E N D
N OT E S
Photograph by Rett Peek
COLLECTIONS
english icon Josiah Wedgwood had been operating his pottery business in Staffordshire, England, for over a decade when in 1774, through numerous experiments, he came up with the ideal formula for an unglazed stoneware. He called the new pieces Jasperware because their hardness resembled a natural jasper stone. Now, some 246 years later, the Wedgwood brand’s Jasperware is an iconic and easily recognizable collection. The pieces feature white reliefs of varied forms—from Greek goddesses to George Washington—and have been produced in a variety of colors, including lilac, yellow, green, black, and blue. However, if you’ve heard of “Wedgwood Blue,” you can guess which became the most popular and still remains emblematic. Dubbed the “Father of English Potters,” Wedgwood’s legacy lives on as porcelain place settings and decorative pieces, including Jasperware, are still produced in England today and exported around the globe.
72 At Home in Arkansas | June 2020