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
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!
Blue & white transfer printed pearlware pottery saucer, showing a group of inebriated cherubs picking grapes. Measures 4-3/4″ in diameter.
Made in England by Patterson & Co. in the early 19th century.
Marked on the bottom with the number “84” in blue, but without a maker’s name.
Saucer was repaired in the 19th century and is now held together with one dozen metal staples, including some of the smallest examples I have ever seen at 3/8″ long.
Tin glaze earthenware bowl made in the town of Puente del Arzobispo, near Talavera de la Reina, an important ceramic center in the Castilla – La Mancha province of Spain. Puenta became one of the most important centers for ceramic production, after being founded in the early 1200’s.
Nine 2″ long rustic iron staples repair the cracks in this bowl.
Green, yellow and brown tin under glaze decorate the bowl’s surface with an abstract design.
Bowl measures 11-1/4″ diam, 5″ high.
Every one of these six matching broken Chinese export porcelain plates is held together with large brass staples, visible only from the back. I imagine the complete set of dishes was much larger than the six repaired examples I own, but I am thankful someone weeded out the “perfect” ones and left me with the more interesting much preferred damaged goods!
Out of all of the different types of inventive repairs I have shown thus far, people seem to be the most fascinated with staple & rivet repairs. I will be showing rare illustrations and photos documenting this repair procedure in upcoming posts, so please stay tuned.
Plate 1, The champion with 14 staple repairs.
Plate 2, another winner and tied for first place with 14 staples.
Plate 3, repaired with an impressive 9 staples.
Plate 4, not too shabby with 8 staples.
Plate 5, another plate with 8 staple repairs.
Plate 6, still lovely with an impressive 6 staples.
This detail shows the rich cobalt blue under glaze “log cabin” or timber frame decoration, inspired by an English design by Spode. This pattern is also known as “trench mortar”.
Each plate measures 9-1/2″ in diameter.
I am a big fan of clobbered (over-decorated) porcelains and this piece does not disappoint. A Chinese export porcelain teapot, measuring 5-1/4″ high, originally with blue underglaze Nanking decoration fell out of fashion shortly after it was made. In order to keep up with the sudden demand for polychrome Chinese ceramics, factories took the unwanted pieces with blue decoration and overpainted with brightly colored enamels, often without regard for the original design
And if that wasn’t enough, when the handle broke off it was repaired using metal staples and wrapped with lead. The result is less than attractive but the sturdy repair makes the teapot once again serviceable
This teapot escaped the hand of a painter with polychrome enamels and retains its original blue decoration
Photo courtesy of Equinox Antiques
A ribbed surface Chinese porcelain dish with the “Hundred Antiques” pattern is decorated in a famille verte palette, depicting culturally significant items of the period including vases, textiles and utensils.
After the dish broke and was repaired with metal staples, it was placed in an elaborate circa 1750 bronze rococo mount with cherubs.
10 metal staples were used to hold this dish back together again.
The dish alone is 6″ in diameter and measures 9-3/4″ long including the added bronze mount.
An unusual detail is a porcelain fragment from another broken object, added to the top portion of the mount.
If anyone has information on this mark, please let me know.
This pair of lightweight creamware tea cups, each measuring 2-5/8″ tall, has orange transfer decoration with the “Liverpool Birds” pattern
These were most likely made in Wedgwood, England
When the handle of the cup on the right broke in three places, metal cleats were attached on either side of the cracks and painted to mask the repair
The cup on the left has metal staples holding the cracks stable and were also painted to match the body of the cup
This wins the prize for being the largest antique with an inventive repair in my collection. I found this grain shovel, hand carved from one piece of wood, at an antique shop only a few miles from my weekend house in upstate NY. It measures 36″ long by 13″ wide and I believe the wood to be pine.
It was not unusual for large utilitarian pieces carved from a single piece of wood to crack. The farmer who repaired this piece was quite thorough, using a large piece of metal and dozens of small nails to repair the split blade.
Wooden “one piece” shovels of this design were first made by the Shakers in the early to mid 1800’s.
A pair of iron straps were nailed to the back of the blade to help secure the break.
I am still researching this 3″ high by 5-1/2″ wide black basalt open sugar bowl with an incised WEDGWOOD mark on the bottom.
I purchased this piece of jasperware in London at the Covent Garden Market and was told by the dealer that the piece dates from 1753, though I feel it to be from a later date, and that the hallmarks on the (added?) sterling silver rim date to 1853.
Cracks in both handles are now supported by the addition of four silver bands riveted through to the inside of the bowl.
If anyone knows more about this piece, I would greatly appreciate any further information you may have.