Antique 18thC Wedgwood Blue Jasper Portrait Medallion Thomas Byerley Impressed

An 18th-century Wedgwood solid pale blue jasper oval portrait medallion, the white jasper bust of an older man in profile with coat and stock, impressed WEDGWOOD / BYERLEY to the reverse. Length approximately 11cm.

Josiah 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.

The title identifies the sitter as Thomas Byerley (1747–1810), Josiah Wedgwood's nephew, who managed the firm's London showrooms and became a partner in Wedgwood, Sons & Byerley on Josiah's death in 1795. Portraits of the Wedgwood family and partners are seldom seen on the market and are keenly sought by Wedgwood collectors.

Condition: 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.

From 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.

Please note: there are other Wedgwood portrait medallions of the same style and period from this collection for sale in my shop — see my other listings.

Carefully 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.