Wedgwood blue Jasper thimble
Name/Title
Wedgwood blue Jasper thimbleEntry/Object ID
2021.1.192Description
Blue porcelain thimble, with white relief side portrait of Jasper Josiah Wedgwood. Part of the Franklin Mint "Thimbles of the World's Greatest Porcelain Houses" series. Retailer description: "The thimble is a lovely example of blue Jasper, the fine stoneware that has become synonymous with the name Wedgwood. Production of Wedgwood Jasper thimbles dates back at least to 1795. The thimble created exclusivity for this collection bears a portrait of the company's founder Josiah Wedgwood, originally modeled in 1782 by William Hackwood. The Wedgwood firm was founded in 1759, its early production consisting mainly of a distinctive creamware in leaf and vegetable shapes well-suited to the rococo taste of the period. This was followed by a beautiful earthenware known as Queen's Ware for Queen Charlotte who frequently patronized the Wedgwood pottery. A remarkable dinner service commissioned by the Empress Catherine of Russia in 1773 consisted of 952 pieces, each decorated with a different hand-painted view of England. The most famous of Wedgwood's accomplishments developed in 1774 after several thousand recorded experiments. This was Jasper, unglazed vitreous fine stoneware which could be stained blue, green, lilac, yellow, maroon or black as a background for white classical reliefs or portraits. The bas-relief ornamentation is produced by pressing clay into molds reproduced from the 18th-century originals. The clay is eased from the mold with a flat-surfaced tool, moistened with water and fixed in position on the background piece. Jasper has been made continuously by Wedgwood from the 18th century to the present day."Collection
Marianne Kerr Thimble CollectionCategory
Tools