An Aesthetic Rebellion

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Today is the first Saturday of October, and where I live it is getting cold now. Mornings are dark, and we are all cozying up in the evening to hide from the wind and the rain. It is the beginning of a season of cozy dinners, and I will bring out a dinner or dessert service each Saturday in the coming period.

I've also heard some sighs at the price of some of these... well yes, I have quite a few in my collection that I personally would not be able to afford! However, to suit every budget, I will also be mixing in some less pricey items.

Today a beautiful Wedgwood dessert service made between 1878 and 1891 in the Aesthetic Movement style. This style was a rebellion against the overly opulent Victorian style, and it was all back to nature and simplicity.

Coalport "Japanese Grove" tea service, 1880s

One of the rules of this design style was that depictions of nature should be "one-dimensional", meaning that nature is central to the design (not serving to show off one's wealth and sophistication), but we can never imitate it, so it should be depicted very simply. You can see this here: cheerful and simple apple blossoms in underglaze blue, with the background painted in gilt on top of the glaze. Simple, yet very sophisticated nevertheless!

You might remember the Coalport "Japanese Grove" tea service from a while ago (see picture here) - that was done in the same technique.

You can find it here in my shop... and if you always want to see the latest, follow my instagram feed... I post pictures and stories every single day.

Enjoy your weekend!