"Limoges" Salt, pattern number M526

Founded in 1759 by ceramic innovator and businessman Josiah Wedgwood I (1730–1795), the Wedgwood company enjoyed great success under his direction and into the early nineteenth century, but the venerable British firm was struggling by the 1840s. The leadership of Francis Wedgwood (1800–1888) and his three sons, Godfrey (1833–1905), Clement (1840–1889), and Lawrence (1844–1913), gradually shifted the pottery’s fortunes in the decades that followed. One key advance was the development of a superior line of majolica – the colorful, lead-glazed earthenware – which Wedgwood introduced in about 1860 and continued to produce until 1918. During the peak years of its production, from 1865 to 1890, the ware formed a substantial percentage of the firm’s output, and by the 1870s, Wedgwood was manufacturing more majolica than any other kind of ornamental pottery.

Although Wedgwood produced a few grand exhibition pieces in the brightly glazed earthenware, it was first and foremost a pioneer in the manufacture of majolica tableware and other household items, which it sold at prices accessible to the growing middle classes. Wedgwood pioneered the creation of whole suites of shapes that shared design commonalities, in effect creating new three-dimensional patterns in majolica that could adorn a variety of tableware items. This salt belongs to one of Wedgwood’s earliest majolica patterns, titled “Limoges.” The use of “Limoges” likely references the Renaissance inspiration of the decoration which uses ram’s heads, scrollwork, and stylized leaves. The French city of Limoges was renowned by the mid-19th century for the Renaissance artists that worked there, who were primarily known for the extraordinary enamelworks they created.

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Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

Collection of Deborah and Philip English, Baltimore, by 2022 [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; given to the Walters Art Museum, 2024.