Barlaston mug - 1940
-
Barlaston mug
© Wedgwood Museum
One of the most deceptively simple but nonetheless important commemorative pieces ever designed for Wedgwood was the 1940 Barlaston mug by Eric Ravilious. It was made to celebrate the momentous move of the factory from the over-industrialised Etruria site, to a new location in the garden village of Barlaston.
For over 180 years Wedgwood continued to do business from Etruria in the heart of industrial Staffordshire – but in 1936 Josiah Wedgwood V, took the momentous decision to relocate the works to the garden village of Barlaston in Staffordshire. The creation of the new factory, which had been designed by the architectural practice of CS White and Keith Murray, was a great innovatory leap forward. It was also essential as Etruria was suffering from subsidence. The new factory was opened in 1940 - in the midst of World War Two – and was a move towards the use of new technology Wedgwood - renowned for its commemorative wares - commissioned this deceptively simple but nonetheless important celebratory Barlaston mug from the designer Eric Ravilious. The piece features a head and shoulders portrait of Josiah Wedgwood with impressions of the kilns used to fire ware appearing on either side of the portrait. Their stylised nature points to Ravilious’ background in book illustration.
- Type of object: Ornamental ware/mug
- Mark: WEDGWOOD of ETRURIA & BARLASTON MADE IN ENGLAND [Printed in green] Design by Eric Ravilious [Printed In black]
- Year first produced: 1940
- Body: Bone china
- Glaze: Clear glaze
- Material: Ceramic
- Decoration: Lithographed
- Accession number: 11616
- Dimensions: 103 mm (height), 150 mm (width), 103 mm (diameter)
Other images
Related people
-
Keith Murray
Designer
Keith Murray - Designer
Born in New Zealand, Murray later graduated from the Architecture Association School of Art in London in 1921. Unable to find architectural employment, he turned his attention instead to the design of silver, ceramics and glass. Keith Murray is one of the stars of Wedgwood’s 20th-century design story. First employed on a free lance basis in 1932, three years later, he had designed a number of surface patterns and an enormous range of tableware and ornamental shapes - many of which would remain in production until well into the 1950s. The establishment of Murray’s style signalled the beginning of Modernism and a design renaissance for Wedgwood. Only a few years previously in 1930, the next generation of Wedgwoods had taken the helm with with many new notions of how the business should succeed. Most significantly, the decision had been taken to relocate the entire factory from Etruria to a new green-field site at Barlaston. Keith Murray and his partner, CS White, were invited to be the architects for the challenge. In preparation, Murray and Works Manager, Norman Wilson (also responsible for the glazes which enhanced the modernistic appearance of his work) journeyed around America casting a critical eye over the most up-to-date manufacturing plants. When Murray admired spacial features, Wilson demanded to know what manufacturing equipment would economically fit the space. Finally, the building was complete – ultra-modern, all-electric, concrete-clad and with all the facilities required for a healthy working life in the pottery industry. Murray and Josiah V had developed such a close relationship that each became godfather to the other’s child and Murray was almost accepted as an honorary Wedgwood. The experience taught Murray much about the social obligations of architecture. In the late 1940s, in collaboration with various others, he went on to specialise in the construction of airport, commercial and industrial architecture.
-
Eric Ravilious
Designer
Eric Ravilious - Designer
Eric William Ravilious was born in west London and trained at the Eastbourne School of Art, winning a scholarship to the Royal College in 1922. He studied engraving, illustration, colour printing and mural painting. Ravilious was introduced to Tom Wedgwood in about 1935 by Lady Cecilia Sempill, and worked for the Wedgwood firm between 1936 and 1940. His first design to go into production was the commemorative mug originally produced for the Coronation of Edward VIII, and adapted for that of George VI in 1937. His work for Wedgwood not only included these designs for commemorative wares, but also incorporated patterns for dinner and tea ware, lemonade sets and nurseryware. Because of wartime restrictions on the production of decorated ware, many of his designs were not put into production in any quantities until the 1950s. In 1940, Ravilious was made an Official War Artist, but was lost on active service in 1942. His designs for Wedgwood included 'Afternoon Tea', engraved in 1937. 'Garden' designed about 1939 and put into production during the 1950s. 'Persephone' designed around 1938 and 'Travel' pattern, designed about 1937.
Glossary
-
Bone china
Bone china
A porcelain made from clay and feldspathic rock with the addition of about 50 percent of calcined animal bone. Josiah Wedgwood II introduced bone china at the Wedgwood Etruria factory in 1812.
Themes
-
Wedgwood and artists
- 7 objects
- Go
