Basalt Intaglios by Wedgwood

Basalt Intaglios? Basalt is lava, right? Those bowls you mix guacamole dip in. Yep! So what’s it got to do with intaglios? We’ll get to that in a minute. First, let’s explain that in geologic terms, basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained, igneous rock. It most commonly is found as a lava flow. It’s usually grey to black in color, but rapidly weathers to brown or rust-red due to oxidation of its iron-rich minerals into hematite and other iron oxides and hydroxides – so much for the technical stuff. Still no connection with intaglios.

Here’s the connection. In way back times (think ancient Egyptian and Grecian times) artisans made a very fine black pottery that was carved into (sound familiar?) or painted on. Quick forward to the mid 18th century to the potteries in middle England in and around Staffordshire. One of the most famous and innovative was that of Josiah Wedgwood.

Around 1766 Wedgwood developed a clay mixture that fired to a black color, more durable and refined than any produced before it. He called it “Basalte”. He initially used it to reproduce the black vases that had been made by the Greeks. He soon discovered that it could be used to mass produce classical designs or even modern carvings of contemporary eminent individuals on small trinkets – basalt intaglios! They became highly prized and were, of course, widely imitated.

Most of the intaglios produced by Wedgwood (Wedgwood & Bentley)  were listed in the 1787 catalog (other catalogs were issued before this).  The catalog was entitled “Wedgwood’s Catalogue of Cameos, Intaglios, Medals, Bas-reliefs, Busts, and Small Statues” and was reprinted in 1873 in a paper edited by Eliza Meteyard.  The intaglios are in Class I, Section II which starts on page 29.

The British Museum has quite a collection (over 80 with photos) of the black basalt intaglios which can be accessed online.  Click on “Related Images” to access the images and information.

There is also an excellent catalog of Wedgwood & Bentley black basalt intaglios (no images) that was published in 1882 entitled, “CATALOGUE of a COLLECTION OF Old Wedgwood Ware. FORMED BY MR. WILLIAM BARTLETT.”  It includes some pieces that have no mark on the back and  a few that are double-sided.  (a couple are shown in the MyI collection below.)

Here are a few MyI examples, several may be Wedgwood imitations – (Hover and click to enlarge image.)