Classic Black: The Basalt Sculpture of Wedgwood and His Contemporaries
February 8, 2020 - January 3, 2021
Mint Museum Randolph
Wedgwood. Tripod Vase, circa 1790-1800, stoneware (black basalt). Collection of Jeffery S. Milkins and Steven R. Parker.
Wedgwood. Death of a Roman Warrior, circa 1780-85, stoneware (black basalt). Gift of the Starr and Wolfe Families in memory of Lydia and Bernard Starr. 2018.68.5. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC.
Wedgwood and Bentley. Socrates, circa 1775-80, stoneware (black basalt). gift of the Starr and Wolfe families in memory of Lydia and Bernard Starr. 2018.68.2. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
"the Black is Sterling and will last forever." -Josiah Wedgwood
Classic Black presents more than 100 ceramic objects composed of black basalt manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood and other Staffordshire potters in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. A collection of exquisite and rare Wedgwood wares from public and private collections will be on display; many of which have never been exhibited publicly before now. The exhibition celebrates the remarkable beauty of the ceramic objects and also pays tribute to Wedgwood's innovative genius in the exhibition design. Framed to evoke showrooms much as Wedgwood used in his time, the galleries have been transformed with color and original artwork by mural artist Owl to create a stunning visual experience for museum visitors.
A fully illustrated exhibition catalogue made possible with funding from the Delhom Service League and an anonymous patron accompanies the exhibition and is available in the Mint Museum Store. Classic Black was organized by the Mint Museum's Curator of Decorative Arts Brian Gallagher and made possible with generous support from presenting sponsor Wells Fargo Private Bank, with additional support provided by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.
