Button c. late 18th century

This small button was made by the Wedgwood Manufactory, using a technique called Jasperware. It involved the creation of unglazed stoneware, usually colored, as we see here with this striking blue background. The effect is achieved by adding metallic oxides to the clay, and then firing it at a high temperature. Notice the crisp white figures on the surface? These are sprigged reliefs, separately molded and applied to the surface before firing. Wedgwood perfected this technique in the late 18th century, and it became hugely popular. It's crucial to remember that Wedgwood was one of the first to fully embrace industrial production. While the techniques are rooted in ceramics, his factory was a model of division of labor, and the buttons like this one were made in vast quantities for a growing consumer market. This button, therefore, embodies the intersection of craft skill, industrial organization, and commercial ambition. It asks us to consider the complex relationship between aesthetics and economics.