, Richard Wedgwood, potter, of the
“Overhouse” branch, and had by him John, an only child, who died a
minor. This lady, who survived her husband, married, secondly, Thomas
Bourne, and thirdly, Rowland Egerton, and died a widow in 1756. The
second son of Thomas and Margaret, Thomas Wedgwood, was born in 1660,
and married, in 1684, Mary Leigh. He resided, and had his pot-works
close to the churchyard at Burslem, where they still exist. By his
wife, Mary Leigh, he had a family of four sons and five daughters.
The sons were Thomas (father of Josiah), John, Abner, who died young,
Aaron, and Daniel; and the daughters, Catherine, married to her
relative, Dr. Thomas Wedgwood, jun.; Alice, married to Thomas Moore;
Elizabeth, married to Samuel Astbury; Margaret, married to Moses Marsh;
and Mary, married to Richard Clifton. Thomas Wedgwood, who succeeded
his father at the Churchyard Works, died in 1739, when his youngest and
most famous son, Josiah, was hardly nine years old (and by his will the
sum of twenty pounds, to be paid him on attaining the age of twenty,
was left), and was in turn succeeded by his eldest son, Thomas, in the
business. This Thomas Wedgwood married, in 1742, Isabel Beech, and in
his marriage settlement is described as “of the Over House, Burslem,
potter,” and probably both these and the Churchyard Works were carried
on by him.
To this Thomas Wedgwood his eldest brother, Josiah Wedgwood, was bound
apprentice on the 11th of November, 1744. The original indenture of
apprenticeship (which, with a vast number of other documents, wills,
&c., I had the pleasure to be the first to make public in the Life of
Wedgwood), preserved in the Museum at Hanley, is as follows:--
“This Indenture, made the Eleventh day of November, in the
Seventeenth year of the Reign of our Soveraign Lord, George the
Second, by the grace of God, King of great Brittain, and so
forth, and in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred
forty and four, Between Josiah Wedgwood, son of Mary Wedgwood,
of the Churchyard, in the County of Stafford, of the one part,
and Thomas Wedgwood, of the Churchyard, in the County of
Stafford, Potter, of the other part, Wittnesseth that the said
Josiah Wedgwood, of his own free Will and Consent to, and with
the Consent and Direction of his said Mother, Hath put and doth
hereby Bind himselfe Apprentice unto the said Thomas Wedgwood,
to Learn his Art, Mistery, Occupation, or Imployment of Throwing
and Handleing, which he the said Thomas Wedgwood now useth, and
with him as an Apprentice to Dwell, Continue, and Serve from the
day of the Date hereof, unto the full end and term of five years
from thence next Ensuing, and fully to be Compleat and Ended;
During which said Term, the said Apprentice his said Master
well and faithfully shall serve, his secrits keep, his Lawfull
Commands Every were gladly do; Hurt to his said Master he shall
not do, nor willfully suffer to be done by others, but the same
to his Power shall let, or forthwith give notice thereof to his
said Master; the goods of his said Master he shall not imbezil
or waste, nor them Lend, without his Consent, to any; at Cards,
Dice, or any other unlawfull Games he shall not Play; Taverns
or Ale Houses he shall not haunt or frequent; Fornication he
shall not Commit, Matrimony he shall not Contract; from the
Service of his said Master he shall not at any time depart
or absent himselfe without his said Master’s Leave: but in
all things as a good and faithful Apprentice Shall and Will
Demean and behave himselfe towards his said Master and all his,
During the said Term, and the Said Master his Apprentice the
said Art of Throwing and Handleing which he now useth, with
all things thereunto, shall and will Teach and Instruct, or
Cause to be well and Sufficiently Taught and Instructed after
the best way and manner he can, and shall and will also find
and allow unto the Said Apprentice Meat, Drink, Washing and
Lodging, and Apparell of all kinds, both Linen and Woolen, and
all other Necessaries, both in Sickness and in Health, meet and
Convenient for such an Apprentice During the Term aforesaid, and
for the true performance of all and Every the said Covenants
and Agreements either of the Said Parties Bindeth himselfe
unto Each other by these presents, in Witness wereof they have
Interchangeably Set their hands and Seals the Day and year
before mentioned.
JOSIAH WEDGWOOD.
MARY WEDGWOOD.
THOS. WEDGWOOD.”
Sealed and Delivered }
in the Presence of }
SAMUEL ASTBURY.
ABNER WEDGWOOD.
[Illustration: Fig. 524.--Fac-simile of Signatures to Wedgwood’s
Indentures.]
Facsimiles of the autograph signatures of Josiah Wedgwood; of his
mother, Mary Wedgwood; his brother, Thomas, to whom he was bound; his
uncle, Samuel Astbury (husband to Elizabeth Wedgwood, his father’s
sister); and his brother or uncle, Abner Wedgwood, are given in Fig.
524. The indenture is endorsed “Josiah Wedgwood to Thos. Wedgwood.
Indenture for 5 years. November 11th, 1744.” Of the Churchyard Works a
view is given on page 244.
In 1749 Josiah Wedgwood’s apprenticeship expired, but he probably
remained for some time in the employ of his brother. He next went
to Stoke, where he lodged with a mercer, Mr. Daniel Mayer, and
commenced making imitation agate and other knife-handles, and in 1752
entered into partnership with John Harrison for the manufacture of
the same kind of goods (see page 232). Two years later both Wedgwood
and Harrison entered into partnership for a term of five years with
Thomas Whieldon, at Fenton Low, as already spoken of under the head
of those works (which see). At the expiration of the five years,
namely, in 1759, Josiah Wedgwood returned to Burslem and commenced
business on his own account; first, there is reason to believe, at the
“Churchyard” Works, and next at the Ivy “House” (Fig. 368), which he
rented from his relatives of the “Big House.” Next, he entered upon
another manufactory, the “Bell Bank,” or “Bell Works” (Fig. 367), as it
became called, and thus carried on their pot-works at the same time.
Here he produced his famous “Queen’s ware,” which earned for him the
appointment of “Queen’s potter,” which was thus brought about.
In 1762, on the occasion of the accouchement of Queen Charlotte,
Wedgwood, having by that time perfected the body and glaze of his fine
cream-coloured ware, presented to her Majesty a caudle and breakfast
service of his manufacture, which was graciously received. This
service, which was of course made of the finest and best cream-coloured
quality which could be produced, was painted in the highest style of
the day by the first artists of the works, Thomas Daniell and Daniel
Steele. The ground of this service, which was prepared with all the
skill the art would then admit of, was yellow, with raised sprigs of
jessamine and other flowers, coloured after nature. The Queen received
this tribute of an infant art, and was so pleased with it that she at
once expressed a wish to have a complete table service of the same
material. Wedgwood submitted patterns for the several pieces, “which
were approved, with the exception of the plate, which was the common
barleycorn pattern, then making by all the salt-glaze manufacturers.
