Antique Wedgwood Cobalt Blue Jasperware Match Box With "Supportive Love" Relief - Late 18th Century

Details

Description

A Museum-Quality Treasure from the Golden Age of English Ceramics
This exceptional rectangular match box represents one of the finest … Read more A Museum-Quality Treasure from the Golden Age of English Ceramics
This exceptional rectangular match box represents one of the finest examples of early Wedgwood jasperware, dating to the late 1700s during the height of Josiah Wedgwood's revolutionary ceramic innovations. The piece showcases the coveted cobalt blue ground with an exquisite white "Supportive Love" relief on the cover—a rare and highly sought-after decorative motif that speaks to the romantic sensibilities of the Georgian era.
Condition & Authenticity
Condition: Excellent used condition with remarkable preservation for its age. No chips, cracks, or repairs—only appropriate age-related wear that speaks to its nearly 250-year history. The interior is unusually clean and well-preserved, a testament to careful stewardship through the centuries.
Provenance: Authentic period piece bearing the impressed "WEDGWOOD" mark in individual letters, along with additional potter's marks characteristic of late 18th-century production. This marking style predates the more standardized later marks, confirming its early provenance.
Dimensions

Base: 3½" × 1¾"
Lid: 3¾" × 2"
Height: 1¼"

Historical Significance & Craftsmanship
This match box represents the pinnacle of Wedgwood's jasperware technique, specifically the coveted "dipped" jasperware process. Unlike solid jasperware (where the entire body is colored), dipped jasperware features a white stoneware body that is dipped in colored jasper slip, creating a thin but durable colored surface. This technique, perfected by Josiah Wedgwood in the 1770s, was both economical and allowed for superior definition in the applied white reliefs.
The dipped jasperware process required extraordinary skill: the white bisque-fired body was dipped into liquid colored jasper slip, then the white sprigged reliefs were applied by hand while the slip was still leather-hard. The entire piece was then fired again, creating the distinctive matte finish and ensuring the reliefs would remain permanently bonded to the colored ground.
About Wedgwood & Jasperware Legacy
Founded by Josiah Wedgwood in 1759, the company revolutionized ceramic production during the Industrial Revolution. Wedgwood's jasperware, introduced in 1775, became the firm's most celebrated achievement—a fine-grained, unglazed stoneware that could be stained throughout or surface-dipped in various colors. The distinctive white reliefs, created using the ancient cameo technique, were individually molded and applied by skilled artisans.
Wedgwood's jasperware quickly became the epitome of neoclassical taste, adorning the finest Georgian homes and earning royal patronage. The "Supportive Love" motif on this match box reflects the era's fascination with classical allegory and romantic symbolism, making functional objects into works of art.
Collectibility & Investment Value
Early Wedgwood jasperware from the late 1700s represents the absolute pinnacle of collectible ceramics. Pieces with rare relief patterns like "Supportive Love" are increasingly scarce, as many were lost to daily use or wartime destruction. The combination of early dating, exceptional condition, and rare decorative motif makes this piece a significant addition to any serious collection of English ceramics or Georgian decorative arts.
This match box would be equally at home in a museum vitrine or as the centerpiece of a discerning collector's cabinet, representing both the artistic achievement of Wedgwood's master craftsmen and the refined taste of Georgian society.

A rare opportunity to acquire a museum-quality example of late 18th-century Wedgwood jasperware—a testament to English ceramic artistry at its finest. See less