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Wedgwood Bicentenary Mug
Factory:
Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd
Designer:
Skellern, Victor
Cream earthenware printed onglaze in black and painted in polychrome with three circular titled views surrounded by trailing ivy, strawberry plants and fruiting vine.
Cream earthenware printed onglaze in b lack and painted in purple, pink, brown, blue and shades of green enamels. Cylindrical mug with oval loop handle. Decorated with three oval reserves entitled: 'BIRTHPLACE OF JOSIAH WEDGWOOD 1730/CHURCHYARD WORKS BURSLEM 1649'; 'ETRURIA, JUNE 13TH 1769/TRENT & MERSEY CANAL 1777'; and 'BARLASTON 1939', each containing a related black and white image. The third image, of the new factory with a statue of Josiah Wedgwood at left, also contains a flag-pole with Union Jack flag, in colour. Trailing ivy, strawberry plants and fruiting vines, in colour against a cloudy background, surround the ovals. On the handle, five green palmettes, separated by purple spots surrounded by six dots. The underside is recessed, creating a chamfered foot-ring around the edge, and glazed.
History note: Unknown before donor
Given by Mrs E. Rhulmann
Diameter: 9.2 cm
Height: 12.0 cm
Width: 13.4 cm
Method of acquisition: Given (1991-11-25) by Rhulmann, E., Mrs
20th Century, Mid#
Elizabeth II
Production date:
AD 1959
This mug was issued to celebrate the bicentenary of the opening of Wedgwood’s first factory, under Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1975), at Ivy House Works, Burslem. Both the shape and the decoration were designed by Skellern, and it was also produced in plain black print and in gold print on black basalt versions. The shape has since been used for many other special editions. Wedgwood bicentenary mugs were also designed by others, including Peter Wall and Robert York Godden.
Victor George Skellern (1909-66) joined Wedgwood at age 14, whilst continuing to study at Burslem and Hanley Schools of Art. In 1930 took a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, returning in 1934 as Wedgwood’s first professionally trained Art Director. He championed the use of lithograph (or ‘Decal’) decoration for Queen’s ware and china, fully introduced in 1947, and was influential in modernising Wedgwood’s designs, following the principle ‘decoration must be designed for the shape, and must add something relevant to it’. Skellern also led the recruitment of freelance designers, such as Eric Ravilious and Richard Guyatt (examples of whose work can also be found in the Fitzwilliam collection).
Decoration composed of enamels
Clear glaze
Cream-coloured earthenware
Moulding
: Earthenware printed onglaze in black and painted in enamels
Glazing (coating)
Inscription present: inscription
Inscription present: inscription
Inscription present: 'BARLASTON' in a banner
Inscription present: in a circle around a small circle inscribed with 'WEDGWOOD BICENTENARY/1759/1959'
Inscription present: in a small circle surrounded by 'THIS MUG COMMEMORATES THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF./JOSIAH WEDGWOOD AND SONS 1959'
Inscription present: under small circlular inscription
Accession number: C.395-1991
Primary reference Number: 11800
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Wedgwood Bicentenary Mug" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/11800 Accessed: 2024-11-22 00:57:11
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/11800
|title=Wedgwood Bicentenary Mug
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-22 00:57:11|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-11800
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa6/C_395_1991_281_29.jpg"
alt="Wedgwood Bicentenary Mug"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Wedgwood Bicentenary Mug</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
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