Wedgwood Black Jasperware Fluted Aurora Relief Tray

Aurora, goddess of the dawn, driving her chariot across the sky, is one of the most celebrated subjects in the Wedgwood neoclassical repertoire, and this black jasperware tray, with its fluted border and precisely applied white relief, is a particularly refined example of the motif.

Made by Wedgwood of Stoke-on-Trent, this oval tray features a matte black jasperware ground with a fluted border surrounding a raised white Aurora chariot relief at the centre. The Aurora subject was drawn from classical mythology and was used by Wedgwood across a range of forms and colourways, but the combination of the Aurora relief with the fluted border and the black ground gives this tray a particularly elegant character. The precision of the relief work, with the chariot, horses, and figure clearly defined, is characteristic of Wedgwood at its most accomplished.

• Maker: Wedgwood, England
• Dimensions: 1 cm (H) x 11.5 cm (W)
• Condition: Visible condition as shown in images
• Features: Black jasperware ground, fluted border, white Aurora chariot relief, oval form
• Period: 20th century
• SKU: CBD-0049

The Aurora relief is one of the most recognisable subjects in the Wedgwood canon. Pairs naturally with the club-shaped dish (CBD-0048) and the rectangular jewellery dish (CBD-0050) in the black jasperware grouping.