The Wedgwood Blues for Christmas: Jasperware ornament tradition continues!

Getting ready for a Wedgwood blue Christmas

I'm going to have a blue Christmas this year. . . but that's a good thing with Wedgwood blue.

I've been a fan and collector of Wedgwood for years, mostly Jasperware and mostly in the traditional blue color. I've scoured estate sales, antique stores and retail shops for, IMHO, an amazing array of items that wear that distinctive white-on-blue coat including lighters, clocks, trays, tea cups and, aided by my Mom, in the decade before the new millennium and a few years after, a collection of Christmas ornaments.

It was an annual tradition that started innocently enough on a mother/daughter holiday shopping excursion back in the mid 1990's.  I'm what one might refer to as an "avid collector" of many things, my Mom, not so much.  Her household was always one of order and extreme tidiness and displaying treasures didn't interest her at all. She viewed such things with an upkeep perspective and thought of them primarily as "dust collectors".  But, great mother that she was, she enthusiastically enabled several of my passions and amassing Wedgwood ornaments was one.

 Wedgwood blue Jasperware collection, four decades in the making

As I recall, some thirty-odd years ago, we were in, what was back in the day, Hudson's, at Oakland Mall shopping for Christmas gifts - for other people, might I hastily add. My Mom would always indulge my trip to the china and crystal department so I could see the holiday  tablescapes and scout out additions for the season's entertaining.  My Jasperware sensitivity was quite developed at this time, and I spotted a round-shaped blue ornament with a festive white bas relief decoration. It came in a befitting snap-hinged jewelry box and I was smitten. Without warning or little ceremony, my Mom picked up the box, inspected the contents quickly, and declared she was buying it for me.  She made her way to the counter - without even looking to see if there was a sale or ask when there would be one (another great difference in our personalities) - thus initiating my  Jasperware ornament collection.

Other colors of Jasperware curated with love by BTS

While my interest in Jasperware dates back to the 1980's, it's been around for a few centuries.  As noted on Wedgwood's website, it began with Josiah Wedgwood, who, in 1759, at the age of 29, started his journey as independent potter in Staffordshire, England. He began experimenting with clay and "exploring its many possibilities".  He soon became known for his high quality, beautifully designed porcelain products and twenty-five years into Josiah Wedgwood's pottering career, he developed Jasperware, an unglazed stoneware in various solid colors with classical and contemporary reliefs. The eye-catching light blue hue, the most popular color of Jasperware, gave rise to the expression 'Wedgwood Blue' and continues even today to be a recognizable symbol of the company world-wide.

Although a long-time fan, I still enjoy being welcomed to Wedgwood

My own ornament collection grew each year on those annual Christmas shopping treks with my Mom. She'd snap up the current year's Wedgwood Blue ornament and purchase it for me, while I waited in line with her like the cliched kid in a candy store, anxious to take my treat home with me and hang it on a tiny tree I bought specifically to show off these holiday baubles. Over the next few seasons, as the fancy hinged boxes were replaced with cheaper (but still Wedgwood blue) cardboard boxes, I'd supplement my Wedgwood ornaments with other Jasperware decorations, almost completely filling out my tiny tree. 

Starting to decorate the new tiny tree

I love that tree and the benefactor of its ornaments. My Mom passed away in 2004, and although I didn't add to the collection (until this year - but more of that shortly),  I would bring out the dedicated Wedgwood tree at Christmas, put the ornaments on it and remember those so-much-fun times holiday shopping with my Mom. 

Bringing the Wedgwood tree and tea tradition back home

However, as great and special as that tradition was, once we moved to our condo four years ago, I had put some holiday decorating on the back-burner. There was unboxing our boxes, temporary storage, Covid - any and all of the above. But, this year, I was on a mission to recover the Jasperware ornaments and start displaying them all again. And, although I couldn't find the special tree, I did find all the Jasperware Christmas decor and even bought myself a new ornament - a tiny teapot (and I did shop on-line for a bit until I found it on sale).

Wedgwood Barbie found!

Holiday Barbies need a good dusting

While looking for the tiny tree in all our storage closets in the condo, I did come across another Wedgwood Blue find - a Barbie! But, I'll save that whole other (dust) collection for another time.

In the meantime, "I'll be doing all right, with my Jasperware of white, along with my Wedgwood, blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas"!

Merry Blue Wedgwood Christmas to All!