For the Love of Jasperware

My obsession with Wedgwood Jasperware started a few years back when I saw these candlesticks in a client's apartment. While I had seen Jasperware many times before, I was now deeply in love.

On a trip to London last March, I attempted to find some of this red Jasperware to make my own, but quickly realized this was not to be. Upon asking a dealer if he had in his tiny, Wedgwood-packed stall, any red Jasperware, he replied, in his most proper British accent, "You MUST be joking!" He went on to chastise me for calling it "red" rather than "crimson" and told me that, due to the difficulty in manufacturing it, it is one of the rarest Jasperware colors. Other than the obvious disappointment of not finding what I came for, this ridiculous exchange was one of the highlights of the trip. Another highlight was the cameo above, which I purchased from an adorable couple who gave me a thorough lesson on the origins and manufacture of Jasperware. I turned it into a pendant with some findings from Metaliferous, and it is my favorite purchase ever!

Earlier this week, Architect Design posted his lovely collection of blue and white Wedgwood Jasperware, sending me, once again, on a Jasperware quest. I am determined to start a collection, so every few months I scour ebay and antiques dealers' sites searching for something to buy. I am drawn to the more unusual colors, putting the pieces I love well above my price range. Alas, I never actually go through with it, and my current "collection" remains the one cameo.

Yesterday on Charles Darwin's 200th birthday, I learned (from Diamond Geezer) that Darwin's legendary voyage may not have happened with out financial help from Josiah Wedgwood. Sadly, this historic company is in dire straits right now. If Wedgwood doesn't get bought out of bankruptcy soon, who knows how high prices would go for collectable pieces. I'd better get to work on that collection.