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.
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.
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.
Fig. 610.—Ewer modelled by Protat, painted by Lessore.