Antique Wedgwood Black Basalt Engine Turned Vase c.1923, 10cm

This small antique Wedgwood vessel is a fine example of the firm’s black basalt wares, date-inscribed 18.6.23 to the base. Standing approximately 10cm high, the piece has been made in a tapering cylindrical form rising from a shallow, rounded foot and flaring gently to a straight rim. The body has been decorated in the classical Wedgwood manner with crisply defined engine-turned bands, giving the surface a refined architectural rhythm.

The upper section is encircled by a finely moulded frieze of upright stylised leaf motifs, echoing acanthus or palmette ornament found on neoclassical metalwork and stone carving. Beneath this runs a narrow beaded band which acts as a visual dividing line before the central register of vertical fluting. These long, closely spaced flutes are not cut by hand but produced by engine turning, a lathe-based technique which Wedgwood adopted to give basalt and jasper pieces the precision of turned wood or metal. A second, slimmer beaded line separates the fluting from the lower plain zone, which is left undecorated to emphasise the purity of the form and the deep matte black of the basalt body.

The material is Wedgwood’s dense black basalt stoneware, developed in the late 18th century as a high‑fired, unglazed ceramic intended to emulate antique Etruscan and Roman wares as well as contemporary black basalt teawares and vases in bronze. Here the surface has a smooth, satin feel with a soft sheen that picks up light on the raised details of the leaf frieze and flutes. The interior shows signs of practical use as a candle holder, with remnants of red wax adhering to the walls and base; this use has not compromised the structural integrity of the piece but should be noted by collectors.

Condition is generally good for an early 20th‑century basalt piece that has seen everyday handling. There is a small chip to the rim, visible in the photographs, together with a fine hairline running down one side. The hairline appears stable but should be treated gently; it does not obviously detract from the overall display when the vase is viewed front-on. Minor surface scuffs, tiny pinpricks and specks of wear are present to the body and footrim, consistent with age and use. The engine-turned decoration and moulded ornament remain sharp and well defined.

The underside is neatly finished and clearly impressed WEDGWOOD, confirming manufacture at the famous Staffordshire factory. Above the factory mark is an incised personal inscription, “S.M.P. 18.6.23.”, almost certainly commemorating a date in June 1923 and suggesting that this piece was given as a gift or presentation item. Such dated and initialled examples offer valuable documentary interest, linking Wedgwood’s long classical tradition with an exact moment in the early 20th century.

Although it has recently been used as a candle holder, the form is equally suited to display as a small vase for a few stems, or simply as a decorative object in a cabinet of basalt and jasperware. Its restrained profile, neoclassical ornament and deep black colour allow it to sit comfortably alongside both Georgian and modern interiors. For the collector of Wedgwood basalt, engine-turned wares or personalised, date-inscribed pieces, this is an attractive and evocative example that combines historic material, elegant design and clear factory marking.