A thin-walled rectangular box of basalt is molded in the form of panels of upright bamboo to form the base of this double bulb pot. The realistic row of bamboo rods constitute both the entire form and decoration of the piece; no base or lip detracts from the clean economy of the design. The box is topped by a functional lid featuring two cups to hold bulbs and two hole for the insertion of sticks from which to support the spouting plants.

Bulb pots rank among the most intriguing survivors of Wedgwood's early production. This example testifies to two interests of the eighteenth-century public--the fad for specimen plants and the attraction of Asian design. (Picture this vessel in the context of a black and gold lacquer panel console.) Other bulb pots typically betray the period's love for rococo curves. in contrast, this extraordinary design presents a fully realized natural motif within a shape so pure and simple that it truly transcends the tastes of any specific period.