Dish 1765 - 1788

This creamware dish was made by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons. It beautifully shows how industrial processes can mimic handcraft. Wedgwood perfected ceramic production on a mass scale. This involved a division of labor, with each worker responsible for a small step in the process. Here, a refined, white earthenware body is cast in a mold to produce the basket-weave pattern. It would have taken considerable skill to get the liquid clay into all the nooks and crannies of this mold. The pierced rim is made using a separate mold. The smooth, even surface is the result of firing and glazing. The factory system allowed Wedgwood to produce large quantities of ware that looked hand-made. By integrating manufacturing with design and marketing, Wedgwood blurred the lines between art, craft, and industry, and in the process, made a fortune. Examining pieces like this allows us to reflect on the labor and industrial strategies that underpin their creation.