Five-fingered quintal bud vase - Post-1980
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Five-fingered quintal bud vase
© Wedgwood Museum
This five-fingered quintal bud vase or posy holder is of a traditional shape. Made from Queen's ware the vase is a post-1980 object which has been made on behalf of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Virginia, USA. Since the 1980s Wedgwood has been the main supplier of ceramics to Williamsburg for their own retail purposes.
This five-fingered quintal bud vase or posy holder is of a traditional shape. Made from Queen's ware the vase is a post-1980 object which has been made on behalf of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Virginia, USA. Since the 1980s Wedgwood has been the main supplier of ceramics to Williamsburg for their own retail purposes. The five-fingered vase form originated on the continent and was especially popular in the Netherlands. The form was adopted by a number of English pottery manufacturers throughout the last quarter of the 18th century. When Wedgwood started producing them is unknown, but it is likely to be 1770-1795.
- Type of object: Ornamental ware/vase
- Mark: WILLIAMSBURG
POSY HOLDER
WILLIAMSBURG
RESTORATION
4
CW
XX
(In an oval device)
WEDGWOOD®
of ETRURIA
& BARLASTON
MADE IN
ENGLAND
WILLIAMSBURG and (Oval device and contents)
are trade marks of
Williamsburg Restoration Inc
[Printed in black]
WEDGWOOD
[Impressed]
- Year produced: Post-1980
- Body: Queen's ware, cream-coloured earthenware
- Glaze: cream
- Material: ceramic
- Decoration: moulded
- Accession number: 12094
- Dimensions: 195 mm (height), 230 mm (width), 65 mm (depth)
Other images
Glossary
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Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Williamsburg was the capital of the Virginia colony and was a cultural and political centre, ranking in its day with Philadelphia, Boston and New York. It was the scene of George Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights and also the May 15th 1776, Resolution for Independence which lead directly to the historic July 4th declaration. In 1780 the state government transferred to Richmond and Williamsburg entered a decline. In 1926 restoration of the site to its 18th century appearance started under the sponsorship of John D. Rockefeller Jnr. Colonial Williamsburg, as it is now known, is now a recreated historical site which is especially meant to bring about understanding of past lives and pursuits of 18th century Americans. Whilst the site of Colonial Williamsburg was being excavated prior to its reconstruction, many fragments of ceramic pieces were located. These included not only early salt-glazed wares but also pineapple and cauliflower wares, and later a number of fragments of patterns which had their origins in the early 19th century Wedgwood factory shapes and pattern books. In later years - in particular during the 1980s - a number of these designs were reproduced under the collective title of ‘The Williamsburg Collection’, and these included ‘Chinese Tigers’, ‘Cuckoo’, ‘Chinese Flowers’, and ‘Colonial Sprays’.
A number of other shapes and forms have been produced for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation over the last few decades - these have included reproductions of the salt-glazed Cornucopia which feature the Goddess, ‘Flora’, as well as a range of gift ware of individual forms and designs. The purpose of supplying wares exhibiting the ‘Williamsburg’ backstamp was - in Colonial Williamsburg’s own words - to ‘enhance the product itself’ and to ‘add prestige to the Williamsburg brand’.
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Queen’s ware
Queen’s ware
In 1765 Wedgwood provided a tea and coffee service to Her Majesty Queen Charlotte (wife of George III) in the new earthenware body he had recently perfected. She was so pleased with the set that she not only allowed Josiah to style himself ‘Potter to Her Majesty’, she also allowed him to call his new earthenware ‘Queen’s ware’ - a name by which Wedgwood’s cream coloured earthenware is still known today.
