Wedgwood Porcelain Plaques of Ships- the Clipper Ship, Great Republic & Clipper Ship Hurricane

Details

Description

Under Full Sail: Wedgwood Porcelain Plaques of Clipper Ships
________________________________________

This is a handsome pair of framed Wedgwood Porcelain Plaques … Read more Under Full Sail: Wedgwood Porcelain Plaques of Clipper Ships
________________________________________

This is a handsome pair of framed Wedgwood Porcelain Plaques from a limited-edition series, commemorating two of the most famous sailing vessels of the 19th century: the Clipper Ship Great Republic and the Clipper Ship Hurricane.
The plaques feature high-quality reproductions of classic maritime paintings, creating decorative and historically resonant images:

• Plaque 1: Clipper Ship Great Republic Depicts the impressive vessel under full sail on heavy seas, reproduced from an original painting by Skillet (likely a variant or misspelling of the original artist, but named as such on the plaque).
•
• Plaque 2: Clipper Ship Hurricane Depicts the ship surrounded by choppy seas and other vessels, reproduced from a famous original painting by the renowned American marine artist James E. Buttersworth (1817–1894).

The plaques are set within simple, complementary wooden frames and include a small gilt-brass plaque engraved with the ship’s name.

• Manufacturer: Wedgwood (Etruria & Barlaston Works, England)
• Subject: Famous 19th Century Clipper Ships
• Date: circa 1976–1981 (Modern Limited Edition)
• Medium: Transfer-Printed Porcelain Plaque, Reproduction of Original Oil Paintings
• Dimensions (Overall): 9 3/4 inches High x 12 1/4 inches Wide

Marking & Attribution
The reverse of each plaque is clearly marked, providing provenance and details of the limited-edition status:

• Factory Mark: "Wedgwood of Etruria & Barlaston / Made in England." (This mark was used after the company consolidated operations at its new Barlaston factory, built in the late 1930s/early 1940s).

• Source Citation: Full printed credit is given for the original artwork, noting reproduction "with the permission of the Peabody Museum" (now the Peabody Essex Museum, a leading maritime institution), confirming the high-quality source of the images.

Historical Context: Maritime Nostalgia and Clipper Ships

These plaques appeal directly to the romance of the great sailing era, which peaked in the mid-19th century.

• The Clipper Ship Era: Clipper ships were the fastest sailing vessels ever built, designed for high-speed transport of precious cargo during the gold rush and tea trade (c. 1840s–1860s).

o The Great Republic (1853), designed by Donald McKay, was the largest wooden ship ever built when launched.

o The Hurricane (1851) was known for setting exceptional speed records, a feat often immortalized by marine painters like James E. Buttersworth.

• Collectible Reproductions: By the mid-20th century, Wedgwood leveraged its reputation for quality by producing limited-edition commemorative series. These plaques celebrate a glorious chapter in maritime history, translating classic 19th-century oil paintings onto porcelain for collectors of both fine Wedgwood and naval history.

References
• Manufacturer Archives: Wedgwood factory marks for the Etruria & Barlaston period (post-1940).
• Peabody Museum / Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) Collections: The institution's renowned maritime art collection holds the original paintings or prints used for these commercial reproductions, validating their historical source.
• Marine Art History: Works by James E. Buttersworth, one of the foremost 19th-century painters of American and British shipping.

(Ref: NY9729A-icr) See less