Jasperware
/ˈdʒæspərwɛər/noun
A fine, usually unglazed ceramic developed by Josiah Wedgwood, typically colored throughout and decorated with raised reliefs.
Did you know?Wedgwood introduced jasperware in the 1770s, and its classical reliefs helped revive ancient Greek and Roman artistic styles in Georgian Britain.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἴασπις (íaspis)
“A jasper or spotted gemstone; the word was borrowed from an older Near Eastern source.”
Classical Latin
Latin
iaspis
“Jasper, a multicolored or spotted ornamental stone.”
12th Century
Old French
jaspre
“Jasper, a decorative gemstone.”
Middle English
English
jasper
“A hard, often multicolored ornamental stone.”
Old English
Old English
waru
“Goods, merchandise, or manufactured articles; the ancestor of ware.”
1770s
English
jasperware
“Wedgwood’s ceramic body made from colored, unglazed stoneware and commonly embellished with raised classical designs.”