Her Majesty objected to the roughness--the ‘barleycorn-work’ as it is
called--and therefore this part was made plain; on the edge was left
only the bands, marking the compartments; and being approved by her
Majesty, the pattern was called ‘Queen’s pattern.’” The ware was at
once named by Wedgwood “Queen’s ware,” and he received the Queen’s
commands to call himself “Potter to Her Majesty.” On the service being
completed the King gave Wedgwood his immediate patronage by ordering
a similar service for himself, but without the bands or ribs. This
alteration in pattern was “effected to the entire satisfaction of his
Majesty,” and some little alterations being made in the forms of some
of the other pieces, it was called the “Royal pattern.” The patronage
thus given was of incalculable benefit to Wedgwood, to the district
around him, and indeed to the whole kingdom, for it opened up a source
of wealth to thousands of people, and was the means of extending
commerce to a marvellous extent. Orders for the new kind of ware flowed
in upon him in a regular and constantly increasing stream, and at
prices which were then considered liberal or even high. It is recorded
that at this period he received at the rate of fifteen shillings per
dozen for table plates, and for other pieces a proportionate price. The
tide of fortune which thus had set in upon him was immensely increased
by his subsequent inventions, and ultimately swept him from his small
manufactories at Burslem to the colony he established a few miles off
at Etruria. The other most usual form of plate in his Queen’s ware was
the “Bath” or “Trencher,” from its resemblance to the wooden platter
or trencher, and this was succeeded by the concave rim, and other
varieties. Wedgwood did not patent his inventions and improvements,
and thus every manufacturer was stimulated, and a host of Queen’s or
cream-ware makers soon, sprang up. When he “discovered the art of
making Queen’s ware,” wrote Wedgwood himself, “which employs ten times
more people than all the china works in the kingdom, he did not ask
for a patent for this important discovery. A patent would greatly have
limited its public utility. Instead of _one hundred_ manufactories
of Queen’s ware there would have been _one_; and instead of an
exportation to all quarters of the world, a few pretty things would
have been made for the amusement of the people of fashion in England.”
Some of his Queen’s ware Wedgwood had decorated with transfer printing
by Sadler and Green of Liverpool, as already noted under that head.
This is alluded to in the “Burslem Dialogue:”--
“_L._--Oi’d summat t’ doo t’ get dahn t’ L’rpool wi’ eawr caart,
at th’ teyme as oi fust tayd Mester ‘Siah Wedgut’s wheit ware
for t’ be printed theer. Yu known as hâe ther wur noo black
printin’ on ware dun i’ Boslem i’ thoos deys.
“_T._--Oi remember ’t varry weel. Oi s’pose as ’Siah wur abaht
th’ same age as thiseln, Rafy, wur he no’?
“_L._--Ya, oi rek’n he wur tew year yunker til me.
“_T._--When he started i’ bizness fust, he made spewnes, knife
hondles, an’ smaw crocks, at th’ Ivy hahs, close to where we’re
nah sittin’.
“_L._--Aye, oi weel remember th’ toyme; an’ arter that he
flitted to th’ Bell Workhus, wheer he put up th’ bell-coney for
t’ ring th’ men to ther work isted o’ blowin’ em together wi’ a
hurn. ’Twur a pity he e’er left Boslum, for he wur th’ cob o’
th’ Wedguts.”
[Illustration: Figs. 525 and 526.--Flaxman’s Medallions of
Josiah Wedgwood and his Wife.]
[Illustration: Figs. 527 to 533.--Wedgwood’s Basaltes or
Egyptian Black Ware.]
On the 25th of January, 1764, Josiah Wedgwood married, at Astbury, in
Cheshire, his distant relative--his seventh cousin--Sarah Wedgwood,
daughter, and eventually heiress, of Richard Wedgwood, Esq., of
Smallwood, in that county, and also heiress to her brother John. By
this marriage Josiah Wedgwood ultimately became possessed of a fortune
of some twenty thousand pounds. After his marriage he still resided at
the “Ivy House;” and, having failed in his proposal to purchase the
“Big House” when his relatives retired from business, he set about the
founding of an entirely new manufactory. His “Big House” relations were
the brothers Thomas and John Wedgwood, sons of Aaron Wedgwood, by his
wife Mary Hollins. This Aaron was son of Aaron, sixth son of Gilbert,
from whom Josiah and the various Burslem branches of the family were
descended, and he and his wife, Mary Hollins, were both buried in
the same grave on the same day, 24th of April, 1743. He, as well as
his son and his grandsons, Thomas and John, were lead-glaze potters.
About 1740, it is said, these two “commenced the manufacture of white
stoneware upon their own account; but although very industrious and
ingenious workmen (one of them being well skilled in burning or firing
the ware, and the other an excellent thrower), they were unsuccessful
for a long time, and had actually determined to abandon any further
attempt to make the white stoneware, when an accidental circumstance
encouraged them to proceed. The water with which they prepared the
clay, it seems, became highly saturated with salt, owing to the shard
ruck or rubbish from their ovens being placed immediately above their
water pool, and which rubbish contained much salt. The rain passing
through the shard ruck, dissolved the salt, and carried it into the
pool, whence it got into the body of the ware, and, in conjunction with
the flint and clay, together with the lime which generally adheres
to flint stones, formed a fusible body that arrived at a state of
vitrification with a lower degree of heat than was requisite to prepare
this body for the salt glaze. This discovery induced them to make
other and more extended trials, and in these they succeeded beyond
expectation. The Wedgwoods followed up their success with unremitting
diligence; and shortly afterwards built a new and commodious
manufactory, where they had a supply of good water. This was near the
Windmill, invented and erected by the celebrated Brindley for reducing
flint-stones to a fine powder by grinding them in water, and thereby
preventing the pernicious effects upon the health of the men employed
in preparing the flint according to the old method, by pounding it by
hand in a dry state in a mortar. The fine dust of the flint getting
into the lungs produced coughs and consumptions, which frequently
proved fatal. This building, censured at the time as having been upon
too extensive a scale, was the first earthenware manufactory in the
Potteries _not covered with thatch_. In 1750 they erected an
excellent and substantial dwelling-house adjoining their manufactory,
which so far exceeded the other houses in the Potteries in point of
size and elegance, that it then was, and now is, distinguished by the
appellation of the ‘Big House;’ and in the year 1763 these gentlemen
retired from business in the possession of an ample fortune, the just
and honourable reward of their industry and integrity.”
