Plate
ca. 1770 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The success of Wedgwood’s Queen’s ware dinner ranges relied on the company’s skilled painters at Etruria accurately copying each of the repeating designs captured in the Wedgwood pattern books (1). In 1770 the noted Anglophile Empress Catherine II of Russia ordered a lavish dinner service with a botanical ‘husk’ pattern in pink, which was painted at Wedgwood’s studio in Chelsea. Wedgwood wrote to Bentley that he ‘trembled as well as you for the Russian service’, aware of the importance of this prestigious commission for future dinnerware sales. It was very unusual for Wedgwood and Bentley – the ‘Ornamental’ partnership – to oversee the decoration of a dinner service rather than the ‘Useful’ partnership run by Wedgwood’s cousin Thomas. The pattern was also requests by King George III.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Queen's ware with handpainted decoration |
| Brief description | Husk Service Dinner Plate, Queen's Ware, Josiah Wedgwood and sons, Etruria, ca. 1770 |
| Physical description | Plate, creamware in Queen's shape, hand-painted in dark pink with Husk swag border and central floral motif |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | WEDGWOOD |
| Gallery label |
|
| Credit line | V&A Wedgwood Collection. Presented by Art Fund with major support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, private donations and a public appeal. |
| Association | |
| Summary | The success of Wedgwood’s Queen’s ware dinner ranges relied on the company’s skilled painters at Etruria accurately copying each of the repeating designs captured in the Wedgwood pattern books (1). In 1770 the noted Anglophile Empress Catherine II of Russia ordered a lavish dinner service with a botanical ‘husk’ pattern in pink, which was painted at Wedgwood’s studio in Chelsea. Wedgwood wrote to Bentley that he ‘trembled as well as you for the Russian service’, aware of the importance of this prestigious commission for future dinnerware sales. It was very unusual for Wedgwood and Bentley – the ‘Ornamental’ partnership – to oversee the decoration of a dinner service rather than the ‘Useful’ partnership run by Wedgwood’s cousin Thomas. The pattern was also requests by King George III. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | WE.8152-2014 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | February 3, 2023 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
