Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Glossary
- 1 JUG: Scarborough, Yorkshire, c. 1250–1300
- 2 DRINKING POT: probably English, c. 1545–60
- 3 FLAGON: probably Derbyshire or Staffordshire, c. 1630–60
- 4 BOTTLE: Christian Wilhelm, Southwark, 1628
- 5 DISH: Southwark, 1651
- 6 JUG: probably Harlow, Essex, c. 1630–60
- 7 TWO-HANDLED TYG: probably Henry Ifield, Wrotham, Kent, 1668
- 8 TULIP CHARGER: London, 1661
- 9 ‘NOBODY’: London, 1675
- 10 DISH: Thomas Toft, Staffordshire, c. 1662–85
- 11 POSSET POT AND SALVER: London or Bristol, 1685 and 1686
- 12 CISTERN: London, perhaps Norfolk House, Lambeth, c. 1680–1700
- 13 BOTTLE: John Dwight, Fulham, c. 1689–94
- 14 MUG: David and John Phillip Elers, probably Bradwell Wood, Staffordshire, c. 1691–8
- 15 JUG: Staffordshire c. 1680–1710
- 16 COVERED CUP WITH FOUR HANDLES AND A WHISTLE: probably South Wiltshire, 1718
- 17 DISH: Samuel Malkin, Burslem, c. 1720–30
- 18 SIX CHINOISERIE TILES: Bristol or London, c. 1720–50
- 19 PUNCH BOWL AND COVER: Liverpool, 1724
- 20 HUNTING MUG: probably Vauxhall Pottery, 1730
- 21 TWO-HANDLED LOVING CUP: probably Nottingham or Crich, 1739
- 22 MILK JUG AND TEAPOT: Staffordshire, c. 1725–45 and c. 1740–50
- 23 PEW GROUP: Staffordshire, c. 1740–50
- 24 BEAR JUG OR JAR: Staffordshire, c. 1740–70
- 25 CAMEL AND MONKEY OR SQUIRREL TEAPOTS: Staffordshire, c. 1750–5
- 26 JUG: Staffordshire, c. 1755–65
- 27 DISH: Liverpool, c. 1755–60
- 28 TEABOWL, SAUCER AND COFFEE POT: Staffordshire, c. 1750–65
- 29 COFFEE POT: Staffordshire, 1760
- 30 TEAPOT: probably Josiah Wedgwood, Burslem, c. 1759–66
- 31 TUREEN: Staffordshire, c. 1760–5
- 32 TEAPOT: Josiah Wedgwood, Etruria, printed in Liverpool by Guy Green, c. 1775–80
- 33 JUG: Yorkshire, 1780
- 34 CENTREPIECE: probably Leeds Pottery, Yorkshire, c. 1780–1800
- 35 STGEORGE AND THE DRAGON: Staffordshire, c. 1780–1800
- 36 TOBY JUG: c. 1790–1810
- 37 DEMOSTHENES: Enoch Wood, Burslem, c. 1790–1810
- 38 ERASMUS DARWINS PORTLAND VASE COPY: Josiah Wedgwood, Etruria, Staffordshire, c. 1789–90
- 39 TEAPOT: probably Sowter & Co., Mexborough, Yorkshire, c. 1800–11
- 40 OBELISK: Bristol Pottery, Temple Back, Bristol, 1802
- 41 DINNER PLATE: Spode, Stoke-on-Trent, c. 1806–33
- 42 GARNITURE OF FIVE COVERED VASES: Richard Woolley, Lane End Longton, c. 1810–12
- 43 JUG: probably Staffordshire or Liverpool, c. 1810–20
- 44 DISH: Leeds Pottery, Yorkshire, C. 1815-20
- 45 ‘PERSWAITION’: probably john Walton, Burslem, c. 1815–25
- 46 VASE AND COVER WITH PAGODA FINIAL Charles James Mason & Co., Fenton Stone Works, Lane Delph, Fenton, c. 1826–45
- 47 FLASK IN THE SHAPE OF A GIRL HOLDING A DOVE: James Bourne & Co., Denby or Codnor Park, c. 1835–40
- 48 THE ‘BULRUSH’ WATER JUG: Ridgway & Abington, Hanley, c. 1848–60
- 49 POT-LID: T.J. & J. Mayer, Dale Hall Pottery Longport, Burslem, 1851
- 50 EWER AND BASIN: Minton, Stoke-on-Trent, 1856
- 51 THE PRINCESS ROYAL AND PRINCE FREDERICK WILLIAM OF PRUSSIA: Staffordshire, 1857
- 52 JUG: John Phillips Hoyle, Bideford, North Devon, 1857
- 53 GIANT TEAPOT: probably Church Gresley or Woodville, Derbyshire, 1882
- 54 FLAGON: Doulton & Co., Lambeth; decorated by George Tinworth, 1874
- 55 TILE PICTURE: William De Morgan & Co., Sands End Pottery, Fulham, c. 1888–97
