page_title: Jasperware
section_title: Date markings
hierarchical_section_title: Jasperware / Wedgwood designs / Date markings
caption_attribution_description: English: Round, flaring sides, shaped edges. Lower part of a) covered with “diced” decoration- violet squares with white quatrefoils, and green squares with horizontal ribbing. Upper part has green field, and alternating acanthus leaves and lily plants in white tinged with violet. B) has “diced” decoration and white molded anthemion band.
context_page_description: Jasperware, or jasper ware, is a type of pottery first developed by Josiah Wedgwood in the 1770s. Usually described as stoneware, it has an unglazed matte "biscuit" finish and is produced in a number of different colours, of which the most common and best known is a pale blue that has become known as Wedgwood Blue. Relief decorations in contrasting colours are characteristic of jasperware, giving a cameo effect. The reliefs are produced in moulds and applied to the ware as sprigs.
  After several years of experiments, Wedgwood began to sell jasperware in the late 1770s, at first as small objects, but from the 1780s adding large vases. It was extremely popular, and after a few years many other potters devised their own versions. Wedgwood continued to make it into the 21st century. The decoration was initially in the fashionable Neoclassical style, which was often used in the following centuries, but it could be made to suit other styles. Wedgwood turned to leading artists outside the usual world of Staffordshire pottery for designs.
context_section_description: Wedgwood jasperware can often be dated by the style of potter's marks, although there are exceptions to the rules:
  Before 1860: Mark is "Wedgwood". Usually accompanied by other potter markings and a single letter.
  From 1860 to 1929: A three-letter mark represents in order, the month, the potter, and the year. The year code starts mid-alphabet with the letter "O" for 1860, the letter "P" for 1861, etc., returning to "A" after "Z". For certain letters there are two possible year dates. Unfortunately these date codes were used quite infrequently on jasperware pieces. A single letter is more commonly found during this time period but it is merely a potter's mark and of no consequence for dating the object.
  1891–1908: Marks are "Wedgwood", "England", separated.
  1908–1969: Marks are "Wedgwood", "Made in England", separated, or "Wedgwood England" on small objects like thimbles. After 1929 the typeface of the word "Wedgwood" is changed to sans serif.
  1970–present: Mark is "Wedgwood Made in England" as single stamp
caption: Lilac, white and green cachepot with saucer, 1785–1790, by William Adams & Sons, Staffordshire
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