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 «He has transformed a rough industry into fine art» — a strong epitaph, isn’t it? These words are inscribed on the gravestone of Josiah Wedgwood, a man whose name is emphatically repeated by professional art collectors and women of fashion dreaming to recreate in their parlors the atmosphere of pure elegance.
Indeed, possession
of the most beautiful chinaware which is considered by most European distinguished
families, including royal ones, to be one of the essential attributes of aristocracy
and royalty, can once and forever change your self-respect and attitude to the world.
...Like many
other stories of success, ours begins with the proverb «Every cloud has a
silver lining". In his childhood Josiah has suffered a bout of smallpox
that weakened his right knee. The leg was dismembered, and the boy, a third-generation
ceramist, couldn't work with the potters' wheel. He concentrated his effort on the
thing that gained him glory and worldwide recognition - new technologies and
materials.
His greatest
creation which gave the name to English porcelain was Jasper or basalt clay, translucent
material of seven colors - white, yellow, pink, apple green, dark-green, dark-blue
and black. Wedgwood admired antiquity and used Jasper clay for making «Etruscan»
vases which imitated painted vases of Ancient Greece. The most famous collectors
provided Wedgwood with masterpieces of the art for making casts and reproducing
them in ceramics.
Another famous
authorly clay - creamy earthenware - was christened 'Queen's Ware'. It was the very
clay of which a complete set for Queen Charlotte was manufactured in 1765. The Queen
had appointed him queen's potter. Other eminent patrons included Empress
Catherine II of Russia, who ordered 952 such pieces. The Russian Empress requested
to paint on them different Britain's motives: «I want all the England to be on
my table!» Besides, she ordered a famous «Green Frog Set» which nowadays is
exposed in the Hermitage.
And even after
the irretrievable downfall of the empire, the delivery of Wedgwood porcelain to
the Russian «court» didn't cease: a set ordered by B.N.Yeltsin' administration
comprised 2000 pieces inwrought by coat of arms of the Russian Federation.
The unique material
of Wedgwood's factory - Jasperware - a translucent clay that marries the basalt
and Josiah's original formulas to produce a dense, homogeneously colored stoneware.
The items could be colored in different tints - violet, light-blue, pale green.
The selected
and most elegant sets as Cornucopia include candlesticks, mantel clock and photograph
frame. There's no need to say that these masterpieces are considered to be
Wedgwood trademark.
By the way,
this porcelain can be washed in the dishwasher and used in mini oven. Next door
to blasphemy, of course, but this is technologically acceptable.
Yet, Wedgwood
porcelain is not only chinaware. The firm manufactures medallions for furniture
or chimney décor made of the tender «wax biscuit» and even accessories -
pendants and brooches. The polished steel served as a setting for such medallions,
it shined like a gemstone and the contrast between the bright setting and
delicate cameo was very impressive. Till now the collectors hunt these cameos
of the 18th century.
A Wedgwood tea
pair made of cream porcelain, even the most unpretentious, valued at $100-150, can
be presented to ‘hard-to-buy-for' person. The present won't go unnoticed and would
be a sound reason for the new owner's proud and for the imperishable memory of the
donator. And if you're able to buy an expensive present, remember that a cost of
a six person table set starts from $1500, the upper limit for Wedgwood porcelain
is practically infinite.
...With this
in mind, go to the scullery and try to find there several cups of bona china with
a blue character W. As manufacturer assures, four Wedgwood cups can withstand another
English famous brand - a Rolls-Royce. If you have one in your garage, you have a
chance to check.
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