- 56 OWL: Martin Brothers, Southall, modelled by Robert Wallace Martin, September, 1903
- 57 HOP JUG: Belle Vue Pottery, Rye, Sussex, 1899
- 58 VASE: designed by William Moorcroft for James Macintyre & Co., Washington Works, Burslem, and made there or at Cobridge c. 1911–13
- 59 DISH: Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, Etruria; decorated by Alfred Powell, c. 1908
- 60 JUG: Royal Doulton, Burslem, c. 1930–40
- 61 DINNER PLATE: Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, Barlaston, 1955
- 62 PAGODA-LIDDED BOWL: Bernard Leach, StIves, Cornwall, c. 1960–5
- 63 VASE: Hans Coper, c. 1966–70
- 64 DEEP-SIDED BOWL ON A HIGH FOOT: Alan Caiger-Smith, Aldermaston Pottery, 1981
38 - ERASMUS DARWINS PORTLAND VASE COPY: Josiah Wedgwood, Etruria, Staffordshire, c. 1789–90
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Glossary
- 1 JUG: Scarborough, Yorkshire, c. 1250–1300
- 2 DRINKING POT: probably English, c. 1545–60
- 3 FLAGON: probably Derbyshire or Staffordshire, c. 1630–60
- 4 BOTTLE: Christian Wilhelm, Southwark, 1628
- 5 DISH: Southwark, 1651
- 6 JUG: probably Harlow, Essex, c. 1630–60
- 7 TWO-HANDLED TYG: probably Henry Ifield, Wrotham, Kent, 1668
- 8 TULIP CHARGER: London, 1661
- 9 ‘NOBODY’: London, 1675
- 10 DISH: Thomas Toft, Staffordshire, c. 1662–85
- 11 POSSET POT AND SALVER: London or Bristol, 1685 and 1686
- 12 CISTERN: London, perhaps Norfolk House, Lambeth, c. 1680–1700
- 13 BOTTLE: John Dwight, Fulham, c. 1689–94
- 14 MUG: David and John Phillip Elers, probably Bradwell Wood, Staffordshire, c. 1691–8
- 15 JUG: Staffordshire c. 1680–1710
- 16 COVERED CUP WITH FOUR HANDLES AND A WHISTLE: probably South Wiltshire, 1718
- 17 DISH: Samuel Malkin, Burslem, c. 1720–30
- 18 SIX CHINOISERIE TILES: Bristol or London, c. 1720–50
- 19 PUNCH BOWL AND COVER: Liverpool, 1724
- 20 HUNTING MUG: probably Vauxhall Pottery, 1730
- 21 TWO-HANDLED LOVING CUP: probably Nottingham or Crich, 1739
- 22 MILK JUG AND TEAPOT: Staffordshire, c. 1725–45 and c. 1740–50
- 23 PEW GROUP: Staffordshire, c. 1740–50
- 24 BEAR JUG OR JAR: Staffordshire, c. 1740–70
- 25 CAMEL AND MONKEY OR SQUIRREL TEAPOTS: Staffordshire, c. 1750–5
- 26 JUG: Staffordshire, c. 1755–65
- 27 DISH: Liverpool, c. 1755–60
- 28 TEABOWL, SAUCER AND COFFEE POT: Staffordshire, c. 1750–65
- 29 COFFEE POT: Staffordshire, 1760
- 30 TEAPOT: probably Josiah Wedgwood, Burslem, c. 1759–66
- 31 TUREEN: Staffordshire, c. 1760–5
- 32 TEAPOT: Josiah Wedgwood, Etruria, printed in Liverpool by Guy Green, c. 1775–80
- 33 JUG: Yorkshire, 1780
- 34 CENTREPIECE: probably Leeds Pottery, Yorkshire, c. 1780–1800
- 35 STGEORGE AND THE DRAGON: Staffordshire, c. 1780–1800
- 36 TOBY JUG: c. 1790–1810
- 37 DEMOSTHENES: Enoch Wood, Burslem, c. 1790–1810
- 38 ERASMUS DARWINS PORTLAND VASE COPY: Josiah Wedgwood, Etruria, Staffordshire, c. 1789–90
- 39 TEAPOT: probably Sowter & Co., Mexborough, Yorkshire, c. 1800–11
- 40 OBELISK: Bristol Pottery, Temple Back, Bristol, 1802
- 41 DINNER PLATE: Spode, Stoke-on-Trent, c. 1806–33
- 42 GARNITURE OF FIVE COVERED VASES: Richard Woolley, Lane End Longton, c. 1810–12
- 43 JUG: probably Staffordshire or Liverpool, c. 1810–20
- 44 DISH: Leeds Pottery, Yorkshire, C. 1815-20
- 45 ‘PERSWAITION’: probably john Walton, Burslem, c. 1815–25
