{"product_id":"antique-18thc-wedgwood-blue-jasper-portrait-medallion-thomas-bentley-partner","title":"Antique 18thC Wedgwood Blue Jasper Portrait Medallion Thomas Bentley Partner","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn 18th-century Wedgwood solid pale blue jasper oval portrait medallion of \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Bentley\u003c\/strong\u003e, Josiah Wedgwood's partner in the firm of \u003cstrong\u003eWedgwood \u0026amp; Bentley\u003c\/strong\u003e, the white jasper bust in profile with queue and ribbon, titled \"Bentley\" in cursive script and impressed WEDGWOOD to the reverse. Length approximately \u003cstrong\u003e12cm\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJosiah Wedgwood began his series of jasper portrait medallions of \"Illustrious Moderns\" in the 1770s — statesmen, scientists, philosophers, soldiers and royalty, modelled in white jasper relief and applied to a coloured jasper ground. They were sold to be hung in frames or kept in cabinets and are among the most collected of all Wedgwood productions. This is a genuine eighteenth-century example, not one of the later reissues: the character of the solid jasper, the crispness of the relief and the form of the impressed marks are all of the first period, and it comes from a collection formed by a specialist in the field.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBentley (1730–1780), the Liverpool merchant who became Wedgwood's closest friend and business partner from 1769 until his death, was the man of taste behind the ornamental wares — the vases, plaques and portrait medallions — that made the firm's reputation. A portrait of Bentley by the factory he helped to create is one of the most desirable subjects in the whole series for Wedgwood collectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Please see images for condition — the photographs form part of the description and show the front, the relief in raking light, the reverse and any faults. Good condition; no chips, cracks or restoration noted. Old collection label to the reverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the same private collection: each medallion carries a numbered \"Lewis Collection\" label to the reverse, and the group has clearly been assembled by a knowledgeable collector over many years. I am listing the medallions individually.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease note:\u003c\/strong\u003e there are other Wedgwood portrait medallions of the same style and period from this collection for sale in my shop — see my other listings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCarefully packed and dispatched from the UK. International buyers welcome — postage is calculated by the rate table at checkout. Please ask if you would like further photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wedgwood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54578077073692,"sku":"0915-08","price":650.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0677\/4630\/0188\/files\/57_69a98c9e-0794-45c3-95bb-b9e36ec7c185.jpg?v=1789715178","url":"https:\/\/moffitts.co.uk\/products\/antique-18thc-wedgwood-blue-jasper-portrait-medallion-thomas-bentley-partner","provider":"Moffitts Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}