約書亞·威治伍德

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約書亞·威治伍德

zh-cn:乔赛亚·韦奇伍德;zh-tw:約書亞·威治伍德;zh-hk:喬賽亞·韋奇伍德; 約書亞·威治伍德（Josiah Wedgwood，1730年 7月12日—1795年 1月3日）出生於伯斯勒姆（Burslem）的特蘭克河畔斯托克（Stoke-on-Trent，著名的陶瓷鎮），是一位英國陶藝家。主要貢獻是建立工業化的陶瓷生產方式，以及創立威治伍德陶瓷工廠。他是達爾文—威治伍德家族的一員，查爾斯·達爾文是他的孫子。

[编辑] 生平

[编辑] 早年

約書亞·威治伍德在家中排行12，是最小的孩子。他的父親是湯瑪斯·威治伍德三世（Thomas Wedgwood III），母親是瑪莉·威治伍德（Mary Wedgwood）。約書亞出身於一個不遵奉英國國教（English Dissenters）的家族。從天花的感染中倖存之後，他跟隨他最年長的哥哥湯瑪斯·威治伍德四世，成為一位陶器學徒。由於天花使他的膝蓋得到永久性的傷害，他無法用腳控制製作陶器的陶輪（potter's wheel，又稱拉胚機）。因此從早期就開此專注於設計陶器，而不是製作。

20歲時，他開始在當時最有名的陶器製造者湯瑪斯·威爾登（Thomas Whieldon）門下工作。在那裡他學得各種陶藝技術，並得到許多經驗。這時的正是附近的工業城曼徹斯特快速發展的時代，受到工業發展的啟示，威治伍德在家鄉租下了一間工廠，並開始運作。

接下來的10年中，他從一位工匠轉變成為第一座陶器工廠的創立者。而他的資本，主要來自較為富有的妻子，同時也是他的遠親莎莉·威治伍德（Sally Wedgwood）。

[编辑] 婚姻與小孩

約書亞·威治伍德與沙拉·威治伍德結婚之後，他們共生了7個孩子：

蘇珊娜·威治伍德（Susannah Wedgwood、1765 - 1817），後來嫁給羅伯特達爾文。他們其中一位小孩是著名的博物學家查爾斯·達爾文。
約翰·威治伍德（John Wedgwood、1766 - 1844）。
約書亞·威治伍德二世（Josiah Wedgwood II、1769 - 1843）。
湯瑪斯·威治伍德（Thomas Wedgwood、1771 - 1805），沒有後代。
莎拉·威治伍德（Sarah Wedgwood、1776 - 1856），沒有後代。
瑪莉·安娜·威治伍德（Mary Anne Wedgwood、1778 - 1786），沒有後代。

[编辑] 事業

一些非中文的文字因为尚未翻譯而被隐藏，歡迎參與翻譯。

Wedgwood's work was of very high quality (when visiting his workshop, if he saw an offending vessel that failed to meet with his standards, he would smash it with his stick, exclaiming, "This will not do for Josiah Wedgwood!"). Wedgwood was also keenly interested in the scientific advances of his day and it was this interest that underpinned his adoption of its approach and methods to revolutionize the quality of his pottery. His unique glazes began to distinguish Josiah's wares from anything else on the market.

By 1763 he was receiving orders from the highest levels of the British nobility, including Queen Charlotte. Wedgwood convinced her to let him name the line of pottery she purchased "Queen's Ware", and trumpeted the royal association in his paperwork and stationery. As a burgeoning industrialist, Wedgwood was a major backer of the Trent and Mersey Canal dug between the River Trent and River Mersey, during which time he became friends with Erasmus Darwin.

Later that decade, his burgeoning business caused him to move from the smaller Ivy Works to the newly-built Etruria Works, which would run for 180 years. The factory was so-named after the Etruria district of Italy, where black porcelain dating to Etruscan times was being excavated. Wedgwood found this porcelain inspiring, and his first major commercial success was its duplication with what he called "Black Basalt". Not long after the new works opened, continuing trouble with his smallpox-afflicted knee made necessary the amputation of his right leg.

In 1780, his long-time business partner Thomas Bentley died, and Wedgwood turned to Darwin for help in running the business. As a result of the close association that grew up between the Wedgwood and Darwin families, Josiah's eldest daughter would later marry Erasmus' son. One of the children of that marriage, Charles Darwin, would also marry a Wedgwood — Emma, Josiah's granddaughter. Essentially, this double-barreled inheritance of Josiah's money permitted Charles Darwin the life of leisure that eventually led to the formulation of his theory of evolution.

In the latter part of his life, Wedgwood's obsession was to duplicate the Portland Vase, a blue and white glass vase dating to the first century AD. For three years he worked on the project, eventually producing what he considered a satisfactory copy in 1789. After passing on his company to his sons, Wedgwood died in 1795.

Wedgwood's company is still a famous name in pottery today (as part of Waterford Wedgwood; see Waterford Crystal), and "Wedgwood China" is the commonly used term for his Jasperware, the blue (or sometimes green) china with overlaid white decoration, still common throughout the world.

He was an active member of the Lunar Society and is remembered on the Moonstones in Birmingham.

His home Etruria Hall, built 1768–1771 by Joseph Pickford, was restored as part of the 1986 Stoke-on-Trent Garden Festival is now part of a four-star hotel.