Wedgwood – Explore the Collections · V&A Wedgwood Staffordshire potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood (1730 – 95) was a pioneering tastemaker, marketeer and social campaigner. In 1759, Josiah founded his ceramics company which achieved global success and remains in production today. Designs and wares saved by the factory and Wedgwood family grew into one of the most important industrial collections in the world. Comprising over 175,000 works of art, ceramics, manuscripts and photographs, the V&A Wedgwood Collection documents production up to the present day, showcasing innovations in taste and fashion spanning over 260 years. From Josiah Wedgwood’s Portland Vase, to designs by Eric Ravilious and Daisy Makeig-Jones, the collection and UNESCO-recognised archives showcase the commercial and design history of Wedgwood ceramics. Following a successful fundraising campaign spearheaded by Art Fund the V&A Wedgwood Collection was gifted to the V&A in 2014. Search “Wedgwood” in Explore the Collections Read Wedgwood: An introduction Learn about the history of Wedgwood and how the company evolved through three centuries of design Watch Unboxing some bizarre Wedgwood collectibles Join us as we unbox some of the most unusual Wedgwood items ever made Read From refugee to Wedgwood designer: the story of Ulla Goodman Discover the emotional, transformative and inspiring story behind this Wedgwood cup and saucer Read Wedgwood's ceramic manufacturing archive Discover "one of the most complete ceramic manufacturing archives in existence" Read The Wedgwood anti-slavery medallion Discover more about Wedgwood's anti-slavery medallion – a forerunner of the protest badge Read 'Campanula' tea and coffee set by Paul Follot for Wedgwood Discover a rare art deco tea and coffee set designed by Paul Follot for Wedgwood once belonging to Karl Lagerfeld Watch Eric Ravilious – British wood engraver and watercolour artist Discover more about the life and works of British wood engraver and watercolour artist Eric Ravilious. Read Poor Maria and the Bourbonnais Shepherd – when literature came into fashion Find out how books have inspired jewellery Watch On the White Road: Edmund de Waal Take a journey into the history of porcelain through extraordinary objects Read Josiah Wedgwood's Portland Vase Find out more about the Portland Vase – one of Wedgwood's most well-known ceramic designs Read Hensleigh Wedgwood: the reluctant LGBT+ champion? Find out about why Hensleigh Wedgwood tried to save the lives of James Pratt and John Smith – the last people to be executed in England for their same-sex relationship. Wedgwood family portrait, oil painting, by George Stubbs, 1780, England V&A Wedgwood Collection On display Portland Vase, by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, 1793, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England V&A Wedgwood Collection On display 'Variations on a Geometric Theme' plate, designed by Eduardo Paolozzi, manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, about 1970, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, England On loan Anti-slavery medallion, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, about 1787, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England V&A Wedgwood Collection Not on display Paint box, manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, 1785 – 90, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England On loan First Day’s Vase, made by Josiah Wedgwood and sons and Thomas Bentley, 1769, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England On loan Teapot moulded in the shape of a cauliflower, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, 1765, Stoke-on-Trent, England V&A Wedgwood Collection On display Coffee pot, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, 1955, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, England On loan Lessore Vase, painted by Emile Aubert Lessore, made by Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, about 1863, England V&A Wedgwood Collection On display Jasperware trials mounted on a wooden tray, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, 1773 – 76, Stoke-on-Trent, England V&A Wedgwood Collection On display Detail of 'Fairyland Lustre' bowl, by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, about 1923, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England V&A Wedgwood Collection On display Dinner Plate for the 'Frog Service', by Josiah Wedgwood and sons, 1773, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England V&A Wedgwood Collection On display William Morris Pattern & Design £25 V&A PUBLICATION Owen Jones and the V&A: Ornament for a Modern Age £39.95 V&A PUBLICATION The Art of Stone, Masterpieces from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection £10 V&A PUBLICATION The Gilbert Collection at the V&A £9.95 SPECIAL V&A PRICE Studio Ceramics £55 SPECIAL PRICE The Lives of the Objects £25 V&A PUBLICATION The V&A Sourcebook of Pattern and Ornament £28 V&A PUBLICATION William Morris £50 V&A PUBLICATION Wedgwood - Craft & Design £14.99 V&A PUBLICATION Spectrum: Heritage Patterns and Colours £20 V&A PUBLICATION Lives of the Great Makers £30 V&A PUBLICATION Japanese Art and Design £30 V&A PUBLICATION Garnitures: Vase Sets from National Trust Houses £10 V&A PUBLICATION William Morris’s flowers £14.99 ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Western Illuminated Manuscripts £250 V&A PUBLICATION William Morris Textiles £35 V&A PUBLICATION Voysey's Birds and Animals £14.95 V&A PUBLICATION Japanese Netsuke £20 V&A PUBLICATION The Tile Book £20 V&A PUBLICATION Designing the V&A: The Museum as a Work of Art (1857-1909) £39.95 V&A PUBLICATION Dolls' Houses £20 V&A PUBLICATION V&A pattern: William Morris £8.99 V&A PUBLICATION The Arts of Living Europe 1600 - 1815 £25 Header image: Detail: 'First edition' copy of the Portland vase, factory of Josiah Wedgwood, 1790, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, England. Museum no. WE-8000-2014. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London