A superb and rare illustration of a fox peering
out from behind an oak tree, one of a limited series
known as Fresco Heads produced by Wedgwood. Brilliantly
glazed in highly translucent and richly coloured glazes.
This series is rare in six inch plain prints, in eight
inch majolica glazed prints it is exceptionally rare.
Very possibly from a design by Henry Hope Crealock who
was a noted military man and war artist and reached the
rank of Lt General. He is also noted for his drawing of
hunting scenes and in his 'off-peak' times on military
deployments he illustrated wild animals in their natural
habitat. It is unlikely that he designed these
specifically for Wedgwood, the ceramic trades around
Stoke on Trent were in the habit of copying illustrations
from books and other sources.
Usually found on six inch tiles this is rare as an
eight inch. Rarer still are the translucent glazes
overpainting a transfer print, a technique that only
Wedgwood and Marsden used to any extent. Probably the
influence of George Marsden as he was then employed at
Wedgwood pressing the company to keep up to date with
technical and material advances in tile manufacture.
Often suggested to be 1870s I am not convinced that these
glazes were then technically possible, mid 1880s seems
more likely although the patterns in single colour print
may have been introduced earlier. The translucent pink
inglaze colour for the fox's tongue and eye was
especially difficult and generally not found inglaze
until around 1890 and even then infrequently.
Verso a little grubby and slightly stained, clear
embossed Wedgwood etc, pattern number written in
stain.