China Learn

Wedgwood

Josiah Wedgwood was born at Burslem in July 1730. He was the youngest son of Thomas and Mary Wedgwood, and was descended from a family of Staffordshire potters. His early education did not extend beyond the three R’s, but although he lived in days before secondary or higher education were thought of, he continued to educate himself throughout life.

After his father’s death, in 1739, Josiah was removed from school, and at the tender age of nine was apprenticed to his brother Thomas as a “thrower” at the Churchyard Works, Burslem. In 1744 he was apprenticed for five years to his brother as a potter, and at the end of this time he entered into partnership with John Harrison and Thomas Alders at the Cliff Bank Pottery. This partnership, however, soon came to an end, and he then joined Mr Thomas Whie1don of Fenton. It was there that he manufactured, amongst other things, the brightly-glazed green ware.

In 1759 Josiah Wedgwood returned to Burslem, where he commenced business on his own account in part of the Ivy Works, which belonged to his cousins, and later on he established himself at the Brick-House Works. About 1767 Wedgwood went into partnership with his friend Mr Thomas Bentley, a Liverpool merchant, who managed the warehouse in London for the sale of ornamental pottery. Mr. Bentley, who was a classical scholar and had a wide knowledge of art, did much to assist Wedgwood both by his learning and by procuring for the works the services of some of the best artists and modelers of the time. Amongst these Flaxman will always stand forth unrivalled for the beauty of his designs and the exquisite finish of his work.

“Josiah Wedgwood died, in 1795, at Etruria, the classic name given by him to the locality near Newcastle-under-Lyne, where he had built his large factory.” His beautiful work will ever stand as a memorial to him; and the dauntless spirit and untiring energy by which he overcame the difficulties which beset his life, bereft in its earliest days and unaided by educational advantages, will command the admiration and help to stimulate the ambitions of men in all ages.

The earliest piece of pottery bearing the name of Wedgwood is a puzzle jug in the Bethnal Green Museum. This jug “is of coarse brown ware, coated with green lead glaze, and bears an incised inscription, ‘John Wedg Wood, 1691.’ It is the work of John Wedgwood, great uncle of Josiah, who was born in 1654 and died in 1705. He was the grandson of Gilbert Wedgwood, the first of that name who had settled in Burslem at the beginning of the seventeenth century.

When quite young, and during his apprenticeship to his brother, Josiah Wedgwood improved the moulding and glazing in his factory, and also succeeded in making a variety of the agate ware in imitation of porphyry, and during his partnership with Thomas Whieldon, the tortoise-shell, agate, melon, and cauliflower ware were also much improved. He made, during this period, teapots with handles like crabs’ hooks, agate knife-hafts, and snuff-boxes, besides jugs, dishes, and plates.

When he returned to Burslem at the expiration of his partnership with Whie1don, Wedgwood added to his wares vases and fireplace tiles; the latter were decorated in relief work with coloured clay, and of the former specimens may be seen in white with grey cracks, which are a most excellent imitation of the Oriental” crackle” so much prized by collectors.

About this time Wedgwood began to improve the cream-coloured earthenware which was commonly used, and after many experiments was so successful that he sent a beautiful little breakfast set to Queen Charlotte. This gave so much satisfaction to the queen that she ordered a complete dinner service, appointed Wedgwood Queen’s Potter, and gave permission for the ware to be called queen’s ware. The fayence is of a light creamy texture of various shades, with a beautiful soft glaze, and is remarkable for the excellent ” potting” which characterized all Wedgwood’s work. Some cream, or queen’s ware, is decorated with painting and gilding, and other pieces are ornamented with transfer printing.

On Plate VIII. will also be seen a very interesting specimen of Wedgwood’s work. It is a pie-dish covered with” pie-crust ware,” made to a void the use of flour in times of scarcity. The firm continued to make these dishes after the death of Josiah. In” The Life of George Brummell” it is said that “The scarcity two years after Brummell’s retirement - viz. in July r Soo-s-was so great that the consumption of flour for pastry was prohibited in the Royal household, rice being used instead; the distiller left off malting; hackney-coach fares were raised 25 per cent; and Wedgwood made dishes to represent pie-crust.”

In 1768 Wedgwood produced his black ware, or “Basaltes of Egypt” as it was called. This ware was used for vases, generally classic in shape and decorated with classical subjects, for medallions, panels, plaques, and busts, some ornamented in relief with beautifully executed figures, horses, trees, flowers, leaves, and many other devices, the scenes depicted being often emblematic or mythological. The black Egyptian ware was also used for tea and coffee sets, and a small cream jug is shown on Plate IX. “Some of the black ware was decorated with paintings in encaustic, or unglazed enamel colours, in imitation of the ancient Greek painted vases,-the largest work executed by Wedgwood being a copy of the Greek vase in the British Museum. Its height is 2 feet 9 inches, and its greatest diameter 18 inches.”