324 



THE WEDGWOODS. 



attempt had at first been made to preclude the very useful 

 body of manufacturers of earthenware from making any use 

 of." 



I have already given , in a former chapter, an engraving, 

 re-introduced on the preceding page, of a fine group of jasper 

 vases belonging to Mr. Hall, and have spoken of the peculiar 

 properties and beauties of that material. It will only be 

 necessary to add to those examples of vases one whose date 

 is well authenticated. The vase shown on the accompanying 

 engraving belongs to Mr. Benson Rath- 

 bone, of Liverpool, who is the fortunate 

 possessor of many beautiful examples of 

 fictile art, among which is an interesting 

 Queen's ware jelly mould, with centre or 

 core painted with groups of flowers, so as 

 to be seen through the transparent jelly. 

 This remarkably interesting piece is 

 marked WEDGWOOD in large capitals 

 on the centre or core, and on the mould 

 the same name in smaller capitals, with 

 the figures 10. A similar one may be 

 seen in Mr. Mayer's museum. The vase 

 here engraved, which is twelve inches in 

 height, was purchased at Etruria by Mr. 

 Reynolds, of Bristol, in 1785-6, as a wedding present to 

 the grandmother of its present owner. In Mr. Rathbone's 

 possession, among other highly interesting examples, is also 

 a charming flower-vase, of a later period, formed of blue 

 and white perpendicular bands, interlaced with plaits of 

 straw. 



The next engraving is a representation of an elegant 

 example of Wedgwood ware, but of a larger and more 

 costly kind. It is a simple but very chaste dejeune service, 

 belonging to the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., Her 

 Majesty's Chancellor of the Exchequer, to whom I have 

 pleasure in expressing my obligations for the use of his 

 collection, and for other acts of kindly courtesy. Of this 



