Archive for June, 2010

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Bullet shaped clobbered teapot, c.1740

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

A bullet (aka globular) form porcelain teapot made in China, started out with a simple cobalt blue underglaze decoration. Later in life, it was “clobbered” in the Imari style, as a more ornate and colorful type of porcelain was in favor at the time. It was over painted in washes of iron-red, pink, orange and blue enamel. Teapot stands 4-1/4″ high

The broken spout was replaced in the 19th century with a new one made of silver plate

A nicely scalloped silver collar was added in the 1800’s to mask the chipped rim

My porcelain teapot’s bullet form was based on European silver, as is evident in this 18th century silver teapot

photo courtesy of M.S. Rau Antiques

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Transfer printed “Field Sports” jug, c.1840

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

A pottery cream jug made by John Ridgway & Co. in Staffordshire, England. The transfer printed decoration in brown & green is highlighted with red and green overglaze washes. This piece almost did not make it in to my collection. During my last trip to London in the spring of 2009, I saw the jug at an unattended market stall. Each time I went back to try and find the dealer, he was nowhere to be found. I almost gave up, but finally with the help of his neighbors, I tracked him down. Luckily, the price was right and after all of the effort, I had to buy it!

Jug measures 5″ high

Marked on the bottom: “FIELD SPORTS, J R Co.” with an incised “2”

The replaced metal handle is bolted through the back of the jug

This jug, made by Elijah Jones in the Country Sports pattern, shows what the original handle on my jug may have looked like. As this piece was manufactured around 1830, it seems my jug was a copy of the successful design about 10 years later

staff jug

Photo courtesy of eBay

 

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Royal Crown Derby plate, c.1880

Monday, June 28th, 2010

English pottery plate with popular “Japan style” decoration in the Imari palette of dark blue, red and gold on white. Plate measures 7″ in diameter and bears no manufacturer marks. Please see an earlier entry, “Wedgwood Imari Teapot, 1880” posted on March 13, 2010, which has a similar decoration

When the plate was dropped and broke in to seven pieces, a china mender used thirteen small metal staples to mend the breaks

White enamel paint was used to help mask the “unsightly” repair job

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“Pleat & Panel” glass cake stand, c.1882

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Early American Pattern Glass (aka EAPG) cake stand in the “Pleat & Panel” pattern made by  Bryce Brothers in Pittsburgh, PA, dates from 1882. It measures 6-3/4″ high and has a 9″ x 9″ top surface

A simple metal sleeve encases the broken stem after it snapped. This is one of the more simple, yet effective repairs I have seen

An identical cake stand below did not suffer the same fate as mine and sports an unscathed stem

Photo courtesy of Silver Quill Antiques

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Copper lustre jug, c.1820

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

English soft paste pearlware jug with copper lustre bands, pink lustre trim and applied low relief classical decoration of frolicking cherubs and animals. It was most likely made by Wedgwood around 1820.

A metal bolt, visible just below the pink lustre band inside of the jug, holds the replaced handle securely in place

Jug stand 3-3/4″ tall and is 5-1/2″ wide

A metal handle was bolted on to the body of the jug to replace the original handle after it broke off. Curiously, the metal replacement was gilded to match the copper color of the jug and not white to more closely resemble the original handle color

This jug, with the same form and similar decoration, shows what the original handle of my repaired jug would have looked like

Photo courtesy of Aurea Carter Antiques

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American “make-do” at the MET, c.1791

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is home to many examples of antiques (and antiquities) with inventive repairs. Some are on display for the public to see and many more are buried away in their vast archive collection.

This blown and engraved glass presentation goblet is inscribed in script on the back: “New Bremen Glassmanufactory, 1791” and is inscribed on the base: “Presented to Thomas Mifflin, Governor of Pennsylvania”. It was made by John Frederick Amelung in New Bremen, Maryland and measures 10″ tall. This goblet can be seen in the American Wing in a showcase on the second level.

Photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Mandarin teapot with Rococo spout, c.1790

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

Chinese export globular form porcelain teapot made in China in the late 1700’s and painted with polychrome underglaze enamels in the Mandarin palette.

Teapot measures 6-1/4″ tall by 9-1/2″ wide.

This unusual Rococo style silver replacement spout was added after the original spout broke off.

As an added bonus, the chipped lid is repaired with three metal staples.

The teapot below shows what the original spout on my mended teapot would have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Richard Gould Antiques

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Yellow ware jug, c.1830

Monday, June 21st, 2010

This mochaware/yellow ware jug has certainly seen better days. It has survived almost 200 years somewhat intact but bears the scars of neglect, including cracks, chips, a worn base, and the complete loss of its original handle

It is modestly decorated with simple white and green glazed incised bands and scattered brown leaf sprigs

Jug measures 5-1/2″ tall and is marked “3A3” on the bottom. The original applied handle was repaired with tin replacement around 100 years ago

The applied handle on this intact yellow ware jug gives an idea of what my sad jug’s original handle may have looked like

photo courtesy of Martyn Edgell Antiques

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Nanking reticulated basket, c.1750

Friday, June 18th, 2010

This HEAVY Chinese pierced porcelain basket for fruit or chestnuts has numerous crudely executed cut out holes for ventilation. It dates from the Qianlong period (1736-95) and is boldly decorated in a cobalt blue underglaze decoration of flowers and medallions

Basket measures 12″ long, 9″ deep, 3″ high

The central floral motif is beautifully rendered but the border design is painted in a more rustic style and was perhaps done by another artist

Due to the extreme weight of this piece, it took a restorer 29 metal staples to repair the bottom alone…

17 staple repairs and 5 metal clips (some with blue and white paint to help mask the metal intrusions) to repair the sides…

and a single metal bolt to hold together one of the handles, for a surprising total of 52 separate repairs. So far, this basket holds the record for the highest number of staple repairs on a single piece!

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Salt glazed drabware teapot, c.1800

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

English stoneware pottery teapot with neoclassic molded relief panel design. This form was copied from a c.1790 Spode caneware teapot, which they had copied from Neal & Co. a few years earlier. It was not unusual for manufacturers to “borrow” designs from each other and they would usually vary the spout or handle design just a bit to make the designs more unique.

Teapot measures 5″ tall and has an identical urn with swags motif on both sides.

An existing metal lid from another object was trimmed to fit this teapot, after the original stoneware lid broke.

The underside of the flimsy metal replacement lid.

The photo below shows what the original lid would have looked like, before it was replaced by the metal lid. The teapot on the top was made by Neale & Co. and dates from 1778-92. Spode made the bottom teapot, dating from 1790.

From the book “British Teapots & Tea Drinking” by Robin Emmerson, published in London by HMSO in 1992.

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