Archive for November, 2012

Chinese-English “monster mug”, c.1780

Saturday, November 24th, 2012

This is the story of a forced marriage between an 18th century Chinese porcelain mug and a 19th century English pottery jug, joined together by a mad tinker to live out the rest of their lives as one. The Qianlong period (1736-1795) mug with cobalt blue underglaze design stands 5-1/8″ high. The original handle, most likely in the form of a dragon, broke off sometime in the early 1800s. I imagine a clever repairer (or Dr. Frankenstein?) found a damaged English stoneware pottery jug, skillfully removed the intact snake-shaped handle and, using two metal rivets, reattached it to the body of a Chinese tankard…creating a hybrid Anglo-Asian monster mug!

This is what the original dragon handle on my Chinese mug would have looked like before it broke off. Photo courtesy of Ruby Lane

And this Mason’s Ironstone “Hydra” jug, made in Staffordshire, c.1830, shows the serpent handle intact. Photo courtesy of Selling Antiques

Miniature Davenport watering can, c.1860

Saturday, November 10th, 2012

English porcelain miniature watering can made by Davenport in the mid-1800s. Finely painted with multicolor floral and scrollwork design with gilt accents. Measures 2-3/4″ high to tip of moth form lid finial and is 3-1/2″ wide from end to end. Stamped in red with DAVENPORT in a banner with an anchor, dating it from 1850 to 1870. Three brass staples on the handle, with the aid of some sloppily applied glue, hold the three broken pieces back together again.

Glass kerosene oil lamp, c.1860

Sunday, November 4th, 2012

Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG) kerosene oil lamp in what appears to be the Hamilton (aka Cape Cod) pattern, made in America by the Cape Cod Glass Company circa 1860. Measures 8-3/4″ tall. Round 3 tier base of polished wood replaces the original glass base, broken many years ago and replaced in first quarter of the 20th century.