Antique Wedgwood creamware dish with hand painted grape border

This attractive 19th‑century Wedgwood creamware dish offers a fine example of the factory’s elegant everyday tablewares. Measuring approximately 25 cm in diameter, the piece is formed with a wide, gently sloping well and a broad, flat rim, giving it a versatile shape suitable for use as a soup, pasta or serving dish. The body is the characteristic warm, pale cream tone associated with Wedgwood’s refined creamware, developed in the late 18th century and continued well into the 19th century.

The rim is decorated with a continuous hand‑painted border of vine leaves and grape clusters, executed in soft brown tones that sit beautifully against the creamy ground. The design is animated by fine tendrils that loop and meander between the bunches of grapes, creating a lively yet harmonious frieze. A narrow painted line encloses the decoration on both sides, adding definition to the border and framing the central well of the dish. The painting style, with its delicate outlining and simple, naturalistic handling of the leaves and fruit, is typical of mid‑ to late‑19th‑century Wedgwood enamel decoration intended for tasteful but practical domestic service.

The underside is plain and unglazed to the outer foot area, in keeping with utilitarian service wares of the period. Impressed to the base is the simple WEDGWOOD mark, partially visible in the photographs. This impressed mark, without additional letters such as “& Co.” or “England”, is consistent with 19th‑century production and supports the dating suggested in the notes. The fabric, glaze and style all correspond to Wedgwood’s higher‑grade creamware rather than later earthenware bodies, giving the dish a pleasing translucency and a smooth, glassy surface when viewed in raking light.

Condition appears generally good for an item of this age that was clearly intended for use. The well shows a scattering of utensil marks and light surface scratches, typical of 19th‑century service pieces that have seen dining‑table use. There are some small firing specks and minor glaze imperfections, which are characteristic of hand‑finished Victorian creamware and attest to its period manufacture. A tiny rim nibble or glaze loss may be present in places, but no major cracks or structural repairs are visible in the images provided. The painted grapevine border remains legible and attractive, with only modest wear to the high points of the enamel.

For collectors of Wedgwood, the dish represents a good example of everyday 19th‑century production that bridges the gap between the firm’s famous jasperware art wares and its more utilitarian ceramics. The classic grape and vine motif is particularly appealing for display in a kitchen, dining room or dresser, where its restrained palette integrates well with both antique and contemporary interiors. It would also make a useful reference piece for students of Victorian table services, as it demonstrates the type of hand‑painted border that could be combined with plainer items to form large mixed dinner or dessert sets.

Because the piece is hand decorated, slight variations in the brushwork and the spacing of the vine motif can be expected and are a positive indicator of its period authenticity. The impressed Wedgwood mark further underlines its origin from one of England’s most important potteries. Overall, this 25 cm creamware dish is a decorative and functional survivor from the 19th century, offering both aesthetic charm and historical interest to the Wedgwood enthusiast or broader ceramics collector.