| Wedgwood Crimson Jasperware Pitcher. M.S. Rau. |
Jasperware is a niche of industrial ceramic history that has long attracted superfans. In the 19th century, for instance, Victorian collector Felix Joseph clocked up some 1,400 pieces, from buttons to perfume bottles, which are now in the hands of the Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery. “For people who love neoclassical things, there’s little better than Wedgwood Jasper,” says Bill Rau, owner of New Orleans antiques dealer MS Rau. The anniversary serves to remind collectors of the richness of the back catalogue.
For many, the original Portland vase remains the pinnacle of Josiah Wedgwood’s prowess. When Sotheby’s New York offered a late-18th-century version as part of the Starr Collection in 2019, it fetched $35,000 over a $5,000 to $7,000 estimate. First editions from the original batch, identifiable by the slight translucency of the relief and the smoothness of the surface, command a premium; a blue version at MS Rau is priced at $168,500.
