Wedgwood and Bentley vase - circa 1770

House of Wedgwood and Bentley (1769-1780)
Vase.
Earthenware imitating marble and gilt bronze.
England, circa 1770

This vase bears the earliest mark of the house of Wedgwood and Bentley, following the partnership of Josiah Wedgwood and Thomas Bentley in 1768. It is numbered 350 and corresponds to the models proposed in the catalogues of the factory.

Josiah Wedgwood and Thomas Bentley were among the most innovative minds of their time. They entered the modern world twenty years before most of their peers and combined nostalgia for fantasised ancient times with many innovative techniques. This ensured the success of their work amongst the rising highest middle classes.

This vase is a good example of their great creativity: while it succeeds in imitating stone and metal, it takes up ancient forms and ornaments.