Wedgwood Harvard Tercentenary Demitasse Cups and Saucers, Set of Six, 1936
Six cups of crimson and cream, each bearing a different Harvard building — Wedgwood's 1936 Tercentenary demitasse service, made to mark 300 years.
ARTIST: Wedgwood, Etruria, England for Jones, McDuffee & Stratton, Boston
PERIOD: 1936
CATEGORY: Decorative Object / Ceramics / Tableware
MATERIALS: Creamware, crimson transfer print
DIMENSIONS: Cup 2½ h in., saucer 4⅞ in. diameter
QUANTITY: Six cups and six saucers
CONTEXT: Wedgwood produced this series of china for Harvard University in 1936 to commemorate the Tercentenary of the University's founding in 1636. Each cup depicts a different historic Harvard building — this set featuring University Hall (1815), Massachusetts Hall (1720), Holden Chapel (1744), Wadsworth House (1727), The First Gore Hall (1838), and The Old College (1638) — identified on the base alongside the Wedgwood Etruria mark and the Jones, McDuffee & Stratton retailer's stamp. The crimson transfer on creamware is precisely Harvard's color, applied with the restrained confidence that only Wedgwood could bring to institutional commemorative ware. A complete set of six, for the collector, the Harvard alumnus, or anyone who appreciates the moment when good design meets a good occasion.