Hot Water Pitcher c. 1800

This hot water pitcher was made by the Wedgwood manufactory, using a refined type of stoneware called Jasperware. The lavender body of the pitcher is decorated with classical motifs in white relief. Notice the crispness of the figures. This precision was achieved through a mold-making process, requiring enormous skill. The design would have begun with a sculptor, whose work was then translated into plaster and clay. Multiple molds were made, and then assembled like a puzzle. Wedgwood was a master of industrial processes. He carefully calibrated labor, and was among the first to effectively brand his products. Though we often think of ceramics as a humble material, in Wedgwood's hands it became a luxury item. The forms themselves were fashionable, neoclassical in style, alluding to the taste of elites. But what's really fascinating is how Wedgwood managed to fuse those high-end aspirations with an innovative, almost Fordist approach to production. This pitcher is a testament to the complex relationship between craft, design, and the burgeoning market economy.