In 1773 he made "a fine white terra-cotta of great beauty and delicacy, suitable for cameos, portraits, and bas-reliefs"; this was the forerunner of the jasper ware, which became by constant attention and successive improvements the most beautiful of all his wares. In 1776 the solid jasper ware was invented, which, however, attained its greatest perfection ten years later. In the manufacture of this elegant ware Wedgwood largely employed sulphate of barytes, and for many years derived great profits, none of the workmen having any idea of the nature of the material upon which they were operating, until a letter containing a bill of parcels referring to a quantity of the article fell into the hands of a dishonest servant, who told the secret, and deprived the inventor of that particular source of emolument: for when the same article was made by those who employed inferior workmen, to whom they only paid one-fourth of the salary given by Wedgwood, the price of jasper ware became so reduced that he was unable to employ those exquisite modellers whom he had formerly engaged to superintend that branch of the manufacture. [Illustration: FIG. 238.--VASE. _Of basaltes ware._] [Illustration: FIG. 239.--THE PORTLAND VASE. _Of black and white jasper._] In 1785 a "jasper dip" was introduced, in which the white clay vessels were dipped, and received a coating of jasper, instead of being jasper throughout. This was considered a great improvement, and caused an increase of 20 per cent. in the price. [Illustration: FIG. 240.--TEAPOT, CADDY, AND PLATE. _With printed transfer._] Flaxman was engaged by Wedgwood and Bentley as early as 1775, and he furnished them with drawings and models. After Bentley's death in 1780 Flaxman's fame as a sculptor obtained him more important work, but still, as time permitted, he worked for Wedgwood up to the time of his departure for Rome in 1787. Josiah Wedgwood died on the 3rd of January 1795, in his 65th year. [Illustration: FIG. 241.--SIX JASPER CAMEOS.] [Illustration: FIG. 242.--VASE. _Granite ground, with gilt festoons and handles._] [Illustration: FIG. 243.--EWER. _Of agate ware._] [Illustration: FIG. 244.--AN OBELISK, _by_ RALPH WOOD, _and_ A TEA SET, _by_ AARON WOOD.] In 1773 RALPH SHAWE of Burslem took out a patent for chocolate-coloured ware, striped with white and lined with white, glazed with salt. He afterwards transferred his factory to France. RALPH WOOD was established at Burslem about 1730, and was succeeded about 1750 by his son AARON WOOD, who served his apprenticeship to Thos. Wedgwood; he was a very clever cutter of moulds for stoneware plates and dishes, with raised pattern borders, &c., which have been erroneously termed Elizabethan. Cream ware is said to have been invented by him. He was succeeded, about 1770, by his son ENOCH WOOD, who was also a sculptor, and made many busts of eminent men. His successors were Wood and Caldwell, who continued the manufacture of busts and groups.