Having taken into partnership his relative, Thomas Wedgwood, “who had
been some years a faithful and industrious foreman in the manufactory,”
in the Queen’s ware department, Wedgwood became more at liberty to
prosecute his experiments. This Thomas married Elizabeth Taylor, of
the Hill, Burslem, by whom he had issue Ralph (the head of the firm
of “Wedgwood & Co.,” of the Hill Works, afterwards of Ferrybridge;
inventor of the “Penna-polygraph,” the “Manifold Writer,” &c.; author
of the “Book of Remembrance,” developer of his father’s invention of
the Electric Telegraph, the “Fulguri-polygraph” as he called it; and
a man of undoubted scientific attainments); John Taylor Wedgwood,
the eminent line-engraver; Samuel; Thomas; Aaron; and Abner. Thomas
Wedgwood, the partner of Josiah, a man of great acquirements, of high
scientific attainments, and of intense business qualifications, died in
1788.
[Illustration: Agate and Porphyry Wares.
Queen’s Ware made at the Bell Works.
Queen’s Ware Centre.
Crabstock Red-ware Teapot.
Figs. 534 to 539.--Wedgwood’s Productions.]
In 1766 Wedgwood produced his “basaltes” of “Egyptian,” fine black
ware, which became so famous, and this was followed by his “Jasper,”
“White-stone,” “Cane-coloured,” “Mortar,” and other wares. His various
wares were thus described by himself:--
“1. A _terra-cotta_; resembling porphyry, granite, Egyptian,
pebble, and other beautiful stones of the silicious or
crystalline order.
“2. _Basaltes_ or black ware; a black porcelain biscuit of
nearly the same properties with the natural stone; striking fire
with steel, receiving a high polish, serving as a touchstone for
metals, resisting all the acids, and bearing without injury a
strong fire: stronger, indeed, than the basaltes itself.
“3. _White porcelain biscuit_, of a smooth, wax-like surface, of
the same properties with the preceding, except in what depends
upon colour.
“4. _Jasper_; a white porcelain biscuit of exquisite beauty and
delicacy, possessing the general properties of the basaltes,
together with the singular one of receiving through its whole
substance, from the admixture of metallic calces with the other
materials, the same colours which those calces communicate to
glass or enamels in fusion; a property which no other porcelain
or earthenware body of ancient or modern composition has been
found to possess. This renders it peculiarly fit for making
cameos, portraits, and all subjects in bas-relief, as the ground
may be of any particular colour, while the raised figures are of
a pure white.
“5. _Bamboo_, or cane-coloured biscuit porcelain, of the same
nature as No. 3.
“6. A _porcelain biscuit_, remarkable for great hardness,
little inferior to that of agate. This property, together with
its resistance to the strongest acids and corrosives, and its
impenetrability by every known liquid, adapts it for mortars and
many different kinds of chemical vessels.
“These six distinct species, with the Queen’s ware already
mentioned, expanded by the industry and ingenuity of the
different manufacturers into an infinity of forms for ornament
and use, variously painted and embellished, constitute nearly
the whole of the present fine English earthenwares and porcelain
which are now become the source of a very extensive trade, and
which, considered as an object of national art, industry, and
commerce, may be ranked amongst the most important manufactures
of the kingdom.”
[Illustration: Fig. 540.--Etruria Works.]
In 1766 Josiah Wedgwood purchased the Ridge House Estate, in the
township of Shelton, which he afterwards named “Etruria.” On this
estate, in the succeeding year, he commenced the building of what
he called the “Black Works,” _i.e._ the works intended for the
production of his basaltes or black ware, and soon afterwards (in
1768) took into partnership, in the ornamental department, Mr. Thomas
Bentley, of the firm of Bentley & Boardman of Liverpool, who were his
agents in that town.
[Illustration: Figs. 541 and 542.--Medallion and Autograph of
Thomas Bentley.]
[Illustration: Figs. 543 and 544.--First Vases made at Etruria.]
Thomas Bentley, who was the son of Thomas Bentley of Scropton, in
Derbyshire, was born there on the 1st of January, 1730, and was
brought up at Manchester. From thence he removed to Liverpool,
where, in conjunction with Mr. Boardman, he commenced business as
Manchester warehouseman, they living together in Paradise Street.[53]
On joining Wedgwood, Thomas Bentley of course left Liverpool, and
devoted himself to the business in London. In 1769 the Etruria
works were opened, and on the 13th of June in that year its first
productions were thrown--Thomas Bentley turning the wheel, while the
“great” Josiah Wedgwood himself “threw” the pieces. These were three
vases of Etruscan form, and they afterwards passed through all the
processes of the potter’s art, and were painted in Etruscan style, with
suitable inscriptions. These historical and priceless vases are in the
possession of Mr. Francis Wedgwood, of Barlaston. Two of these are
shown above (Figs. 543, 544), engraved from careful drawings made by
myself from the vases at Barlaston. They bear the words
JUNE XIII MDCCLXIX
One of the first Day’s Productions
at
Etruria in Staffordshire
by
Wedgwood and Bentley
Artes Etruriæ renascunter
[Illustration: Figs. 545 and 546.--Flaxman’s Bas-reliefs in
Jasper Ware.]
Each of these vases is labelled in Wedgwood’s own handwriting, “Part of
Plate 129, vol. i., of Hamilton’s Antiq. Hercules and his Companions
in the Garden of the Hesperides,” showing both the subject and where
obtained. In 1770 Wedgwood and Bentley established works at Chelsea
for the decoration of these “encaustic vases” and for other purposes.
Of the names of some of the painters at that time (October, 1770)
employed in this Chelsea establishment I am enabled to give evidence in
the following document in my own possession:--
{ On On
_Cash paid at Chelsea for Wages._ {J. W.’s W. & B.’s
{ Acct. Acct.
1770. £ _s._ _d._ £ _s._ _d._
Oct. 6. John Lawrence, 6 days. 0 5 3 0 5 3
Timothy Roberts, 6 days. 0 12 0
„ 5. James Bakewell, 6 days. 0 16 0
Thos. Blomeley’s Bill. 1 0 5
Thos. Hutchings, 6 days. 1 6 0
William Roberts, 4 days. 0 4 4
Nathl. Cooper, 6 days. 0 16 0
William Shuter’s Bill. 0 8 0
Thomas Simcock, 6 days. 0 16 0
Ralph Willcocks, 6 days.
Mrs. ditto 6 days.
John Winstanley, 6 days. 0 13 0
„ 6. Thomas Barrett, 5 days. 0 7 0
Thomas Green, 6 days.
Miss Edwards, 6 days.
Miss Parkes, 6 days.
Mr. Rhodes.
Ditto for Joe.
Ditto for Will.
Ditto for Unwin.
