Wedgwood Blueīut of all his immense range of creamwares, pearlwares, fine stonewares and earthenwares, the one he is remembered for most is his Wedgwood blue. He named it Etruria and, still in partnership with Thomas Bentley, developed his great range of Etruscan wares in an incredible range of marbled bodies which imitated all manner of decorative stones and marbles, as well as reviving an ancient technique of encaustic decoration for black basalts with iron red scenes from classical antiquity. His original factory at Burslem outgrown, in 1769 Wedgwood opened new premises with the ambition of making vases and grand ornamental wares in the classic manner which was then so fashionable. Two Liverpool men, John Sadler and Guy Green, were producing transfer printed tiles and basic flatware from about 1756 onwards, and when Wedgwood realised that this method of decoration would greatly decrease the cost of creamware, he entered into a business agreement with them in about 1761, sending cartloads of creamware to their factory to be printed instead of employing artists to hand painteach individual piece. After 1765, when Wedgwood was commissioned by Queen Charlotte, he called this range Queens Ware in her honour, although he continued to use his standard mark. In its initial stages, creamware was not resistant to hot water, and first products were services of tableware and domestic and kitchen products. Known today as cauliflower ware, it used the green and cream coloured glazes together, with remarkable effect. After two years the partnership dissolved and Wedgwood joined Thomas Whieldon.įrom 1754 his name recurs again and again in association with every major breakthrough in the development of earthenware and stoneware, first with agate and tortoiseshell wares, quickly followed in 1758 with a remarkable green glaze and, in 1760, a cream coloured glaze over a cream coloured body which became the celebrated Creamware.Īs this was clearly a tremendous commercial proposition, Wedgwood set up on his own at Burslem in partnership with Thomas Bentley and, in association with a former aquaintance, William Greatbach, made a range of tableware in the form of fruit and vegetables to compete with the range of leaf patterns being made in the porcelain factories. In 1752 he set up on his own with two partners and made an undistinguished range of domestic stonewares. Josiah Wedgwood was born in 1730 and began his career in the potteries at the age of 14 when he was apprenticed to his brother.
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