(Ca. 1779) Admiral Augustus Keppel portrait medallion by Wedgwood and Bentley. White biscuit or stoneware. In a gilt brass frame with decorative scrollwork at top serving as a mount. 89 x 114 mm. Reilly and Savage, type a, p. 205; Heads of Illustrious Moderns, Art Institute of Chicago, #59 (this piece).

High relief uniformed bust of Keppel to left, KEPPEL impressed below. Back marked with impressed WEDGWOOD / & BENTLEY at center, two large firing holes, provenance labels in fields including one noting this specimen was exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1958 and 1959 and another describing this as "an experimental specimen in deep ivory, made before jasper was perfected." An exceptionally attractive piece, with the bold and well realized portrait identified by Reilly and Savage as type a. Josiah Wedgwood experienced much consternation in getting this into production, frustrated by delays when the company could not capitalize on the level of Keppel's popular fame. Reilly and Savage quote an initial letter from Wedgwood barking at Bentley on February 25, 1779, then another two weeks later, reading in part "Oh Keppel Keppel - why will you not send me a Keppel. I am persuaded if we had our wits about us as we ought to have had 2 or 3 months since we might have sold 1000 £ worth of this gentleman's head in various ways." Reilly and Savage state "the Oven Book shows that this portrait was in production twelve days later." Superb condition, with no chips or flakes, just a bit of toning acquired from the frame at the right obverse periphery.

From the Richard Margolis Collection. Earlier from the David Davis Collection; the Marshall Field & Co. (Chicago) sale of the Davis Collection, June 1950, lot 477; Sotheby's (New York) sale of the Mrs. Edward Warren Collection, April 1982, lot 481.

Estimate: $500