The harmonious combination of white, light green, and lilac was frequently utilized in Wedgwood's tri-color jasper compositions. Here we see it applied to one of the pottery's most intriguing shapes. A bullet shaped vessel is supported by three gracefully flaring legs ending in a curved, basically triangular base. The vessel is topped by a simple lid with a plain button finial. The surfaces are enlivened by a delicate give and take between the green and lavender tones.

Wedgwood sets aside its typical cast of classical personages and relies on bands of abstract ornament--radial on the lid, horizontal on the upper cylindrical section and vertical on the lower tapering section and legs. The motifs range from the familiar, such as acanthus on the lid and base of the legs, to others we do not recognize from the Wedgwood repertory of patterns, like the frieze of carrot-like drops in the upper band. The largest section is given over to "bellflower and acanthus," a typical and successful choice for this color combination.

Molded details create additional interest, such as the scrolls at the base of the legs or the the drop at the point of the bullet with its leaf details that remind us of an artichoke. The only figural elements are the molded lion heads at the top of each leg.

Do all these elements create a busy effect? Not at all--all is harmony.

While not at all common, Wedgwood created variations on this shape in a number of bodies, including basalt and rosso antico. One version even combines the base with an elaborate reversible lid that converts the piece into a candlestick. One often hears these forms called cassoulet or cassoulette vases. Pardon us for being pedantic, but a bit of research indicates that the term should be reserved for vases with piercings designed to hold potpourri. 

Wedgwood's very original creations may defy labels, but their graceful harmony of structure and decoration remain fixed in one's memory.