{HISTORY}

Made by the famed British pottery, Wedgwood in the 1940s, this pair of shallow soup bowls feature an incredibly intricate embossed rim with a bouquet of centerpiece dianthus flowers.

Visually striking in so many ways, these bowls look much older than their already 80-year-old age.  Josiah Wedgwood founded his pottery in 1759 and it quickly became known for its quality craftsmanship and designs. These two bowls look like they could have been made back then, right in the very beginning or shortly thereafter based on their delicate composition and unusual stamp-style design.

But in actuality, these two were made in 1947 and were part of Wedgwood's Wellesley series which included all sorts of interesting embossed patterns paired with various floral bouquets. The Dianthus pattern is one of the harder-to-find variations to find these days.

In the language of flowers, dianthus symbolizes admiration. Was this pattern a little love song dreamed up by Wedgwood to express theirs? Perhaps designed to show admiration for ceramics as an art form? Or admiration for the sheer talent of the skilled Wedgwood craftsmen? Or maybe admiration for the food that would eventually be served in these bowls?  Whatever the case may be, these bowls were meant to be, made to be admired.

Since the well is not very deep, we suspect that these bowls might have been used for combination purposes where either a plate or a bowl would have sufficed when it came to serving. Salads, saucy desserts, light appetizer soups, brothy entrees... these two would have definitely been suited for more petite proportions and delicate compositions.

Light staining and some areas of mild scuffing on the raised embossing areas prove that these were no frail wallflowers tucked away in a sideboard gone unnoticed though. They definitely saw their fair share of engaging table times and have the authentic patina to prove it. Their aesthetic may lean more towards the decorative rather than the functional these days, but it's these flaws that add to their overall visual interest rather than detract. 

Just gorgeous displayed in a glass-paneled hutch or above a hunt board or hanging with ribbons from a picture rail, this pair adds so much dynamic personality to a room. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Matching set of two

- Handpainted dianthus flowers

- Stamped on back with maker's mark, date code, and pattern name

{CONDITION}

Although they contain no chips or cracks, there is some light staining, crazing, and mild scuffing that has affected some of the raised embossing areas on both bowls. Aesthetically, these flaws add to the overall character of the bowls and give them that 19th-century appearance that we discussed above. The floral bouquets are bright, crisp, clear, and beautifully painted.

{SIZE}

Each bowl measures 8.75" inches (diameter) x 1" inch (height) and weighs 13 oz.