The partnership of Wedgwood and Bentley had reference only to the
_ornamented_, not to the _useful_ ware; and in this account, although
the workmen were employed on both branches, the wages were divided
into headings:--“On J. W.’s Acct.” (distinguished as Josiah Wedgwood’s
account), and “On W. & B.’s Acct.” (Wedgwood and Bentley’s account).
Thus, John Lawrence, for the week ending October 6th, is paid for six
days’ Work, at 1_s._ 9_d._ a day, of which 5_s._ 3_d._ is charged to
“J. W.,” and the other 5_s._ 3_d._ to “W. & B.” The Chelsea painting
establishment continued for some time, and down nearly to the close of
last century painting and enamelling were done for the firm in London.
In 1772 Bentley (who, in 1754, had married Hannah Oates of Sheffield,
who did not live long) married, at All Saints’ Church, Derby, his
second wife, Mary Stamford, of that town. In the year following, the
partners issued their first catalogue of goods, which was entitled--
“A Catalogue of Cameos, Intaglios, Medals, and Bas-reliefs,
with a general account of Vases and other ornaments after the
antique; made by Wedgwood and Bentley, and sold at their rooms
in Great Newport Street, London.
“‘Quoniam et sic gentes nobilitantur.’
PLIN. lib. xxxv., _De Vasis fictilibus_.
“London: printed in the year MDCCLXXIII., and sold by Cadel, in
the Strand; Robson, New Bond Street; and Parker, printseller,
Cornhill.”
It is of much smaller size than the later editions, and contains sixty
pages, inclusive of introduction, &c. The following quotation, from the
introductory portion, will enable collectors to arrive at a correct
idea of the dates of the production of the various wares:--
“The proprietors of this manufactory have been encouraged by the
generous attention of the nobility and connoisseurs to their
first essays to give it all the extent and improvement they were
able, and with constant application and great expense they have
now produced a considerable variety of ornaments in different
kinds, the merit of which they humbly submit to the judgment of
those who are best skilled in these subjects.
“The variety of new articles which many of their respectable
friends have not seen, and multitudes of persons of curiosity
and taste in the works of Art have never heard of, render some
account or catalogue of them desirable, and even necessary: but
many of the articles, and especially the vases, being of such a
nature as not to admit of satisfactory and clear descriptions,
several parts of this catalogue can only give a slight and
general enumeration of the classes, without descending to
particulars.
“We shall, however, hope to make the general enumeration
sufficiently intelligible, and descend to particulars where the
nature of the subjects admits of it.
“To give an idea of the _nature_ and _variety_ of the
productions of our ornamental works, it will be necessary to
point out and describe the various _compositions_ of which the
forms, &c., are made, and to distinguish and arrange the several
productions in suitable _classes_.
“The _compositions_, or bodies, of which the ornamental pieces
are made, may be divided into the following branches:--
“I. A composition of _terra cotta_, resembling porphyry, lapis
lazuli, jasper, and other beautiful stones, of the vitrescent or
crystalline class.
“II. A fine _black porcelain_, having nearly the same properties
as the _basaltes_, resisting the attacks of acids, being a
touchstone to copper, silver, and gold, and equal in hardness to
agate or porphyry.
“III. A fine white biscuit ware, or _terra cotta_, polished and
unpolished.”
[Illustration: Fig. 547.--Medallion, White on Black.]
Thus, in 1773, it is evident there were only three kinds of ware made
by Wedgwood, viz., “terra cotta resembling porphyry, lapis lazuli,
jasper, and other beautiful stones, of the vitrescent or crystalline
class,” such as the imitation porphyry, marble, and other vases,
were composed of; the “fine black porcelain, or _basaltes_,” so
largely used for vases, figures, medallions, and other ornamental
purposes, as well as for tea-pots, &c.; and the “white biscuit ware,
or terra cotta,” used both in combination with other materials in
the production of vases, medallions, and other decorative pieces, and
separately for the manufacture of stands and other ornamental goods.
The combination of these two latter bodies will be called to mind
by collectors, perhaps, more easily with regard to medallions than
otherwise. In these the oval of the plaque was frequently made of the
black ware, and the bust of the white terra cotta (Fig. 580).
In the next year (1774) a fourth variety was added, thus described in
the catalogue of that date:--
“IV. A fine white _terra cotta_, of great beauty and
delicacy, proper for cameos, portraits, and bas-reliefs.”
[Illustration: Fig. 548.--Jasper Plaque.]
This was the first appearance of what afterwards became the most
beautiful of all Wedgwood’s productions--the “Jasper ware.” It will be
perceived that at this date (1774) it was simply spoken of as a “fine
white terra-cotta,” and that it remained for later years to produce it
with its splendid blue and other coloured grounds, with raised white
figures and ornaments. In 1787 this variety, which then had attained
its highest perfection, is described at greater length as--
“IV. JASPER--a white porcelain _bisqué_ of exquisite beauty and
delicacy, possessing the general properties of the basaltes,
together with that of receiving colours through its whole
substance, in a manner which no other _body_, ancient or modern,
has been known to do. This renders it peculiarly fit for cameos,
portraits, and all subjects in bas-relief, as the group may be
made of any colour throughout, without paint or enamel, and the
raised figures of a pure white.”
[Illustration: Figs. 549 to 562.--Wedgwood’s Jasper Ware.]
[Illustration: Fig. 563.--“Peace preventing Mars from bursting
the door of Janus’s Temple.”]
[Illustration: Fig. 564.--“Mercury uniting the hands of England
and France.”
Bas-reliefs in Jasper by Flaxman; charged in his bills.]
Of the productions in this ware Wedgwood wrote:--“As these are my
latest, I hope they will be found to be my most approved, works. Verbal
descriptions could give but an imperfect idea of the delicacy of the
materials, the execution of the artist, or the general effect, and I
must therefore beg leave to refer those who wish for information
in these respects to a view of the articles themselves.„ In 1775 a
reissue of the English catalogue, consequent on the change of the
London warehouse from Great Newport Street to Greek Street, Soho, made
its appearance. At the end is an addition of six pages, containing an
engraving and explanation of Wedgwood’s newly-invented inkstands and
eye-cups.
[Illustration: Fig. 565.--Jasper Déjuner.]
In 1775, on the occasion of Richard Champion applying to Parliament for
an extension of the term of patent-right in Cookworthy’s invention of
porcelain (as detailed in my first volume), “Josiah Wedgwood, in behalf
of himself and the manufacturers of earthenware in Staffordshire,”
gave the scheme his most determined, but happily not successful,
opposition. The printed papers connected with this matter are of the
highest interest and importance, but having already been printed _in
extenso_ in my “Life of Wedgwood,” I refrain from again introducing
them. It is also needless to recapitulate the particulars regarding
numerous editions, English and foreign, of the catalogue.
