History of Wedgwood Porcelain

Queen's Ware, 1760-1870

• Wedgwood's earliest of tablewares was a cream-colored earthenware called queen's ware. This collection of porcelain was manufactured on a large scale. Made from a mixture of ground flint and a variety of clays, it was hard lead-glazed that ranged in color from tan to straw-colored ivory. Queen's Ware was expansive in decorative style imitating Greco-Roman design. This is one of the most long-lived brand name in manufacturing history. One hundred years later the American press preferred to call this porcelain, "cream-color". It has since stuck and is now referred by many as cream-colored ware.

Variegated Ware, 1768

• In 1768, Josiah Wedgwood's constant need to explore a variety of methods created a porcelain pottery that imitated a variety of stones. To do this he used three different methods to achieve the effects of granite, agate and marble. These three effects were called wedging, veining, and marbling.

The White Body, 1773-1796

• The term "body" is used to describe a form and method to the making of a given type of earthenware. Wedgwood created a white porcelain biscuit called pearl ware. This has a smooth wax-like surface that is densely opaque.

  Following pearl ware, Wedgwood created another white body ware called jasper ware. This was a white porcelain of rich delicacy and beauty. It possessed general properties that made it possible to receive color throughout the surface. This ware rendered itself perfect for cameos, portraits, and many subjects in bas-relief. The ground or base is in full color throughout without paint or enamel, and the raised figures are pure white. Jasper ware was also made in a variety of colors with the wedgwood blue being the most well known.

Black Body, 1767-1796

• Wedgwood transformed the Egyptian black, a traditional Staffordshire stoneware, into Etruscan ornamental ware that was branded black basalt. The Stafforshire potters used what is termed "car" to make the Egyptian black. The colorant occurred naturally in a sediment from the drainage of neighboring coal deposits. Wedgwood used this native car but added manganese to obtain a richer black. He used a finer clay to create a delicate texture and took greater care in cleaning and preparing the car. The black basalt is a fine black porcelain bisque. He departed from the design methods of Staffordshire and created a unique process of firing the biscuit to black and then painting red figures onto the black body in ceramic paints. The finish was matte rather than glossy.

Redware, 1776-1810

• During the development of earthenware several bodies were made from local marls from which the ochreous earths were added to produce various colors. Four different colors of ware were made: rosso antico, cane ware, terra cotta, and drab ware.

  Rosso antico was made dark red to chocolate and decorated with Egyptian symbols of sphinx, crocodile, and lotus. This earthenware porcelain embodied the enthusiasm for Egyptian things.
  Cane ware was buff in color. It was made in decorative forms as plant and bulb pots and in every kind of tea-ware. The motif was bamboo and over time became very popular and was often referred to as bamboo ware. Terra cotta was a light red, with more of an orange hue. This ware reflected a Chinese styling. Drab ware was an olive-gray. The olive-gray base was graced with relief of lavender, white and brown. The acanthus leaf motif was commonly used.

Bone China, 1812-1822

• The son of Josiah Wedgwood also named Josiah took directorship between 1812 to 1822. During this time the Wedgwood factory manufactured pure porcelain.

Emile Lessore, 1858-1875

• Emile Lessore was a ceramic painter for Wedgwood. He was an interpreter of early masters of oils on canvas. He brought to Wedgwood a simple vision, but fresh and authentic. The decorative style he developed was in terms of costume pieces, domestic subjects, and children playing. His distinctive look created notoriety in the history of Wedgwood porcelain.