In 1773 he began his
famous dinner-set for Empress Catherine II of Russia, which had upon
it over twelve hundred enameled views of English estates, and for
which she paid three thousand pounds. For two months before this set
was packed and sent away it was on exhibition in London, where it was
the marvel of every one who saw it."
"I'd like to have seen it!" interjected Theo.
"And I too," echoed Mr. Croyden. "By this time Wedgwood had money
enough to carry out some of his dreams. He was fortunate in having the
friendship of several Englishmen of wealth and through one of them,
Sir William Hamilton, he obtained a chance to take impressions of rare
cameos from Italy and Pompeii; later the Duke of Portland, who you may
recall outbid him at the sale of the world-famed Portland Vase,
allowed him to copy it. It was a very generous thing for an art-lover
to do, and I think it must have cost the duke a wrench. It took
Wedgwood a whole year to copy this vase, and when he had succeeded in
doing so he made fifty more copies. The venture cost him not only his
time but a small fortune as well; but it proved far from a waste of
hours or money, since the feat brought to the manufacturer a
familiarity with Grecian art which had its outcome in his well-known
Jasper ware.
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