In 1780 (November 26th) Thomas Bentley died at his residence at Turnham
Green, London, and was buried at Chiswick on the 2nd of December,
where a tablet is erected to his memory. About this time, and probably
previously as well as later, Flaxman the sculptor was much employed by
Wedgwood, and his designs and models gave a tone and a character to
the productions which raised them to an immeasurable height. I was so
fortunate as to be able to print, for the first time, in 1864, some of
the original bills for work done by Flaxman for Wedgwood, in which many
well-known portrait groups, &c., are named. From these I give a few
items for the purpose of reference:--
£ _s._ _ d._
“A portrait of Mr. Herschell 2 2 0
A „ Dr. Buchan 2 2 0
A portrait of C. Jenkinson, 2 2 0
A „ Govr. Hastings Esq. 3 3 0
Mr. and Mrs. Meerman’s portraits 5 5 0
Moulding a bust of Mr. and Mrs. Siddons 1 11 6
A model in wax of Capt. Cook 2 2 0
A „ „ Dr. Johnson 2 2 0
A figure of a Fool for Chess 1 5 0
A drawing of Chess Men 6 6 0
A model of the King of Sweden 2 2 0
A model of Peace preventing Mars from bursting
the Door of Janus’s Temple 15 15 0
A bas-relief in wax of Veturia and Volumnia
entreating Coriolanus 9 9 0
A model of Mercury uniting the hands of England
and France 13 13 0
A bas-relief of Hercules in the Hesperian Garden 23 0 0
A model of the Queen of Portugal 3 3 0
A bas-relief of Boys in wax 11 0 6”
and so on. Besides these he charges for drawings of crests and coats of
arms; drawing bas-relief vases, &c., at a guinea a day; outlines for
lamp and stand; drawings of chimney-pieces; patterns for borders for
plates, &c. Many of Flaxman’s originals are still in Messrs. Wedgwood’s
hands, and the moulds are still used by them for their lovely
productions; others, notably a series of exquisite models in wax, are
in the possession of Sir D. C. Marjoribanks. Of some of those named I
give engravings.
In 1782 Wedgwood was elected F.R.S., and communicated to that learned
body his invention of “a thermometer for measuring the higher degrees
of heat, from a red-heat up to the strongest that vessels made of clay
can support;” in the following year his observations on “Derbyshire
Black Wadd;” and afterwards other observations on thermometers, &c.
In 1785 he invented his famous “Jasper Dip,” which has continued in
use ever since. In that year he wrote “The new jasper, white within,
will be the only sort made in future; but as the workmanship is
nearly double, the price must be raised. I think it must be about 20
per cent. Nov. 21, 1787.” Thus, till 1785, the “jasper” body was the
same throughout; from Nov., 1785 to 1858, it was “dipped,” remaining
white inside; and in the latter year the “solid jasper” body was
re-introduced, and continues to some extent to be made.
[Illustration:
MRS. MEERMAN. MRS. SIDDONS.
KING OF SWEDEN. THE QUEEN OF PORTUGAL.
MR. MEERMAN. HERSCHELL.
DR. BUCHAN. C. JENKINSON.
Figs. 566 to 573.--Wedgwood Medallion Wares.]
[Illustration: Fig. 574.--Group from the Portland Vase.]
In 1786 the then recently deceased Duchess of Portland’s magnificent
collection of antiquities and objects of _virtu_ were sold by auction,
and among other articles of matchless interest was the Barberini or
Portland Vase. This vase Wedgwood determined to possess, and having bid
up to about a thousand pounds against the Duke of Portland, his grace,
on learning why it was wanted, very kindly offered, if he would forego
bidding and permit him to purchase, he would place it in Wedgwood’s
hands to copy as he thought proper. It was therefore knocked down to
the Duke for £1,029, and handed to Wedgwood by him; this “inestimable
jewel,” as he called it, remained in his hands more than twelve months.
Of this vase Wedgwood produced fifty copies, which were subscribed for
at fifty guineas each, but it is said that even this sum, £2,500, fell
far short of the outlay incurred in making them. One of the first fifty
is in the possession of Mr. Francis Wedgwood (where it will remain, it
is hoped, with the first-thrown vases, as heirlooms); another is in
the possession of the Duke of Sutherland, at Trentham; a third belongs
to Sir D. C. Marjoribanks; a fourth is in the Mayer Museum; and others
are at different collections. The body used for this vase was black
jasper, and the figures, in their proper tone, were worked up and cut
by the seal and gem engraver to the utmost possible degree of sharpness
and finish. The original moulds are still in existence, and from them
Messrs. Wedgwood still produce their famed Portland vases, both with a
black, and with deep, or light, blue ground.[54]
In 1786 Wedgwood was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries,
and in the following year the sixth edition of his Catalogue contained
for the first time the addition of the “Bamboo” and “Mortar” bodies:--
“V.--_Bamboo_, or cane-coloured bisqué porcelain, of the same
nature as No. 3.
“VI.--A porcelain bisqué of extreme _hardness_, little inferior
to that of agate. This property, together with its resistance to
the strongest acids and corrosives, and its impenetrability by
every known species of liquids, adapts it happily for mortars
and different kinds of chemical vessels.”
[Illustration: Fig. 575.]
In 1788 Thomas Wedgwood, Josiah Wedgwood’s partner in the “useful
ware,” died. In the following year the medallion (Fig. 575) supposed
to be made of clay brought from New South Wales, was executed. In 1790
the fifty copies of the Portland vase were issued, and the same year
Wedgwood published his “Dissertation” upon it. The same year he took
into partnership his three sons, John, Josiah, and Thomas Wedgwood, and
his nephew, Thomas Byerley (the son of his sister, Margaret Wedgwood,
by her husband, who was a descendant of the Byerleys, of Byerley Hall,
in Yorkshire), the style of the firm being “Josiah Wedgwood, Sons, &
Byerley.” In 1793 Mr. John Wedgwood retired from the concern, and the
style was then altered to “Josiah Wedgwood, Son, & Byerley.”
In the following year, 1794, Josiah Wedgwood was seized with his last
illness, and on the 3rd of January, 1795, he died, and was, on the 6th,
buried in the churchyard at Stoke-upon-Trent (“Burials in 1795, Jany.
6th, Josiah Wedgwood, of Etruria”), where his tomb still remains, and
a tablet erected to his memory in the chancel (Fig. 588). It bears a
remarkably fine bust of Wedgwood, by Flaxman, an ewer and a Portland
vase, and the following inscription:
Sacred to the Memory of
JOSIAH WEDGWOOD, F.R.S. AND S.A.,
Of Etruria, in this County,
Born in August, 1730, died January 3rd, 1795,
Who converted a rude and inconsiderable manufacture into an elegant art
And an important part of national
Commerce.
