Pattern Focus: Wedgwood Florentine

Wedgwood Florentine is one of those tableware patterns that feels unmistakably Wedgwood: elegant, detailed, formal, and just a little bit grand.

It is best known today in its rich Turquoise version, but Florentine is not a single-colour story. Over the years it has appeared in a number of colourways, each giving the same distinctive border design a slightly different character.

For replacement china customers, that makes Florentine both beautiful and slightly more complicated. The pattern name matters, but the colourway and pattern code matter too.

A design with deep Wedgwood roots

The Florentine pattern has a long history within Wedgwood. The design first appeared in the Wedgwood archives in 1874, before being used on Wedgwood pieces in 1931.

Wedgwood describes the pattern as being inspired by Majolica designs from Urbino, the Italian city closely associated with Renaissance art, architecture and culture. That influence makes sense when you look closely at Florentine. It is ornate, controlled and decorative, with a strong sense of movement around the border.

The design has sometimes been described as featuring mythical creatures, scrollwork and classical-style ornament. It is not a quiet border. It has presence.

Florentine Turquoise

The best-known version is almost certainly Wedgwood Florentine Turquoise W2714.

Wedgwood’s Florentine Turquoise shade followed in 1935 and was designed by Victor Skellern, who was Wedgwood’s Art Director. The deep turquoise border, dark blue rim and intricate decoration give the pattern a very distinctive look.

Florentine Turquoise is formal without being dull. It has the crispness of fine bone china, but the strong border colour gives it real visual weight. It is the kind of pattern that can make even a single plate look important.

It is also the colourway many people recognise first, which is why Turquoise remains so important in the replacement china market.

More than one colour

Florentine is a very good example of a pattern where colour is not just a small detail.

We recently looked at why some tableware patterns were made in more than one colour, and Florentine fits that story beautifully.

The same basic design can feel quite different depending on the colourway. Turquoise feels bold and classic. Navy gives the pattern a darker, more restrained character. Green versions can feel warmer or softer, depending on the exact shade and border treatment.

That is one of the reasons Florentine has lasted so well. The design is strong enough to carry different colours without losing its identity.

Arras Green, Navy and Turquoise

At MrPottery, we currently stock several Florentine colourways, including Wedgwood Florentine Arras Green W4170, Wedgwood Florentine Navy W1956 and Wedgwood Florentine Turquoise W2714.

These are not simply interchangeable versions of the same thing. Each colourway has its own character, and each one needs to be matched carefully when replacing pieces.

If you have Florentine at home, the pattern code can be especially useful. W2714, W1956 and W4170 identify specific versions, and those details help avoid near matches that are not quite right.

Why Florentine can be tricky to match

Florentine is a fine example of why replacement china is sometimes more detailed than just finding the right pattern name.

A customer may say they need a Wedgwood Florentine plate, but the next question is: which Florentine?

The colourway matters. The pattern code matters. The shape can also matter, especially with cups, saucers, bowls and serving pieces. Wedgwood made Florentine across a wide range of tableware, and pieces from different periods or colourways may not sit perfectly together.

That is not a problem, but it is something to be aware of.

A formal pattern that still feels current

Florentine is a formal pattern, but it has not disappeared into the past.

Wedgwood has continued to revisit and reimagine the Florentine design, using the historic pattern in modern colourways and on contemporary pieces. That says something about the strength of the original design. It can look traditional, but it can also be refreshed without losing its essential character.

That is not true of every old pattern.

Some designs are very much tied to one period. Florentine has a broader appeal. It can work as inherited china, formal dinnerware, statement tableware or a collected pattern built slowly over time.

Collecting and replacing Wedgwood Florentine

When collecting or replacing Florentine, it is worth checking four things: colourway, pattern code, shape and condition.

The colourway confirms which version you have. The pattern code helps narrow it further. The shape matters because cups and saucers in particular need to fit correctly. Condition matters because Florentine is a fine china pattern, often with detailed borders and rims where wear can show.

Serving pieces are especially worth watching for. Teapots, coffee pots, lidded tureens, gravy boats, platters and jugs can be harder to replace than standard plates, simply because fewer survive in good condition and fewer may have been bought in the first place.

Why Florentine remains desirable

Florentine has many of the qualities people still look for in Wedgwood.

It is refined, decorative and instantly recognisable. It has history behind it, but it does not feel vague or generic. The border is detailed enough to reward close looking, while the strong colourways make it immediately identifiable on the table.

For some customers, it is inherited china. For others, it is a pattern they have chosen to collect. For many, it is simply a beautiful discontinued range they want to keep using.

That is exactly where replacement china becomes useful. A missing saucer, chipped plate or broken tureen lid does not have to mean the set is finished. With patience, individual pieces can often be found and brought back into use.

Finding the right Florentine piece

If you are trying to replace Wedgwood Florentine, start with the colourway and pattern code if you have it, along with a picture of the front of the piece and any measurements.

You can view our current stock of Wedgwood Florentine Turquoise, Wedgwood Florentine Navy and Wedgwood Florentine Arras Green on the website.

If you are not sure which version you have, our pattern identification guide is a useful place to start. You can also send us details of the pieces you are looking for, and we will do our best to help.

A Wedgwood classic with colour at its heart

Wedgwood Florentine is a reminder that colour can completely shape the personality of a pattern.

The design itself is historic, detailed and unmistakable, but Turquoise, Navy and Arras Green each give it a different mood. That is part of what makes Florentine so collectible, and part of what makes it important to match carefully.

It is not just Wedgwood Florentine.

It is which Wedgwood Florentine.