Wedgwood Jasper Bas-relief Subject Designs Guide....

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Wedgwood listed over two thousand designs including subjects from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman history, mythology, masks, chimeras, figures, and heads. The relief was moulded separately and so carefully applied that it is often flawless under a magnifying glass.
I inherited over 300 Antique Wedgwood Cameos from my mother. There are about 70 unique bas-relief designs in this collection so there are many repeats which leads me to believe that these cameos were originally purchased from Wedgwood wholesale as "trade stock" destined to be incorporated into furniture or jewellery. The collection was featured in the UK on BBC Television 'Antiques Roadshow' from Bolton Abbey in September 2008. The clip can be viewed at http:// www. alecwood.me.uk/AntiquesRoadshow.wmv [copy it into your browser without any spaces - i.e. miss out the spaces after // and after www.] The clip includes gements andvaluation advice from expert Lars Tharp.
One of the chief uses of Wedgwood cameos was to form collections of mythological and historical subjects and Wedgwood's 1779 Sales Catalogue refers specifically to this.
Whilst sorting through the 300 plus cameos I discovered that there were not many readily available, reliable, and inexpensive, sources from which to identify the bas-relief subject, its mythology and history, or the original artist. I therefore arranged visits to University Archives, the Wedgwood Museum Barlaston, the Lady Lever Art Gallery, andpurchased reference books etc. Iput together the results of my research ina catalogue of the 70 different designs in my collection.During this research I identified over 100 other different bas-relief designs and I collected pictures and details of these in Research Notes. It is not practical to incorporate all 170 photos and details inan okay Guide such as this becauseeachGuide is restricted to 10 pictures and about 4000 wordsso I have produced a fuller guide -if you are interested please see my "items for sale list".
Here are details of some of the more gemon Wedgwood bas-relief designs:
Hope and the Anchor
Polymnia
Identified as "Hope and the Anchor". It is noticable however that the actual figure used by Wedgwood in this version of "Hope" is the same as used for Polymnia the Muse of hymn - the column being replaced with an anchor. This version was used on gems and small cameos used in jewellery.
Mythology: If Hope had escaped when Pandora's box was opened letting loose all the evils in the world - greed, vanity, slander, envy, pining - then no resources would have been left to man against the calamities of life. The anchor, because of its great importance in navigation, was regarded in ancient times as a symbol of safety and has been adopted as a symbol of hope.
This design believed to be by James Tassie the most prolific collector and merchant of impressions of classical gems of the eighteenth century.
Hope and Anchor (Second Version)

This is one of the very nicest versions of "Hope and Anchor" shown alongside two nicely detailed geplementary pieces usually catalogued as "Classical figure with Lyre" but identified as Terpischore in handwritten notes in 1913 by Isaac Cook, Wedgwood Museum Eturia's first Curator.
These would make a lovely pendant and earrings. Modeller and date unknown.
Yet another version of Hope and Anchor shown belowis attributed to William Hackwood, c. 1773 and is illustrated in the "Book of Wedgwood Bas-reliefs" now out of print but available for viewingon the Official Wedgwood Museum Website.

Below are three of the 70 bas-relief designs from my collection:
Bellerophon watering Pegasus

Mythology: Pegasus, the winged horse, led by Bellerophon before attacking the three-headed monster Chimaera. Attacking Chimaera from the air put him at an advantage over other men that died trying.
Bellerophon watering Pegasus attributed to William Hackwood, c. 1773. Also two small geplementary earring size pieces a Classical figure Mercury - this particular design not believed to be associated with any particular mythological story.
Priam begging the Body of Hector

Mythology: During the Trojan War, Priam's son Hector was killed by the Greek hero Achilles. In one of the most moving scenes of the Iliad, Priam courageously entered the Greek camp by night and pleaded with Achilles to return Hector's body for burial. This design showsAchillesseated on the left and before him kneels the aged Priam who is kissing the right hand of Achilles.
Probably based on an eighteenth century gem, a sardonyx, representing the group of Priam and Achilles and adapted from a similar sarcophagus in the Louvre. Attributed to John Flaxman, Pacetti and others, c. 1789.
Venus disarming Cupid

Mythology: Venus taking away the bow and arrows from her irresponsible son, Cupid .
Some versions have Venuss knees and legs covered and some do not. Modeller and date unknown
Some of the thumbnails are shown below:
Aesculaplus (Asclepius) and Hygeia

Thefigure of Aesculaplus, or Moses, was very popular in Wedgwood ware. Here he is seen holding his serpent-entwined staff and with his daughter Hygeia who carries an olive branch in her right hand.
Possibly based on a an engraving by Bernard de Montfaucon, in L'antiquit explique et reprsente en figures. Modeller and date unknown
Venus and Cupid (also known as Night from 1773)
Aphrodite carrying flower of fertility, preceded by an eros
Design based on an engraving by Bernard de Montfaucon, in L'antiquit explique et reprsente en figures published between 1719 and 1724. Modeller and date unknown
Andromache

When Andromaches husband Hector was killed during the Trojan war she was taken by Neoptolemus as a concubine. On his death she married Hectors brother Helenus, who had been taken captive and enslaved withher,and became Queen of Epirus. Andromache eventually went to live with Pergamus in Pergamum, where she died of old age.
Modeller and date unknown
You will find the following books give masses of background information:
Michael Herman, "Wedgwood Jasper Ware", Schiffer, ISBN: 0764319264 - Jasperware pottery shapes
Carol Macht, "Classical Wedgwood Designs", Gramercy 1957 - Sources of the bas-reliefs
A R Hope Moncrieff "Illustrated Guide to Classical Mythology", Studio ISBN: 1851708782
N Hudson Moore, "Wedgwood and his Imitators", Hodder