{"product_id":"wedgwood-black-basalt-portrait-medallion-no-32-george-i-kings-of-england-c-1800","title":"Wedgwood Black Basalt Portrait Medallion No.32 George I Kings of England c.1800","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis finely modelled oval portrait medallion is an authentic example of Wedgwood's celebrated 'Kings of England' series, produced in the firm's distinctive black basalt body around 1800. The medallion is impressed with the maker's name \u003cstrong\u003eWEDGWOOD\u003c\/strong\u003e to the reverse and bears the series number \u003cstrong\u003e32\u003c\/strong\u003e, identifying its place within the original sequence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 'Kings of England in high relief, including their present Majesties' was first advertised in Wedgwood's 1779 London showroom catalogue. Originally intended as a set of thirty-six medallions covering the English monarchs, the pieces could be purchased as a complete set or individually, and assembled groups are now considered highly collectable in their own right. The standard reference for the series is Robin Reilly's \u003cem\u003eWedgwood\u003c\/em\u003e (1998), Vol. 1, p. 478, fig. 685.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe portrait depicts \u003cstrong\u003eGeorge I (reigned 1714–1727)\u003c\/strong\u003e. George I, the first Hanoverian king, came to the throne under the terms of the Act of Settlement of 1701, which excluded Catholic claimants. Born in Hanover and never fully fluent in English, he relied heavily on his ministers, particularly Sir Robert Walpole, who effectively became Britain's first Prime Minister. His reign saw the failed Jacobite Rising of 1715 and the financial catastrophe of the South Sea Bubble in 1720.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe medallion is sharply modelled in low relief on a smooth oval ground, retaining excellent definition to the features. Wedgwood's black basalt — a refined fine-grained stoneware introduced by Josiah Wedgwood in 1768 — provides a deeply rich and uniform surface, ideally suited to portrait work in the antique manner. Such pieces were prized in the late Georgian and Regency periods as small but serious works of art, designed to be displayed singly in cabinets, set into furniture, or grouped in framed arrangements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMeasuring approximately 4.5 x 4cm, the piece is in very good condition commensurate with its age, with no chips, cracks, or restoration. Light surface wear is consistent with two centuries of careful handling and display. The reverse displays the impressed series number and the single-word \u003cstrong\u003eWEDGWOOD\u003c\/strong\u003e mark — without the addition of \u003cem\u003eBentley\u003c\/em\u003e — confirming production after 1780, following the dissolution of the Wedgwood and Bentley partnership.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eProvenance: from the estate of the late Geoffrey and Gina Oxborrow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAn attractive and historically significant piece for collectors of Wedgwood, English ceramics, royal commemorative material, or the late Georgian period. Will be carefully packed and dispatched fully tracked and insured.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Moffitts Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54098848186652,"sku":null,"price":76.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0677\/4630\/0188\/files\/57_1e01d7b4-2817-489e-a34c-2d4c02dddc2d.jpg?v=1778179641","url":"https:\/\/moffitts.co.uk\/products\/wedgwood-black-basalt-portrait-medallion-no-32-george-i-kings-of-england-c-1800","provider":"Moffitts Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}