Josiah Wedgwood & Sons
Basin and Ewer

Public Domain

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Maker Josiah Wedgwood & SonsEnglish, founded 1759

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

On view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

CERAMICS

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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