By these services to his country he acquired an ample fortune,
Which he blamelessly and reasonably enjoyed,
And generously dispensed for the reward of merit and the relief of
misfortune.
His mind was inventive and original, yet perfectly sober and well
regulated;
His character was decisive and commanding, without rashness or
arrogance;
His probity was inflexible, his kindness unwearied;
His manners simple and dignified, and the cheerfulness of his temper
was the natural reward of
The activity of his pure and useful life.
He was most loved by those who knew him best,
And he has left indelible impressions of affection and veneration on
the minds of
His family, who have erected this monument to his memory.
[Illustration: Figs. 576 to 580.--Wedgwood’s Wares.]
[Illustration: [SEE INSCRIPTION PAGE 369.]
Fig. 581.--Monument to Josiah Wedgwood in Stoke-upon-Trent Church.]
Josiah Wedgwood, whose wife survived him, had a family of children.
These were, Susannah, baptized at Burslem, on the 2nd of January, 1765,
married Dr. Robert Darwin, of Shrewsbury, son of the celebrated Dr.
Erasmus Darwin, of Derby (and half-brother to Sir Francis Darwin, M.D.,
of Breadsall Priory, and Sydnope, Darley Dale,) by his first wife, Mary
Howard, of Lichfield, and was the mother, along with other sons and
daughters, of Charles Darwin, the naturalist, author of the “Origin of
Species,” &c. John, baptized at Burslem, April 2nd, 1766, resided at
Seabridge, and married Louisa Jane, daughter of Mr. Allen, of Criselly,
Pembrokeshire, and by her had four sons and three daughters (viz., the
Rev. John Allen Wedgwood; Lieut.-Col. Thomas Josiah Wedgwood, who
married Anne Maria, daughter of Admiral Sir C. Tyler; Charles, who died
without issue; the Rev. Robert Wedgwood, who married Frances, daughter
of the Rev. Offley Crewe; Sarah Elizabeth; Caroline Louisa Jane; and
Jessie, who married her cousin, Henry Allen Wedgwood). Richard, born
in 1767, and died in 1782. Josiah, one of the founders of the Royal
Horticultural Society, first member of parliament for the borough
of Stoke-upon-Trent, of Maer Hall, who married Elizabeth Allen, of
Criselly, Pembrokeshire, and by her had four sons and five daughters,
viz., Josiah (the third of that name), who married his cousin, Caroline
Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Darwin, of Shrewsbury, and had issue Henry
Allen Wedgwood, barrister-at-law, who married his cousin Jessie,
daughter of John Wedgwood, of Seabridge; Francis Wedgwood, of Etruria
and Barlaston, the late head of the Etruria firm, who married Frances,
daughter of the Rev. J. P. Mosley, of Rolleston Rectory, and has issue
three sons, Godfrey, Clement, and Lawrence, the present members of the
firm, and four daughters; Hensleigh, barrister-at-law, of London, who
married Elizabeth, daughter of the Right Hon. Sir James Mackintosh, the
historian, and has issue Sarah Elizabeth; Mary, who died unmarried;
Charlotte, married to the Rev. C. Langton, of Hartfield; Frances, who
died unmarried; and Emma, who married her cousin, Charles Darwin,
F.R.S., author of the “Origin of Species,” &c. Thomas, who died without
issue; and Catherine, Sarah, and Mary Anne.
[Illustration: Fig. 582.--Medallion of Thomas Byerley.]
For a time after Josiah Wedgwood’s death, the management of the
business devolved mainly on Mr. Byerley, whose experience, and skill
were of great value. In 1800 the partners were, however, the brothers
Josiah and John Wedgwood, and Thomas Byerley, which arrangement
continued until the death of the latter in 1810. Thomas Wedgwood, who
suffered constant ill-health, took no part in the management of the
business, and died in 1805, at Gunville, Dorsetshire. He was a man of
considerable scientific attainments. During his father’s lifetime he
prosecuted his studies with his aid and that of Alexander Chisholm,
and made such progress in his researches into the properties of light,
&c., that in 1792 he communicated to the Royal Society an account of
his “Experiments and Observations on the Production of Light from
different bodies by Heat and by Attraction.” His continued experiments
and researches resulted in the discovery of the process of photography,
and in 1802, in conjunction with Sir Humphrey Davy, he made those
discoveries known by a paper printed in the “Journal of the Royal
Institution of Great Britain,” under the title of “An Account of a
Method of Copying Paintings upon Glass, and of making Profiles by
the Agency of Light upon Nitrate of Silver; with observations by H.
Davy.” This is the first recorded attempt at fixing the images of the
camera-obscura (which Wedgwood appears to have used from a youth) by
the chemical influence of light.
On the death of Mr. Byerley, the business was carried on by the second
Josiah Wedgwood alone, until Martinmas, 1823, when he took his eldest
son Josiah (the third of that name) into partnership, the firm being
carried on under the style of “Josiah Wedgwood & Son.” Four years
afterwards, at Martinmas, 1827, another son, Francis, having been taken
into partnership, the style was altered to that of “Josiah Wedgwood &
Sons.”
In November, 1841, Josiah Wedgwood, senior, of Maer Hall, retired from
the business, and it was carried on by his sons until the following
April, when Josiah Wedgwood, junior, also retired. The style of the
firm, however, continued to be, as it is to the present day, “Josiah
Wedgwood & Sons.”
The manufacture of china, which had never been attempted by the first
Josiah, was commenced at Etruria about 1808 or 1809, in the time of
Mr. Byerley, who considered that it would be an advantageous addition
to the works; but was only carried on for probably nine or ten years,
and then finally discontinued. The china was of extremely good quality,
both in texture of body, in colour, in glaze, and in decoration. It was
not made to any great extent, and is now very scarce. In the Museum
of Practical Geology, the Mayer Museum, and other collections, are
excellent and characteristic specimens. The mark on the china is the
simple name
WEDGWOOD,
in small capital letters, printed on the bottom in red or blue.
“Stone china” was also at one time, to some little extent, made at
Etruria, examples of which are now rare. It ceased to be made about the
year 1825.
In 1815, on the 15th of January, Mrs. Wedgwood, widow of the great
Josiah, died at Parkfield, in the eighty-first year of her age; she was
buried at Stoke-upon-Trent, near her husband, where a Gothic memorial
tablet bears the following inscription:
Sacred to the memory of
SARAH
Widow of JOSIAH WEDGWOOD,
of Etruria.
Born August the 18th, 1734.
Died January the 15th, 1815.
The productions of the firm at this time--and indeed through each
successive change in the proprietary down to the present time--were,
as they had been in the time of the first Josiah, divided between the
“useful” and the “ornamented.” The “useful” consisting of services of
every kind in fine earthenware, and in all the varieties of bodies
hitherto introduced, to which additional patterns were constantly
added; and the “ornamented” comprising all the immense variety of
exquisite articles which had been made by the great founder of the
works, with additional vases, medallions, and other pieces.
