The collection was compiled by the Ralph Wedgwood (1874-1956), great-great grandson of Josiah Wedgwood, and includes tea sets, vases and beads.
“This is an exciting moment for ceramic enthusiasts as Ralph Wedgwood,” says Patricia Ferguson, adviser on ceramics to the National Trust. “It is a fantastic reference collection - so many collections have been sold or dispersed.”
The exhibition Wedgwood at Home includes many examples of black basalt, creamware and first period bone china, manufactured near Stoke-on-Trent.
The exhibition brings the collection back where it was originally assembled: Leith Hill Place, which is now owned by the National Trust. The house was let to Ralph after his cousin, the composed Ralph Vaughan Williams, passed it to the nation. Visitors would come to view the house and the ceramics collection together.
“One of the more exciting finds when researching for the exhibition was an inventory from 1955 of the items at Leith Hill Place, which listed not only a description of each item, but also its location in the house,” says Natalie Savage, visitor operations manager at the house. “Where possible we have restored items to their original positions.”
The exhibition runs until October 29.
