Date: circa 1805
Period: Regency
Maker: Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd.
The pattern of this Wedgwood teacup and saucer has strong impact as well as restrained elegance and dignity. The flowers and foliage are transfer-printed then painted over in purple enamel. The cup has a concave profile with a square or ‘French’ handle. An engraving of the shape can be found in a Wedgwood pattern book published in 1817. WEDGWOOD is impressed on the bottoms of both cup and saucer.
The type of earthenware is called pearlware and was intended to resemble Chinese porcelain. Cobalt was added to lead oxide to make a blue-tinged glaze, while the body was made slightly greyish. Josiah Wedgwood introduced his “pearl white” wares in 1779. By about 1800, the popularity of pearlware had overtaken creamware, which Wedgwood had started making in 1762.
Condition: Perfect, apart from age-related glaze crazing.
Saucer diameter 14.1 cm; height 3 cm
Cup width with handle 10.8 cm; height 7.1 cm
Weight: 232 g
Medium: Earthenware (pearlware)
Origin: Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England
