Cameo with Head of a Woman
Late 18th century
Medium
Stoneware (jasperware)
Dimensions
4.9 × 4.8 cm (1 15/16 × 1 7/8 in.)
Classification
cameo (sculpture)
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
67943
Art Historical Context
This delicate cameo, crafted by the Wedgwood Manufactory in the late 18th century, exemplifies the refined elegance of Neoclassical design. Measuring just under two inches across, the small stoneware piece features a profile portrait of a woman rendered in the signature jasperware technique—a matte, unglazed ceramic developed by Josiah Wedgwood. Its crisp white relief against a contrasting ground mimics the appearance of ancient Roman cameos carved from layered stones, reflecting the era’s fascination with classical antiquity. Wedgwood’s jasperware transformed high-art motifs into accessible ...
About the Artist
Wedgwood Manufactory
Wedgwood Manufactory, founded on 1 May 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, revolutionized ceramics during the Industrial Revolution. Born into a family of potters, Josiah apprenticed under his elder brother Thomas at the Churchyard Works from age 14, mastering traditional techniques before partnering with Thomas Whieldon from 1754 to 1759, where he honed innovative glazes. ...