c. 1790

Medallion

Jasper ware is an unglazed, fine-grained stoneware perfected by the English potter Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) at the end of 1774 after years of methodical experimentation. The Jasper ware body could be colored throughout, or, as was later the case, dipped in a colored slip. The wares are distinguished by the contrasting applied relief decoration that gives them a cameo-like appearance. Although versions of Jasper ware were produced almost immediately by other factories, the very distinctive decoration has for centuries been largely associated with Wedgwood.