This pair of antique Wedgwood Black Basalt sphinxes is made from matte-black stoneware.
Their finely textured surfaces appear almost velvety, while the sharply molded wings, serene faces, ribbed headdresses, muscular paws, and boldly curled tails give the pair extraordinary sculptural presence.
The Neoclassical sphinx form is based on a design created by Robert Adam around 1763 and adapted by Wedgwood as a ceramic model during the late 1760s.
The dramatic combination of winged female sphinxes wearing Egyptian-inspired headdresses gives the pair an unmistakably ancient character.
Each sphinx has a woman’s head, a lion’s body, large feathered wings, powerful forepaws, and a long curled tail.
Each rests on a simple rectangular base. Made as a complementary pair during the mid-19th century, they face one another when displayed together.
Wedgwood’s Black Basalt is a dense, fine-grained stoneware particularly suited to sharply molded sculptural ornament.
This is beautifully demonstrated in the layered feathers of the wings, finely modeled facial features, ribbed headdresses, muscular paws, and boldly curled tails.
In a library or traditional interior, their velvety black surfaces would blend beautifully with polished wood and rich color.
Displayed on a white mantel or console in a contemporary room, they would appear stark, graphic, and exciting, becoming an immediate focal point.

Reference: Robin Reilly and George Savage, The Dictionary of Wedgwood, page 323.
Maker: Wedgwood
Origin: England
Mark: The underside of each sphinx is impressed WEDGWOOD in uppercase letters
Provenance: The O. Lenhart Collection; one sphinx retains its Lenhart collection label
Dimensions: 6 1/2 inches long x 4 1/4 inches high x 2 1/2 inches wide
Condition: Excellent
Date: Mid-19th century, circa 1850

Background of Wedgwood Black Basalt Sphinxes
During the late 18th century, Josiah Wedgwood perfected a dense black stoneware that he named Black Basalt because it resembled natural basalt stone.
Its deep, uniform color and exceptionally crisp surface made it ideal for sculptural forms inspired by antiquity.
Wedgwood’s sphinx models reflect the late 18th-century fascination with classical and Egyptian imagery.
The winged female form, combined with an Egyptian-style headdress, creates a powerful Neoclassical interpretation rather than a literal copy of an ancient sculpture.
The design is related to a sphinx conceived by the celebrated Neoclassical architect Robert Adam around 1763 for Osterley Park. Monumental lead sphinxes were also associated with Adam’s decorative schemes for Syon House and other great British houses.