1880 Wedgwood Co Asiatic Pheasants Blue Transferware Covered Tureen Platter Set For Sale

1880 Era Wedgwood Co Asiatic Pheasants Blue Transferware Covered 3 Piece Tureen Platter Set

Size 9.3/8” x 12” widest point x 5.75” to top of handle.

Comprehensive Condition Report

This set is an authentic, 140+ year-old Victorian antique. It is in very good historical condition but does show characteristic signs of age:

* **Structural:** Excellent structural integrity. Free from structural cracks, large chips, appears to have restoration on bottom of platter. The lid rests squarely and comfortably inside the basin flange.

* **Glaze & Crazing:** Exhibits a widespread, tight network of clear glaze crazing across all pieces, which is completely expected for late-19th-century earthenware.

* **Discoloration:** Shows minor, localized light brown "tea staining" or oxidation spots from age, localized mainly around the inner rim lips, handles, and underside base ring.

* *Please inspect our high-resolution photos closely, as they serve as the ultimate visual guide to the condition of this antique.*

This historic set features the legendary **Asiatic Pheasants** pattern, manufactured in Tunstall, Staffordshire, England by **Wedgwood & Co** (the highly regarded, independent pottery operated by Enoch Wedgwood, distinct from Josiah Wedgwood & Sons).

Wedgwood & Co is entirely separate from the world-famous Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd (makers of Jasperware). Instead, this company represents a highly successful independent branch of the extended Wedgwood family tree that carved out its own massive global market in durable, everyday ironstone.

1. The Founder: Enoch Wedgwood (1860)The story begins with Enoch Wedgwood (1813–1879), a distant cousin of the famous Josiah Wedgwood. Enoch was an ambitious potter who became a partner in the firm Podmore, Walker & Co in the 1830s.When the senior partners passed away or retired, Enoch took complete control of the company’s Unicorn Pottery and Pinnox Works in Tunstall, Staffordshire. In 1860, he renamed the firm Wedgwood & Co, bringing his younger brother, Jabez, into the business.

2. The Success and Global Trade Enoch Wedgwood realized that while Josiah Wedgwood targeted aristocrats with expensive art pottery, there was an enormous, untapped global middle class that needed durable, attractive, and affordable dinnerware.Durable Ironstone: Wedgwood & Co specialized in heavy ironstone and semi-porcelain. It was tough enough to withstand daily use but could be decorated beautifully using transferware printing.Export Boom: The company became a massive exporter. Huge quantities of their dinnerware—including your "Asiatic Pheasants" pattern—were shipped to the United States, Canada, Australia, and across Europe.

3. The "Asiatic Pheasants" Marketing WarThe banner on your tureen reads: "The Original Manufacturers of Asiatic Pheasants." This text reveals a fierce, petty 19th-century marketing battle.The "Asiatic Pheasants" pattern was actually introduced around 1850 by Ralph Hall or by Enoch’s earlier partnership, Podmore, Walker & Co. However, as the pattern became the absolute best-selling transferware design of the Victorian era, dozens of rival Staffordshire potteries started copying it. To protect his profits, Enoch slapped "The Original Manufacturers" onto his backstamp to convince buyers that his pottery was the only authentic source for the beloved pattern.

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