{"id":447136,"date":"2024-12-18T12:57:54","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T18:57:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/?p=447136"},"modified":"2024-12-18T14:16:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T20:16:50","slug":"josiah-wedgwood-trial-trays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2024\/12\/josiah-wedgwood-trial-trays\/","title":{"rendered":"Thousands of Josiah Wedgwood&#8217;s Glazed Ceramic Samples Paved the Way for 18th-Century Ingenuity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1631\" height=\"1911\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a tray of various shapes of ceramic pieces glazed with different colors\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-1.jpg 1631w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-1-640x750.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-1-960x1125.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-1-768x900.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-1-1311x1536.jpg 1311w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1631px) 100vw, 1631px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jasperware trials, mounted on a wooden tray. All images courtesy of the V&#038;A Wedgwood Collection, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-2 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Thousands of Josiah Wedgwood&#8217;s Glazed Ceramic Samples Paved the Way for 18th-Century Ingenuity<\/h1>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2024-12-18T12:57:54-06:00\">December 18, 2024<\/time><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-craft\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/craft\/\" rel=\"tag\">Craft<\/a><a class=\"category-design\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/design\/\" rel=\"tag\">Design<\/a><a class=\"category-history\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/history\/\" rel=\"tag\">History<\/a><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-3 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\"><li style=\"color: #1c1e0d; 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\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"mailto:?subject=Thousands%20of%20Josiah%20Wedgwood%27s%20Glazed%20Ceramic%20Samples%20Paved%20the%20Way%20for%2018th-Century%20Ingenuity&#038;body=Thousands%20of%20Josiah%20Wedgwood%27s%20Glazed%20Ceramic%20Samples%20Paved%20the%20Way%20for%2018th-Century%20Ingenuity%20&mdash;%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2024%2F12%2Fjosiah-wedgwood-trial-trays%2F\" aria-label=\"Email\"  class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\">\n\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M20,4H4C2.895,4,2,4.895,2,6v12c0,1.105,0.895,2,2,2h16c1.105,0,2-0.895,2-2V6C22,4.895,21.105,4,20,4z M20,8.236l-8,4.882 L4,8.236V6h16V8.236z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \">\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"447136\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\" style=\"\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\" style=\"\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1759, Staffordshire potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) founded a ceramics company that achieved global recognition and continues production today. He soared to success as a leader of industrialized pottery in Europe, tapping into a renewed 18th-century vogue for classical forms in home decor and tableware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A meticulous studier of current trends and materials, &#8220;Wedgwood conducted thousands of experiments to perfect his unique clays and glazes,&#8221; says the Victoria and Albert Museum, which stewards more than 175,000 works of art, ceramics, manuscripts, and photographs in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/wedgwood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">V&amp;A Wedgwood Collection<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-2-960x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a tray of various shapes of ceramic pieces glazed with different colors\" class=\"wp-image-447138\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-2-960x1200.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-2-640x800.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-2-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-2-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-2-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-2.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tray of Clay and Jasper Trials, ceramic, Etruria (1773)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once he streamlined factory production, Wedgwood turned his eye to marketing and is credited with pioneering some of the retail promotions and strategies we take for granted now, like\u00a0illustrated catalogues, direct mail orders,\u00a0money-back guarantees,\u00a0self-service, buy-one-get-one, and free delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The company was known for its earthenware and stoneware, which could emulate porcelain while being cheaper to manufacture. Some of Wedgwood&#8217;s original contributions to the world of ceramics include green glaze,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Creamware\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">creamware<\/a>, black basalt, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jasperware\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">jasperware<\/a>, which were in high demand and often copied by competitors. Early examples fetch thousands of dollars today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jasperware is considered one of the designer&#8217;s most notable contributions to ceramics. Its matte, &#8220;biscuit&#8221; finish came in a variety of colors, but most popular was a strikingly pale blue\u2014known as Wedgwood blue\u2014decorated with white, cameo-like reliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wedgwood created around 5,000 trial pieces in the process of perfecting creamware, and nearly 3,000 individual trials were required to innovate jasperware. Numerous trays of the samples are preserved by the V&amp;A, illustrating Josiah&#8217;s painstaking attention to detail and his approach to protecting intellectual property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-3-960x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a tray of various shapes of ceramic pieces glazed with different colors\" class=\"wp-image-447139\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-3-960x1200.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-3-640x800.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-3-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-3-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-3-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-3.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tray of colored body and glaze trials, ceramic, Etruria (1760-1765)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Each piece features a number that corresponds to an entry in an experiment book, housed in the V&amp;A Wedgwood Collection archive,&#8221; the V&amp;A says. &#8220;Josiah wrote his experiments in secret code because of the risk of industrial espionage.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many trial trays were found in Wedgwood&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Etruria_Works\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Etruria<\/a> factory and are now on display at the V&amp;A as part of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldofwedgwood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">World of Wedgwood<\/a> in Stoke-on-Trent, where Wedgwood brand pottery is still produced. Visitors can check out the creative studios, factory, a tea room, and shops, but if you can&#8217;t get there in person, you can always explore thousands of objects <a href=\"https:\/\/collections.vam.ac.uk\/context\/organisation\/A1450\/josiah-wedgwood-and-sons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-5-960x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a tray of various shapes of ceramic pieces glazed with different colors\" class=\"wp-image-447141\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-5-960x1200.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-5-640x800.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-5-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-5-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-5-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-5.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tray of Jasper trials, Jasperware, Etruria (1773)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-7-960x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a tray of various shapes of ceramic pieces glazed with different colors\" class=\"wp-image-447143\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-7-960x1200.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-7-640x800.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-7-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-7-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-7-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-7.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trial tray, underglaze blue and green enamels on ceramic, Etruria (1760-1765)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-6-960x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a tray of various shapes of ceramic pieces glazed with different colors\" class=\"wp-image-447142\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-6-960x1200.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-6-640x800.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-6-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-6-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-6-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-6.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tray of white Jasper trials, Jasperware, Etruria (1773)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-4-960x1200.jpg\" alt=\"a tray of various shapes of ceramic pieces glazed with different colors\" class=\"wp-image-447140\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-4-960x1200.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-4-640x800.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-4-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-4-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-4-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/wedgwood-4-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tray of colored glazes on colored clay bodies trials, Etruria (1760-1765)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The pioneering entrepreneur wrote his experiments in secret code in an attempt to evade industrial espionage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2306,"featured_media":447137,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1312,494,1320],"tags":[1529,37,532,1816,697,3594,1290],"class_list":["post-447136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-craft","category-design","category-history","tag-art-history","tag-ceramics","tag-color","tag-color-theory","tag-england","tag-josiah-wedgwood","tag-pottery"],"acf":{"acf_sponsor_post":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Thousands of Josiah Wedgwood&#039;s Glazed Ceramic Samples Paved the Way for 18th-Century Ingenuity &#8212; Colossal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Josiah Wedgwood conducted thousands of 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