Josiah Wedgwood Creamware Transfer Printed & Enameled Plate

Late Georgian

Circa 1776–1778 | England

This remarkable antique plate is a rare early example of a Josiah Wedgwood creamware dessert service plate from the mid-eighteenth century. The plate is transfer-printed in black and painted in emerald-green enamel by the enameller Guy Green, as evidenced by Josiah’s letter to Mr Green discussing the work of the enamellers (see The Gen). The plate has fine examples of scattered sprigs of shells, corals and seaweed­. The small spiral shell on the edge has not been found on examples seen to date. This is a hard-to-find example of this pattern on a plate with the renowned Wedgwood reticulated border.

DIMENSIONS: Diameter 19.3 cm.

SIGNATURES, MARKINGS & INSCRIPTIONS: Impressed early marks WEDGWOOD, W and O.

It is difficult to determine what the impressed W may represent on this plate. There is a possibility that it is an incomplete version of W & B as discussed by Meteyard in her seminal book on Wedgwood marks. Meteyard quotes a letter written by Wedgwood to Bentley on 22 December 1777: “Mine is against any name being upon our articles besides W. & B., and if you concur with me I will manage the matter with him as well as I can.” (The Wedgwood Handbook, A Manual for Collectors, Eliza Meteyard, George Bell and Sons, 1875, p. 65)

“The letter O and the number 3 ­— either separately or conjointly­ — always indicate the best period and the highest quality ware. The Sibson and Falcke collections are particularly rich in specimens thus marked. Both figure and number are always found in association with the name impressed.” (The Wedgwood Handbook, A Manual for Collectors, Eliza Meteyard, George Bell and Sons, 1875, pp 45 and 46)

CONDITION: The plate is in good condition with wear consistent with an antique age and use. There are slight chips to the inner rim on the front and minor marks. The back is rubbed and worn in places with errant scratching. There is evidence of earlier professional restoration to the reticulated rim. However, the transfer and enamelling are clear and complete, some may say thankfully due to the “coloured too high” enamelling (see The Gen).

REFERENCES: For an example of a similar plate see Victoria & Albert Museum, Accession Number C.20-1945. See note above in Signatures, Markings & Inscriptions as this may be an example of a Falcke plate that is marked with an “O” at the British Museum, Registration Number 1909,1201.455. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

THE GEN

In a letter to Bentley, on 5 December 1776, Wedgwood wrote: “‘The shell pattern is a first essay, the borders in particular are so too. I have wrote to Mr. Green that the groups are too large for the plates, that the green is of too common a colour upon some of the weeds & lies too high above the glaze. But that I think them very promising proofs & have desired to have the prices.’ A few days later Wedgwood adds: — ­‘Yes, I make no doubt Painting and Printing may exist together. I hope we shall do both in quantities both in Table and Teaware. Many patterns cannot be Printed & these will employ the pencils. I had wrote to Mr. Green upon the first sight of the Shell patterns that they were coloured too high, & must be kept down, especially the green — Shells and weeds may be colour’d as chaste as any subjects whatever, & I hope we shall get into the way of it in time. But this pattern was intended chiefly for abroad, & foreigners in general will bear higher colouring & more forcible contrasts than the English.’” (The Life of Josiah Wedgwood Vol II, Eliza Meteyard, Cornmarket Press Limited, 1970, p. 348)

~~~~~~~~~~~