Fuddling Cups

It is a rare day of writing indeed when there is not a cup of tea at my elbow and today is no different. Being a traditional sort, I favour a cup and saucer but nothing quite like the unusual item that has caught my eye today. It is a fuddling cup and believe me, when the fuddling cup appears, merriment is never far away!

http://collections.museumoflondon.org.uk/

These 1766 fuddling cups at first glance appear to be individual vessels but in fact, the cups are connected one another and are used in the commission of a drinking game. The challenge in using the cups is to drink from each without spilling your refreshment of choice and to be victorious, the canny drinker must use each cup in a specific order. Get the pattern wrong and you can be sure that your shirt will be ruined by ale!

Such games can lead to riotous nights for even the most reserved of chaps; my birthday is due very soon, perhaps we will get the fuddling cups out to celebrate...

"Am I Not a Man And a Brother?"

Josiah Wedgwood (Burslem, Staffordshire, England, 12th July 1730 - Etruria, Staffordshire, England, 3rd January 1795)

Many years ago before I threw open my salon doors, I lived for a short time in the beautiful county of Staffordshire. One of the deservedly favourite sons of that area is Josiah Wedgwood, whom we have welcomed before here on these pages. 

The Wedgwood seal

Wedgwood was not only a talented businessman and inspired potter, he was also a passionate political reformer and was dedicated to the abolition of the slave trade. He first learnt of the reality of slavery from his close friend, Thomas Clarkson, and inspired by the abolitionist cause, Wedgwood produced numerous pieces featuring the seal for the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. 

Although Wedgwood popularised this iconic image through mass-production and wide sales, he did not actually design the iconic image and this honour belongs to William Hackwood, a modeller in Wedgwood's Etruria pottery.

Wedgwood sent medallions to Benjamin Franklin and donated several hundred to the Society for Abolition to distribute, and soon the image became a fashionable statement. It was worn in jewellery, embedded in trinkets or even hung on walls and the image was instantly recognisable, a perfect example of where politics and art met in the long 18th century.

Josiah Wedgwood, Queen's Potter

Josiah Wedgwood (Burslem, Staffordshire, England, 12th July 1730 - Etruria, Staffordshire, England, 3rd January 1795)

Josiah Wedgwood by Sir Joshua Reynolds

I shall never forget the night that the Prince of Wales, in his cups and demonstrating a most enthusiastic waltz in the parlour, collided with the eldest of we Gilflurt sisters. The violent collision caused her to drop her tea tray,  resulting in a calamitous loss of mother Gilflurt's finest Wedgwood service. Georgie made it up to both mother and sister in his own way and we still have the country lodge to show for it, but I thought the end of the world was upon us, such a scream did my sister send up.

In recognition of that night and the genius of the potter who created some of the finest works England has ever seen, today we are celebrating the birthday of Josiah Wedgwood, late of Burslem, Staffs.

The son of potter, Thomas Wedgwood, Josiah joined the family business at the age of nine as an apprentice to his elder brother at Churchyard Works. His training was put on hold two years later when the boy was hit with smallpox and had no choice but to take to his bed, where he passed the long hours reading and studying his craft. His return to work was fired by a sense of ambition and inspiration and he moved from Graveyard Works to Fenton Vivian as the partner of Thomas Whieldon, one of the country's most respected potters. Here he enhanced and developed his knowledge of ceramics and glazes, learning skills and techniques which would have a huge influence on his later work.

Wedgwood finally went into business for himself in 1759 and in 1763 patented a cream glaze that caught the eye of the Queen of England, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and she commissioned so much of it that it became known as Queen's Ware, eventually appointing him as Queen's Potter in 1762. Alongside this accolade, Wedgwood's accounts book included names such as Empress Catherine of Russia and his pottery, including innovations such as Jasperware, Creamware and Egyptian Black could soon be seen in the most illustrious houses in England. This brought other opportunities for the ambitious potter and he was heavily involved in planning and construction of the Trent & Mersey Canal, providing invaluable transport links that crossed counties.

Not content with innovations in pottery and transport, Wedgwood's social conscience saw him becoming increasingly fired by political reform and passionately supported the abolition of the slave trade. He produced pieces featuring the seal for the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade embedding the image in the public consciousness. Wedgwood campaigned for abolition until his death and the seal cameo became highly fashionable, with Benjamin Franklin commenting that the power of this simple image was "equal to that of the best written pamphlet". His other reforms included decent, if strict, working conditions in his factories, payment for those who could not work due to illness and worker housing near his newly constructed family home of Etruria Hall.

The Wedgwood seal

In late 1794 Wedgwood's health deteriorated swiftly as he complained of terrible pain in his jaw; within two months the innovative potter was dead, leaving behind a body of work that endures far beyond his life. Sought-after and highly-valued today, Wedgwood's pieces retain an air of timeless, classic style and it is an honour to raise a Jasperware teacup and say, happy birthday, Josiah!

Wedgwood's iconic Jasperware

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

Pen and Sword

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)