Keith Murray Wedgwood Bowl with Modernist Design

A Keith Murray for Wedgwood bowl, with a white matte glaze, and…
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A Keith Murray for Wedgwood bowl, with a white matte glaze, and lathed concentric circles to top and bottom rim. 'Wedgwood of Etruria' mark to base. Chip to foot, height 10 cm, diameter 22 cm. Keith Murray (1892-1981) started working with Wedgwood in the early 1930s. Originally in creamware, his designs were simple, modern, and targeted to middle class consumers; partly a recovery strategy in a time of economic turmoil. While his period with Wedgwood was brief, his modernist design attributes have a long-lasting legacy.

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  • Modernism / Modernist - Modernist furniture and design emerged in the early to mid-20th century as a response to traditional styles of the 19th century and prior times, and a reflection of the technological and social changes of the time. Characteristics of Modernist furniture and design include simplicity and minimalism and clean lines and a lack of unnecessary ornamentation are key features. That form follows function is a fundamental principle of Modernist design, and furniture and objects are designed with a focus on their practical use.

    Modernist furniture often incorporates geometric shapes, such as cubes, rectangles, and circles. This reflects a departure from the more ornate and curvilinear forms of previous design styles. The furniture often prioritizes ergonomic design, ensuring that objects are comfortable and user-friendly. Modernist designers aimed to create designs that could be mass-produced, making good design accessible to a broader population.

    Prominent figures associated with Modernist furniture and object design include designers such as Hans Wegner, Verner Panton, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia and Ettore Sottsass
  • Etruria - The Etruria Works was one of the ceramics factories opened by Josiah Wedgwood in 1769 on the Ridge House Estate in a district of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which he named Etruria. The source of the name was from that given to Greek vases which at that time were thought to be from Etruria in Italy, the source of Etruscan ceramics. The factory ran for 180 years, as part of the wider Wedgwood business.
  • Creamware - Creamware, also known as "Queens Ware" is the

    cream-coloured English earthenware developed by Josiah Wedgwood in the 1760s.

    The invention of creamware was the result of experimentation in order to find a

    British substitute for imported Chinese porcelain, and the cream colour was

    considered a fault at the time. The lightweight fine white earthenware with a

    clean rich yellowish proved ideal for  tableware

    and decorative items during the 18th and 19th centuries and is still produced

    today.



    Creamware is made from a

    mixture of kaolin, feldspar, and ball clay, and is typically glazed before

    firing to give it its glossy finish. It was developed by British potters as a

    cheaper alternative to porcelain.



    At Wedgwood, Royal patronage

    boosted sales. In 1765 Queen Charlotte, the consort of King George III placed

    an order for a 12 place tea set and allowed Wedgwood to use the name

    "Queens Ware" for the line. In 1770 Wedgwood produced a creamware

    dinner service of 952 pieces supplied to Catherine II the Great of Russia.



    Other potteries such as

    Doulton, Neale & Co. and Spode produced smaller quantities of creamware.



    Creamware continued to be

    made throughout the 19th century and later.

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