Inigo Jones
1769–80
Medium
Black basalt ware
Dimensions
3 1/4 × 2 5/8 in. (8.3 × 6.7 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
British, Etruria, Staffordshire
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1942
Accession Number
42.76.42
Tags
Art Historical Context
Wedgwood and Bentley's *Inigo Jones* (1769–80) is a exquisite example of black basalt ware, a fine unglazed stoneware invented by Josiah Wedgwood to evoke the somber elegance of ancient Greek and Roman pottery. This profile medallion, measuring just 3¼ × 2⅝ inches, captures the likeness of Inigo Jones (1573–1652), the pioneering English architect who introduced Palladian classicism to Britain with masterpieces like the Queen's House at Greenwich. Produced at Wedgwood's Etruria factory in Staffordshire, it reflects the neoclassical revival sweeping 18th-century Europe. The matte black finish o...