Get Wedgwood With It
I’ll never forget getting my first piece of Wedgwood. It was handed down to me from my grandmother and I immediately fell in love with the romantic little blue box. I’ve always gravitated towards the neo-classical style and this was love at first sight. It was the perfect mix of soft colors and elegant white carvings. Thus, my love affair with Wedgwood began. Every time I’m antiquing and see a piece, I have to buy at least one, okay maybe two. If you’re finding yourself wondering what even is Wedgwood, allow me explain...
I love companies that have a rich history and this one began in 1759 when a 29 year old potter, Josiah Wedgwood, went out on his own as an independent potter. Fast forward over 260 years later and Wedgwood is still producing many of the materials Josiah invented, such as Jasper, Queen's Ware and Black Basalt.
Josiah Wedgwood experimented avidly with clay, exploring its many possibilities. “Jasper, the most famous of Josiah's inventions, first appeared in 1774 after thousands of experiments. An unglazed vitreous fine stoneware, it was made in blue, green, lilac, yellow, black or white; sometimes one piece combined three or more of these colors.”
Because of this invention, he is remembered as the “Father of English Potters”. His pioneer spirit, vigorous design policy, and his commitment to exacting standards of quality are values that remain at the heart of the brand today.
"The iconic light blue jasper gave rise to the expression "Wedgwood Blue" and remains a recognizable Wedgwood signature worldwide. The Wedgwood blue color was created during Josiah Wedgwood’s trials while he was developing Jasperware - he carried out many experiments, grinding colors to achieve a range of hues. At the time, the choice of colors for jasper was dictated largely by the shades most favorite for neo-classical interiors by the modish architects, particularly Adam and Wyatt.”
One could argue that the wedgwood blue rivals Tiffany, but that’s just my humble opinion. “Upon these delicately colored grounds would be applied the classical and contemporary reliefs which are still made today from moulds reproduced from the originals."
The most notable of his first antiquity piece was a reproduction of the celebrated Portland Vase in black-and-white jasper-ware. "The original, attributed to the Roman gem-cutter Dioskourides, is in the style of works made between 30 and 20 B.C." The reproduction was just the beginning of Wedgwood's iconic style...
”Wedgwood blue continues to inspire around the world. From home interiors, lifestyle and fashion to the more recent Bridgerton boom on Netflix. The symbolic pale blue color palette represents history, timeless style and understated elegance. The set of the home in Bridgerton is even described as, ‘like being inside a piece of Wedgwood ceramic’. The soft blues and creams mirror subtle elegancy and high society, something which has carried through generations.”
The popularity of shows like Bridgerton and the rise of maximalism in fashion and interior design have evoked the styles and themes of antiquity that were so popular in the late eighteenth century. Out with new, in with the old! I await eagerly as Wedgwood and other antiquity brands make their huge comeback. In today’s modern home eclecticism is truly celebrated. As a designer I have seen how companies are taking archival patterns & prints and re-imagining them. Adding pieces with a hint of antiquity adds a depth to the design of a home.
“People need art in their houses. They don't need Bed Bath and Beyond dentist-office art. They need weird stuff." ~ Ezra Croft,