In 1843, on the 23rd of August, Mr. John Boyle became a partner in the
firm; but his connection was only of short duration, and sixteen months
afterwards, on the 4th of January, 1845, he died.
On the 2nd of March, 1846, Mr. Robert Brown, of Cliff Ville, became
a partner with the Messrs. Wedgwood; but, dying on the 26th of May,
1859, Mr. Francis Wedgwood was again left sole proprietor of the works.
In November of the same year he was joined in partnership by his son,
Mr. Godfrey Wedgwood, in 1863 by his second son, Mr. Clement Wedgwood,
and in 1868 by his third son, Mr. Lawrence Wedgwood, and (Mr. Francis
Wedgwood having retired in 1870) the works are still carried on by them
under the old style of “Josiah Wedgwood & Sons.”
[Illustration: Figs. 583 to 588.--Perseus and Andromeda Vase by
Lessore; Vase by Lessore; Jasper Beads; and three Vases.]
The MARKS used by the Wedgwoods have been in all cases, except
during the partnership of Thomas Bentley, on that particular branch
of the manufacture in which he had an interest, the simple name of
WEDGWOOD. In some instances the name is impressed in large capitals--
WEDGWOOD.
In others, it appears in small capital letters--
WEDGWOOD.
And in others, though not so commonly, in the ordinary type--
Wedgwood.
On a few pieces the name occurs thus:
WEDGWOOD
ETRURIA.
[Illustration: Fig. 589.]
On the ornamental goods (vases, medallions, &c.) in which Thomas
Bentley had an interest, the general mark was circular (Fig. 589), with
the letters _raised_, not sunk. Another was
WEDGWOOD
& BENTLEY,
and another
Wedgwood
& Bentley;
both being impressed.
With regard to these marks of “Wedgwood & Bentley” it may be well to
remark that all pieces bearing these names must have been made in the
twelve years between 1768 and 1780.
Besides these marks, a variety of smaller ones--letters, flowers,
figures, and numbers, both impressed and in colours, are to be seen on
the different varieties of wares. These are simply workmen’s marks, or
marks denoting period, &c., and, being private marks, concern only, and
are of interest only, to the proprietors themselves.
The classes of goods manufactured by the Messrs. Wedgwood at the
present day are much as they were in the times of the great Josiah.
The same block moulds are used; the same principles are acted upon
and carried out; the same mixture of bodies and glazes, with certain
modifications, are in daily use; the same varieties of goods are
manufactured; and consequently, many of his vases, medallions,
services, and other goods, are reproduced at the present time. And
although the ornamental goods now produced have not quite that charm
of super-excellence about them which those made in the days of the
first Josiah possess, Messrs. Wedgwood’s jasper and other ornamental
goods now stand as far in advance of their competitors of the present
day as those of the great Josiah did in advance of those of his own
time; they are simply unsurpassable both in design and execution. It
must be remembered that in the days of the first Josiah Wedgwood there
was little competition in other branches of the potter’s art, and the
great care, skill, and labour he bestowed upon his purely ornamental
pieces was, there can be no doubt, amply repaid in the high prices he
could obtain for them. This is not so now; for at the present day Art
productions of attractive and showy character are so extensively made
and so readily purchased at a low rate that the quiet, unobtrusive, but
truly lovely bas-reliefs originated by Wedgwood only command a limited
sale, and even then at such prices as will not admit of the same
scrupulous attention being paid to their production as in the earlier
days. That the present firm _can_ produce work equal in excellence
and beauty to that of their gifted ancestor is amply evidenced by
a Portland vase, which in 1877 they made--regardless of trouble or
cost--in exact imitation, both in colour and material, of the first
fifty. This was polished and cut by a lapidary, and forms a priceless
treasure of Art, and one that will bear the closest comparison with
the great Josiah’s greatest work. The firm still produce “jasper,”
“basaltes,” “red,” “cream-coloured,” and indeed all the other wares
for which the works in the olden times were so famous. The jasper
goods are still, as they have ever been since the first production of
that marvellous body, their principal feature--the great speciality of
their works. In this, since the days of Turner, although they have had
many imitators, they have never even been approached, and their goods
still maintain their old and high reputation. All the famous works of
the olden time--from the Portland vase down through all the chaste and
truly beautiful varieties of vases, plaques, medallions, services,
&c.--are still made in all their beauty, with the addition of many
new and ever-varying designs and combinations. In jasper, of which
some excellent examples are given in the engravings, Messrs. Wedgwood
have of late years produced some remarkably large and costly works.
Notably among these may be named the magnificent table decoration,
shown in London a few years back, and purchased by Sir Dudley Coutts
Marjoribanks from Messrs. Phillips & Pearce. It was designed by Mr.
Pearce, and considered to be a faultless _chef-d’œuvre_ of fictile
Art.
The jasper is produced in dark and in light blue of various shades
(with, of course, the raised figures and ornaments in white), in
sage-green, in pink, and other tints. It is also produced both in
“solid jasper”--that is, the solid coloured body throughout--and in
“jasper dip,” which is the white jasper body with the colour laid
on the surface. The “solid jasper” was re-introduced in 1856. The
manufacture of majolica was commenced at Etruria in 1860, and is
an important branch of the manufacture. With regard to majolica it
is necessary to state that the true Italian majolica, as well as
Minton’s reproductions of that famous ware, were made with a coarse
cane-coloured body and decorated with opaque enamel colours; but that
Messrs. Wedgwood were the first to use a white body and transparent
coloured glazes. By this process much greater brilliancy of effect is
produced than by the use of enamel colours.
In “malachite,” “mottled,” “agate,” and other wares, dessert, toilet,
and trinket services, and a variety of both useful and ornamental
articles, are made--ranging from the large-sized garden seat and the
gigantic vase down to the small and delicately-formed ladies’ ring
stand. In the “mottled” ware a marvellously rich and striking effect
is produced by the combination of brilliant colours, while in the
“malachite” the beautiful green and darker wavings of the stone are
well imitated.
“Parian” was made by the Messrs. Wedgwood at Etruria about 1848 or
1849, and was of good quality. In this both busts and figures were
produced, mainly of classical subjects, and the best modellers, Wyon,
Beattie, and others, were employed in their production.
Another variety of ornamental work is the “inlaid” ware, in which a
variety of articles are made. The effect of this style of ornamentation
is much the same as the wood “Tunbridge ware.” It is striking in its
novelty, and pleasing in its simplicity. This “inlaid ware” is made
by the same process as the famous “Henri Deux wares;” an impress from
a metal runner being filled up with a different coloured clay, and
afterwards turned or scraped level on the surface. In this ware a
magnificent and highly appropriate chess-table has been produced by
Messrs. Wedgwood to use with the celebrated Flaxman chess-men.
