Wedgwood, Circa 1780

The basket having a dome top with large daisy finials and the domes are almost entirely pierced, held together by arcing and intersecting strips of relief-molded clay; a band of open ovals circles the bottom rim; a shallow dish supports the dome, its flattened rim pierced with T shapes alternating up or down. Design illustrated in "The Queen's Ware Catalogue" published by Wedgwood and Wedgwood, 1774. Catalogue plate 6. no 21. (see Kathy Niblett, "A USEFUL PARTNER-- THOMAS WEDGWOOD 1734-1788, p. 14, PLATE 9 in Northern Ceramic Society Journal, Vol. 5, 1984, Printed and bound by George Street Press Limited, Fancy Walk, Stafford) MARKS: underside of dish impressed "WEDGWOOD" and small impressed circle at center.



Robin Reilly, in his two volume masterpiece research work WEDGWOOD,(Stockton Press, 1989), refers to this type of covered dish as a "croquant" or Sweetmeat Dish / National Liverpool Museums' website says"This type of openwork cover is known as a croquant and it would have been used during the dessert service. It would have been placed over a dish of sweetmeats. Sometimes, covers like this would have been made from confectioners paste or spun sugar. A Wedgwood croquant could be used many times and still look attractive.' Note: the prior info kindly provided to us courtesy Earl L. Buckman, Pres., Wedgwood International Seminar.

Wedgwood and Thomas Wedgwood issued a catalog in 1774, dubbed the Wedgwood and Wedgwood Queensware catalog in the ceramic literature, in which some 35 objects are illustrated, ranging from small and utilitarian to large and unbelievably intricate. A more expanded catalog with higher numbers was issued the same year, and Mankowitz has published most of those.This particular piece appears in the Wedgwood and Wedgwood Queensware catalog of 1774, Plate 6 design 21 as "Croquant or Sweetmeat Dish"

Provenance: A Distinguished New York Collection of Creamware

Dimensions: Plate Diam.:8 5/8 Inches

Appears to have no damage or repairs. The underside of finial revealing a firing crack appx. 1/4 in. long. The tray with an 1/8 in. glaze flake on top edge of rim.