Wedgwood Green Dragon Lustre Bowl, Daisy Makeig-jones, 1920s

This beautiful piece of English bone china was designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones and dates to the 1920s. The bowl is covered with a glaze with a fine lustre and is decorated on the outside with images of a hare, a bird, and a bat on an iridescent green background. Inside the bowl, at the bottom, is an image of a strange dragon with a human face, and on the walls of the bowl are images of clouds. On the inner side of the rim and in three places on the outside, there are pseudo-hieroglyphs.

The Wedgwood backstamp on the base shows the Portland Vase Mark and three stars under the vase, confirming the authenticity of the product.

Between 1915 and 1930, Daisy Makeig-Jones (1881–1945) designed a popular lustreware for Wedgwood, based on imagery from illustrated children's books of the 1890s through the 1910s, aptly called "Fairyland Lustre." The heavily detailed, brightly hued ornamental ware—a stark contrast to the soberly colored, classically inspired jasperware for which Wedgwood is so well known—became hugely popular in the 1920s as people sought fantasy and escape in the wake of the horrors of World War I.

Credited with helping improve Wedgwood's struggling profits, Daisy Makeig-Jones' novel designs were far more than just 'pretty patterns.' She prided herself on creating stories and hidden worlds with fantastical themes, using rich jewel-like colors and imaginative details. Daisy's fairies came from many cultural backgrounds, and the pieces they decorate often tell complex tales. Some Fairyland Lustre pieces required as many as six firings.

Today, enthusiasm for Makeig-Jones' work is as strong as ever, possibly even stronger than when her designs were first introduced in the 1920s. Interest in her work has been further enhanced by various Art Deco exhibitions featuring her pieces, including one at the Victoria and Albert Museum in September 1990; an exhibition of "Wedgwood Fairyland and Other Lustres" at the Long Beach Museum of Art in September 2001; and an exhibition solely of her work from the Collection of Maurice Kawashima at the San Diego Museum of Art in 2005.

One fact remains clear: as the production of major Fairyland Lustre pieces was very limited, only a handful remain today in pristine condition. Such unique items will doubtless continue to enjoy great investment potential in future years, making them not only beautiful objects to enjoy but also valuable assets—a perfect combination for wise investors and collectors.

All Wedgwood Fairyland and Ordinary Lustre pieces would have the Portland Vase Mark, with three stars under the vase from 1900 onwards. "ENGLAND" was added to the Wedgwood mark in 1891 to meet the requirements of U.S. customs regulations known as the "McKinley Customs Administrative Act."

Dimensions: Top diameter 8.8 cm, height 5.3 cm

Condition: The bowl is in excellent antique condition, with no noticeable chips, cracks, or repairs. The lustre and gilding remain bright.

Please examine the attached photos carefully as they form an integral part of this description. The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance. Please note that shipping costs include labor, packaging, and postage.