Hobbies And Interests
Origins
Wedgwood developed jasper in an attempt to replicate the Portland vase. This, like many Roman objects excavated at this period, was wrongly attributed to the earlier Etruscan civilization. Enamored of "Etruscan" style, Wedgwood in 1767 named his new pottery works, Etruria. On the first day at Etruria, Wedgwood threw 6 "Etruscan" vases and marked them: "Artes Etruriae Renascuntur" -- the arts of Etruria are reborn. He invented "jasper" seven years later. Jasper is waterproof without glazing, translucent when cut fine and can be cut and polished.
Features
Jasper has an unglazed, matte finish. A sculpted frieze of Greco-Roman figures is usually layered over this -- a form known as bas-relief. The bas-relief is finely wrought. This was made possible because Wedgwood saw that machine lathe technology from the metal industry might also cut precise forms in clay. Jasper ware is ornate, edged in garlands or swags. The bas-relief is undercut until translucent, enhancing its resemblance to glass.
Colors
Wedgwood recorded that any shade of blue could be obtained in jasper and "likewise a beautiful sea green." The bas-relief is usually white, and the commonest base is "Wedgwood blue." This gray-blue shade overtook earlier rich cobalts in popularity, becoming synonymous with Wedgwood. Soft green is the next most common, but jasper is also found in black, yellow, olive, lilac and pink. These colors were in part selected to echo the tones favored by neo-Classical architect and interior designer, Robert Adam. Tri-color jasper was made from the 1780s but is relatively rare.
Forms
Jasper was developed for ornament. Common items are trinket boxes, vases, urns and teapots. Jewelry, buckles and buttons were popular items. There are also plaques, medallions and commemorative items. Figures are drawn from Greek or Roman legend or popular fame. Washington and Franklin have been rendered in jasper, as have Linnaeus and Newton. Wedgwood expressed his abolitionist beliefs by issuing anti-slavery jasper. First produced in 1786, these medallions are black on white or white on blue. They depict a slave with the slogan: "Am I not a Man and a Brother?"
Unusual Items
Occasionally black jasper was dipped in yellow jasper and ornamented with black bas-relief. These pieces resemble silhouettes. In the 1950s Wedgwood made jasper heels for the H&M Rayne shoe company. These heels were first showcased at an American fashion show and were briefly reissued in the 1970s.
Look-alikes
Similar Wedgwood items have white or black bas-relief on brick red. These may be in classical or "Egyptian" style. This variant, often decorated with crocodiles, was fashionable after Nelson's victory at the Nile in 1822. These red items are not true jasper -- the correct term is "rosso antico."