[Illustration: Figs. 590 to 598.--Messrs. Wedgwood’s
Productions. Lessore’s Europa Plateau, and other Wares.]
“Cream-coloured” ware, the veritable “Queen’s ware” of the olden
time, is still extensively made by Messrs. Wedgwood. Of a delicate
creamy whiteness in colour, light and pleasant to the touch, true and
close-fitting in the “potting,” and covered with a faultless glaze,
this ware still “holds its own,” and maintains its wonted supremacy.
In it, services and every variety of useful articles are made; and it
is pleasant to add that the pieces are still made in the old moulds
used in the great Josiah’s time, with only such modifications as fit
them for more modern notions. For instance, the “turin” modelled by
Flaxman, and charged for in his bill, which I have printed, is still
made, with only the addition of newly-designed handles, and hundreds
of others of the “ancient forms” are still in the same way preserved
and produced. In the “pearl” body, which is of great hardness and
durability and of a pure pearly whiteness, services and useful goods
are manufactured, in plain white, printed, and decorated varieties.
“Rockingham ware,” of a very superior quality and of a good colour,
is made largely at Etruria in tea-pots, coffee-pots, services (the
cups white inside), and other articles. The “porous ware” used for
water-bottles, butter-coolers, &c., is also made at the present time;
and the “mortar ware” is still made, and keeps foremost rank in the
market. In the “red ware”--a rich colour and fine body--services and
a large number of other articles are produced, and are frequently
ornamented with raised figures, &c., in black, with good and striking
effect. Blue printing was introduced at Etruria at an early date, and
has, with black, &c., been continued to the present day. Under the
third Josiah Wedgwood, from 1820 forward, this process was brought to
intense perfection. By making a special glaze for it--the result of
much deep thought and careful experimenting--he succeeded in giving
a rich, soft, almost flowing look to the colour, which gave it a
beauty and a richness that could not otherwise be attained. This
effect was afterwards imitated, but not so successfully, by means of
what is technically called a “flow”--that is by introducing a little
volatilising salt in the saggar in which the ware is placed and fired.
[Illustration: Fig. 599.]
Messrs. Wedgwood employ a large number of clever modellers, painters,
gilders, and others, and many of the most skilled of workmen in every
department. The present firm is quite alive to the necessity of
keeping up to the full standard of excellence which the works have
attained, and are making rapid strides in new branches of decoration.
In order to give renewed life and greater variety to their bas-relief
goods in jasper, &c., they have engaged Mr. Charles Toft, who was
the principal figure modeller under Mr. Wilms at Elkington’s, who, at
the time I write, is busily engaged in bringing to perfection various
works intended for display at the Paris Exhibition of 1878. In place
of the lamented Mr. Lessore the firm have engaged Mr. Thomas Allen,
for many years known as the principal figure-painter at Minton’s, and
some of whose paintings on vases will also form a feature of the same
Exhibition. His work, it may be added, is mainly on the bisque, in
colours, which gain great brilliancy and a much heightened effect by
being glazed and fired in the oven at a high temperature.
[Illustration: Figs. 600 to 609.--Painted by Lessore.]
The firm have of late introduced a process by which photographs of
original drawings, in colours, are produced on ware by the same method
as the autotype process. This forms a notable feature of progress in
scientific decoration, and it is only meet that as photography itself
was the undoubted discovery of a Wedgwood, its development as an aid to
ceramic decoration should be left to his successors at the present day.
[Illustration: Fig. 610.--Ewer modelled by Protat, painted by
Lessore.]
[Illustration: Figs. 611 to 618.--Messrs. Wedgwood’s
Productions. Lessore’s Wares.]
[Illustration: Fig. 619.]
The principal painter at Etruria for many years was the late gifted M.
Emile Lessore, an artist of more than European reputation, who takes
rank above all others in that exquisite style for which he was so
famous. As M. Lessore (whom I had the privilege of knowing, and who
pressed me more than once to visit him at Marlotte) and his works are
so closely identified with Etruria, a few words on his career cannot
but be interesting. He was born in 1805, his father being a notary, for
which profession the son was at first intended. Giving up the law for
Art, he entered for a short time the studio of Ingres. When twenty-six
years old Lessore exhibited his first picture (“Le Frère Malade”) in
the Salon at Paris. This was in 1831, and from that time until 1850
he continued to exhibit both oil and water-colour pictures, which
were always eagerly sought for and purchased at high prices. In 1851
Lessore was induced, through offers made to him by the Sèvres china
manufactory, to turn his attention to china painting. He attempted to
introduce a more artistic feeling at Sèvres, and succeeded notably; a
pair of large vases decorated by him, which were exhibited in Paris in
1853, were purchased by the Emperor of Russia for a thousand guineas.
The originality of Lessore’s work caused a division amongst the artists
at Sèvres, and the partisans of the two camps were so virulently
wearisome in their disputes that he eventually abandoned Sèvres and
came to England, where he arrived in 1858, and was employed for a short
time by Mintons, but ultimately joined Messrs. Wedgwood, who thoroughly
appreciated his talents and his loyal sympathetic character. The
most remarkable of his works were shown in the Exhibition of 1862,
the Paris Exhibition of 1867, and at Vienna in 1873, and medals were
awarded to him in all countries. The climate of England, especially
Staffordshire, not suiting him he returned to France, living at
Marlotte, near Fontainebleau, where he still continued his connection
with the Wedgwoods, painting pieces and sending them to be fired at
Etruria. There is little doubt Emile Lessore was one of the first
artists in England to revolutionise the decoration of pottery, and some
of his pieces are undoubtedly more artistic than is usually produced in
faience; the drawing, without being laboured, is true to nature; the
colouring, as a rule, is subdued and delicate, but the master hand is
apparent in every touch. During the siege of Paris many of Lessore’s
finest works were concealed by him in the cellars of his cottage, and
afterwards preserved by Messrs. Wedgwood. He was the first to employ
the freedom of the artist’s brush to the decoration of pottery, which
previously to his time had been painted with the finish and stippled
perfection of the miniature painter, but without the imagination and
freshness of an artist’s sketch. M. Lessore died in the spring of 1876,
and soon afterwards his remaining works were sold by Messrs. Wedgwood
to Mr. Mortlock, by whom they were exhibited in London and disposed of.
The markets to which Messrs. Wedgwood’s goods are sent are more widely
spread than perhaps will be conceived by the uninitiated, and it is not
too much to say that, besides the home trade, which is very extensive,
the “Wedgwood ware” of the present day is dispatched, as it used to be,
to every quarter of the globe.