Probably Wedgwood, circa 1770

The design for this exact form appears in "The Queen's Ware Catalogue" published by Wedgwood and Wedgwood, 1774, Catalogue plate 5 design 20. Robin Reilly, WEDGWOOD,(Stockton Press, 1989), notes "six or more are put upon a round dish". We are grateful to Earl L. Buckman, President, Wedgwood International Seminar, for bringing to our attention the note from Reilly regarding the use of "Asparagus Pans".

(please also see Kathy Niblett, "A USEFUL PARTNER-- THOMAS WEDGWOOD 1734-1788, p. 14, PLATE 9 in Northern Ceramic Society Journal, Vol. 5, 1984, printed and bound by George Street Press Limited, Stafford).

By late 1759, Wedgwood had perfected many branches of pottery. In Wedgwood World, Creamware” was now designated "Useful” ware, as opposed to "Ornamental”, a definition later refined to mean anything to do with food preparation or service. Cousin Thomas, from his earliest days still fresh from his apprenticeship, had been enlisted to take charge of it, earning for himself the nickname "Useful Thomas”. This department was in his care until 1788, the year of his death. Never has there been a more market-savvy potter than Josiah Wedgwood, who presented Queen Charlotte with an improved set of creamware. She repaid him with orders for more and more, and by 1765, he was "Potter to the Queen” and his ware became known as Queensware”. Josiah and Thomas together issued a catalog in 1774, dubbed "The Queen's Ware Catalog" , in which 35 objects are illustrated. The owners of the present assemblage used this catalog as a guide to aid them in forming their wonderful collection. (A more expanded catalog, duplicating some of the illustrations but with higher numbers was issued the same year, and Mankowitz has published most of those.) h. It may be significant that the Wedgwoods called it a CATALOG OF THE DIFFERENT ARTICLES OF QUEENSWARE PLATE 1 No 1. opens the Wedgwood & Wedgwood Queens Ware catalog of 1774 with the very definition of a luxury item. To emboss the clay with decorative designs, it had to be pressed into molds while still soft. The unwanted clay had to be trimmed away by hand, and what remained of the framework had to be tough enough to withstand the two fires of manufacture, and two centuries of wear and tear. We wonder if this catalog was intended for the general public at all. If we consider it as the Wedgwood cousins titled it, (literally), "Queens Ware" can be interpreted as "Ware for The Queen” (Queen Charlotte, their most famous patron)

Provenance: Wynn A. Sayman (dealer's sticker); A Distinguished New York Collection of Creamware

Dimensions: Length : 5 1/2 inches

Condition: Examination under UV light reveals no apparent restoration. Very Minor Abrasion and tiny glaze flakes near front edge and on top edge of side approx. 1/2 inch. 1/4 in. shallow chip on underside end of scroll. Interior with 3/8 in. firing crack.