Sir Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi Wedgwood Plates, Variations on a Geometric Theme,

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Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005) for Wedgwood: "Variations on a Geometric Theme"
A Complete and Boxed Limited Edition Set of Six … Read more Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005) for Wedgwood: "Variations on a Geometric Theme"
A Complete and Boxed Limited Edition Set of Six Bone China Plates, 1971

This rare, complete, and exceptionally preserved set of six bone china plates is a landmark of 20th-century British art and design. It represents a dynamic collaboration between Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, a founding father of the Pop Art movement, and the legendary ceramics manufacturer, Wedgwood. Issued in a highly limited edition of only 200 sets, this collection is a physical manifestation of Paolozzi's career-long exploration of seriality, printmaking, and the blurred line between fine art and industrial craft.

Description and Design
Each of the six plates features a unique, complex, and rhythmic abstract composition. Paolozzi used his signature collage-like approach to create dynamic arrangements of vertical bands, zigzags, stripes, and circular motifs. The bold, graphic patterns are rendered in a striking palette of red, black, and lustrous gold.

Crucially, the decoration was applied using modern screen-printing techniques rather than traditional hand-painting. This allowed the artist to treat the ceramic surface as a new medium for his printmaking investigations, exploring how variations on a theme are affected by the mechanical process. The set is in remarkable original condition, with each plate in its pink slipcover and Wedgwood plastic bag, all housed in the original pink Perspex presentation box.

Historical Background & Context

The Artist: Sir Eduardo Paolozzi was a seminal Scottish artist whose work in sculpture and, most notably, screenprinting in the 1960s, helped define the visual language of Pop Art. His public works, like the celebrated mosaics in London's Tottenham Court Road tube station, are iconic. His interest in the mechanical reproduction of images and the collage aesthetic are central to his entire body of work.


The Collaboration: In the late 1960s, Paolozzi was appointed as a tutor in the Ceramics Department at the Royal College of Art, despite not being a trained potter. His conceptual approach heavily influenced a generation of British ceramic artists. This project with Wedgwood, conceived shortly after his appointment, was a natural extension of his teaching and artistic philosophy. It allowed him to apply his avant-garde printmaking ideas to the precise, industrial production of fine bone china.

Significance and Rarity: As one of only 200 sets produced, this collection is exceptionally rare. Its importance is underscored by the inclusion of sets in major museum collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum (a set given by the artist himself), the Wedgwood Museum, and the National Museum of Scotland. A set was also famously in the collection of H.R.H. The Princess Margaret, cementing its status as a coveted piece of modern design from the moment of its creation.

Details, Condition & Provenance

Condition: Excellent, mint condition. The plates are preserved in their original sleeves and bags. The original Perspex box is intact, with a professional repair to one side panel.

Dimensions: Diameter: 10 1/2 inches (26.8 cm).

Museum Collections: Sets are held by The Victoria & Albert Museum, London (CIRC.512-1972); The Wedgwood Museum; and The National Museum of Scotland.

(Ref: NY9268/CIIR) See less