Description:
In the later decades of the 19th century the Victorians were captivated by naturalism. The establishment of botanical gardens, such as those at Kew, combined with an expanding general knowledge of flora and fauna as a result of investigative expeditions by collectors and specialists alike. Fascination and growing understanding led to a market demand for naturalistic forms, decorative designs and motifs. Majolica ware, which could be cast and moulded into various shapes, met the need for these exotic forms. Majolica offered tremendous scope to the designer and artist alike, and almost every class of ware from garden furniture to jardinières, from cheese dishes to teawares, were produced in this body. Majolica’s versatility meant that it could meet the needs of contemporary taste and fashion so proved to be a very popular success. The light colored background and shell motifs featured on this majolica jug were introduced after a visit by Wedgwood’s London showroom manager, Charles Bachhoffner, to the 1878 Paris exhibition. He advised the factory that new shapes and designs of naturalistic form were both much exhibited and much sought after. Wedgwood responded to this request with a wide range of wares featuring fruits, flowers and shells, often in a Japanese style, set against a pale or white background. English Wedgwood majolica jug with handle, decorated in the "Argenta" shell and seaweed pattern in turquoise, pink, brown, yellow, grey, white, and grey. Argenta ware, first made in 1878, was the last important majolica Wedgwood designed. This was a popular design, which influenced both other English copies and American majolica designers, such as Griffen Smith and Hill [GS&H]. The upper part of the jug has 6 flat panels, which flow into molded wave pattern around the lower body. The jug is encircled with 6 scallop shells in low relief, garnished with sprigs of seaweed. The handle has a shell thumbhold. Both the rim edge, pouring spout, and handle edges are banded in yellow. The interior is covered with a pink glaze; the jug sits on a foot rim.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2001.49 |
