Wedgwood Jasperware
Though Jasperware comes in many colors (green, lilac, dark blue, sage, black, red, white, and yellow), this beautiful ceramic, produced by Wedgwood Potteries in England, is best known for its “Wedgwood Blue”, a pale blue bisque porcelain with a series of applied neoclassical reliefs in white. The reliefs depict Greco-Roman motifs that create a cameo effect against the clay.
Jasperware is a type of unglazed matte stoneware invented in 1774 by Josiah Wedgwood, a prominent English potter. He discovered the recipe for Jasperware clay after experimenting with different types of bisque made by mixing color into the clay. The secret ingredient to Jasperware turned out to be barium sulphate, which improved the clay’s elasticity, contributed to the special bisque finish Jasperware pieces are known for, and made the clay as hard as jasper stone, hence the name Jasperware.
The clay was then colored with a proprietary metallic oxide paint. White reliefs, made in separate molds, were lastly applied to the piece.
Typical Wedgwood blue Jasperware plate
Jasperware vase and cover, about 1790, in the classic "Wedgwood Blue" with neoclassical reliefs.
Jasperware became the quintessential Wedgewood product in the 18th century, making Josiah very successful producing the ceramic in large quantities from a factory based in Staffordshire, England.
At first, small objects were sold but by the 1780’s large neoclassical vases, plaques, cameos, and portrait medallions were added, making the pottery extremely popular, especially among the European aristocracy.
What made Jasperware especially fascinating was the raised reliefs the porcelain was decorated with. Many of the heavily stylized motifs depicted famous scenes from Greek literature and modern interpretations of Greek literature such as the apotheosis of Homer.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Jasperware became available in all kinds of trinket, buttons, beads, medallions, mantel pieces, and cachepots. The large urns depicting mythological scenes were especially loved by Europeans who in the 19th century were enamored of all things Greco-Roman in style.
After Josiah's death, his son took over the business. It remained within the family well into the 19th century.
Barring wartime interruptions, Jasperware has been produced continuously for over two hundred years, attaining a world market status that continues to hold into the present century.
What makes Jasperware especially beloved is its smooth, silky surface with crisp, finely executed appliques, and interesting motifs.
As an art form, Jasperware reached its zenith in the 19th century, but the products continue to inspire artists and collectors to this day. Without the Jasperware relics contained in art museums around the world, art lovers would be deprived of some of the most sophisticated English art to date.
Thankfully, there are lots of Jasperware pieces available at antique stores and collectible fairs. Prices vary depending on age, color, pattern, and condition of the piece. An entire tea set with cups and saucers, for example, could cost upwards of $1000, while a set of dishes could cost a few $100. Pitchers, platters, teapots, gravy boats, bowls and the like, can cost less than $100, especially if they are newly produced.
Do beware of fakes. Because it is made of basalt, Jasperware is often duplicated, though the copies never match the beauty and quality of the real thing.
All Wedgwood ceramics are marked on their base with special identifying lettering. While the artisans that depict Jasperware reliefs are not always known, Jasperware products are dated and identified according to the potter’s mark.
For example, before 1860, the potter’s mark is expressed as “Wedgwood” with the year made and a single letter.
From 1860 to 1929, a three-letter mark represents the month of production, the potter, and the year. The year code starts mid-alphabet with the letter "O" for 1860. The letter "P" for 1861, etc., returning to "A" after "Z". From 1891 to 1908, marks are "Wedgwood", "England", separated.
From 1908 to 1969, marks are "Wedgwood", "Made in England", separated, or "Wedgwood England" on small objects like thimbles.
After 1929 the typeface of the word "Wedgwood" is changed to sans serif.
From 1970 to the present, the mark is "Wedgwood Made in England" as a single stamp.
How to spot a fake Jasperware piece:
The easiest way to determine if a piece is fake is if it possesses one or more of these characteristics.
An item is not Wedgwood/Jasperware if:
1. It is glossy. Jasperware ALWAYS has a matte finish, no matter the color.
2. The white reliefs and accents are not raised. Some fakes just paint the designs onto the clay.
3. It’s stamped “Wedgewood” (with an extra ‘e’). The Wedgwood name only possesses one letter “e”.