Less is more for this elegant Wedgwood part dessert set. With a palette limited to red tones and black, and minimal gilding, a tasteful Japanese-style pattern of depth, balance and beauty has been constructed. The sinuous naturalism of the central bamboo, poppies and vines contrasts with the formal symmetry of paper scrolls tied with ribbon, bamboo and poppies in the outer border. Full use is made of the whiteness of the bone china, which Wedgwood resumed making in about 1876. The quality of printing is superb. On the taller comport, note how the border pattern is repeated underneath, with gilt ‘lace’ added around the pedestal stem.
The Wedgwood Museum kindly identified and dated the pattern. It was introduced in 1888/89 and in the Wedgwood bone china pattern books is described as ‘Bow Jeddo in red filled in with red and blue with gold edge.’ Jeddo is an archaic alternative Western spelling of Edo, the capital of the Japanese shogunate, renamed Tokyo in 1868. ‘Bow’ is more of a mystery. It could be a reference to the old Bow porcelain factory.
Condition Almost mint. Some plates and the large comport appear unused. On close inspection, one plate and the lower comport have very small patches of light staining near the outer rim. Couple of tiny areas of gilt rubbing on a couple of plates. A few very faint utensil scratches.
Diameter of plates & comports: 23.8 cm
Height of tall comport: 10.2 cm
Height of low comport: 4.8 cm
Combined weight: 3.279 kg
Origin: Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England
Medium: Bone china (porcelain)