- 46 VASE AND COVER WITH PAGODA FINIAL Charles James Mason & Co., Fenton Stone Works, Lane Delph, Fenton, c. 1826–45
- 47 FLASK IN THE SHAPE OF A GIRL HOLDING A DOVE: James Bourne & Co., Denby or Codnor Park, c. 1835–40
- 48 THE ‘BULRUSH’ WATER JUG: Ridgway & Abington, Hanley, c. 1848–60
- 49 POT-LID: T.J. & J. Mayer, Dale Hall Pottery Longport, Burslem, 1851
- 50 EWER AND BASIN: Minton, Stoke-on-Trent, 1856
- 51 THE PRINCESS ROYAL AND PRINCE FREDERICK WILLIAM OF PRUSSIA: Staffordshire, 1857
- 52 JUG: John Phillips Hoyle, Bideford, North Devon, 1857
- 53 GIANT TEAPOT: probably Church Gresley or Woodville, Derbyshire, 1882
- 54 FLAGON: Doulton & Co., Lambeth; decorated by George Tinworth, 1874
- 55 TILE PICTURE: William De Morgan & Co., Sands End Pottery, Fulham, c. 1888–97
- 56 OWL: Martin Brothers, Southall, modelled by Robert Wallace Martin, September, 1903
- 57 HOP JUG: Belle Vue Pottery, Rye, Sussex, 1899
- 58 VASE: designed by William Moorcroft for James Macintyre & Co., Washington Works, Burslem, and made there or at Cobridge c. 1911–13
- 59 DISH: Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, Etruria; decorated by Alfred Powell, c. 1908
- 60 JUG: Royal Doulton, Burslem, c. 1930–40
- 61 DINNER PLATE: Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, Barlaston, 1955
- 62 PAGODA-LIDDED BOWL: Bernard Leach, StIves, Cornwall, c. 1960–5
- 63 VASE: Hans Coper, c. 1966–70
- 64 DEEP-SIDED BOWL ON A HIGH FOOT: Alan Caiger-Smith, Aldermaston Pottery, 1981
Summary
Black jasper with applied white jasper reliefs. Height 25.2 cm. C.20–1984.
Jasper is a fine, white, dry-bodied stoneware developed by Wedgwood between 1772 and 1775. It contains barium sulphate and can be tinted with metallic oxides to produce blue, sage-green, lilac, black and other colours. At first Wedgwood used jasper for intaglios, cameos and portrait medallions, but from the early 1780s he introduced teawares, vases and other ornamental wares in the new body.
Wedgwood's greatest technical achievement in jasper was his copy of the Roman cameo-glass Portland Vase. The dowager Duchess of Portland, who purchased it from Sir William Hamilton in 1784, died in 1785, and a year later Wedgwood borrowed the vase from her son, the third Duke of Portland. After studying it thoroughly, Wedgwood, his son Josiah II and his modellers Webber and Hackwood, experimented for three years before the first successful copy was achieved in the late summer of 1789. The exact number of Portland copies made in this ‘first edition’ before Wedgwood's death is not known. Surveys of extant vases and documents in the Wedgwood archives indicate that it was between forty and fifty, some of which were faulty.
This example is believed to be the vase sent by Wedgwood to his friend and medical adviser, Dr Erasmus Darwin of Derby in September 1789. Failing that, it must have been given to him shortly after, for there is no evidence that he purchased a Portland copy. After his death at Breadsall Priory, Derbyshire in 1802, the vase and its travelling case remained there in the possession of his unmarried daughter, Emma, who died in 1818 bequeathing it to her brother, Sir Francis Sacheverell Darwin.
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- English Pottery , pp. 86 - 87Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1995