Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Basin and Ewer

CultureEnglish
Titles
  • Basin and Ewer
Datec. 1800–1810
Made inEtruria, England
MediumLead-glazed earthenware (pearlware) with cobalt decoration
DimensionsBasin: 3 3/4 x 10 7/8 in. diameter (9.5 x 27.6 cm)
Ewer: 9 3/16 × 7 3/8 in. (23.3 × 18.7 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, given in memory of Mrs. Joseph Thompson by her friends
Object numberB.84.3.1,.2
Current Location
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Mcintire Bedroom
Exposé

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Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
DescriptionMade by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, this matching ewer and basin was made for use as part of the toilette, the daily bathing and grooming ritual that took place in the bedroom. In the 1770s, seeking to further refine cream-colored earthenware, Josiah Wedgwood developed a whiter clay body and added cobalt to the lead glaze formula to counteract its natural yellowish tint. The greater whiteness gave the ware a closer resemblance to porcelain, especially when decorated with blue. Many potteries produced pearlware, as it came to be called, using a variety of techniques to decorate it.
Provenance[W. M. Schwind, Jr. Antiques and Fine Art, Yarmouth, Maine]; purchased by MFAH, 1984.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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