pottery « Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair

Posts Tagged ‘pottery’

Early Delft vase, c.1680

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

I believe this Dutch or German Delft vase to be the earliest piece in my collection. It is made of tin-glazed earthenware and decorated with a blue & white Chinese motif, as were most European ceramic pieces dating from the 17th and 18th centuries

Time has not been kind to this very heavy vase, which stands 10-1/2″ tall, but it must have been cherished by its owners over the past 330 years or so. It has survived the loss of its original base and bears the battle scars of large chips and cracks, restored many years after it was first made

It now stands on a wobbly, cracked wooden base, painted blue and white to match the body of the vase. Unfortunately, the painted surface has become unstable, flaking each time the vase is touched

Tags:blue & white, Dutch, pottery, tin glaze, wood base
Posted in vase/vessel | No Comments »

Yixing teapot, c.1830

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

This condensed globular form Chinese teapot was made from purple granular “zisha” clay (containing mica, quartz and iron) and found only in Yixing (pronounced ee-shing), in the east coast province of Jiangsu. Due to its unique self seasoning capabilities, after many years of use you can brew tea just by pouring boiling water into an empty pot

A metalsmith created a new lid out of brass after the original one broke or was lost. I love the simple hand-hammered form and delicately curled knob. Teapot measures 4″ high, 8″ wide

Chinese character maker’s marks are incised on the bottom. Please excuse me if I have shown the marks upside down

This example has its original lid, which is amazing, as it was recovered from the 1840 Desaru shipwreck, discovered in May 2001

Photos courtesy of Nanhai Marine Archaeology

Tags:Chinese, metal lid, pottery, Yixing
Posted in teapot | 1 Comment »

Spanish tin glazed jug, c.1800

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

I found this large tin glazed earthenware olive oil jug at a tiny gem of an antique shop in Seville, