Miss Meteyard, in her "Life of Wedgwood," quotes a number of the bills paid to Flaxman. One in 1775 runs thus: "A pair of vases, one with a satyr, the other with a triton-handle, three guineas; bass-reliefs of the Muses and Apollo, Hercules and the lion, Hercules and the boar, Hercules and Cerberus, Bacchus and Ariadne, Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, Justice and Hope--for each of these he received ten shillings and sixpence; table of the four seasons, two pounds and two shillings," etc.
Flaxman modeled, too, a goodly number of busts of distinguished persons.
Models and designs were also procured from artists in Italy, many of which were made under the supervision of Flaxman while he was studying and working there.
Of this jasper was made a great variety of objects, besides vases and tea-services. Of the last we engrave portions of one in possession of Mr. Wales, of Boston, which is as near perfection as any work of this kind can be (Fig. 92).
[Illustration: FIG. 92.--_Old Wedgwood._]
This jasper-ware was used in many ways, as the following list will indicate. It shows something of the variety of art-work made by Wedgwood:
2. Bass-reliefs, medallions, and tablets.
3. Kings and illustrious persons of Asia, Egypt, Greece, etc.
4. Busts of kings, emperors, popes, etc., down to modern times.
5. Heads of poets, painters, divines, etc.
So great was the production of the cameos and antique ornaments, and so greatly were they used as articles of jewelry, for settings in furniture, etc., that over two thousand different moulds and designs were made. We engrave here one of these small cameos, which, however, fails to convey a full sense of the delicate character of the work (Fig. 93). They reached almost the perfection of gems.
[Illustration: FIG. 93.--_Wedgwood Cameo._]
Fig. 94, a teapot, which is not remarkable for beauty of form or execution, is given as an example of the work done by the English potters before Wedgwood's day, to meet the ordinary wants of common life. It should be kept in mind, in estimating Wedgwood's character, that he combined, in an eminent degree, the _artistic_ and the _commercial_ faculties, and thus was able to produce results of a striking kind. Like Shakespeare, he was omnivorous, and browsed wherever the pastures were sweet. All food was good which could be turned into delectable milk.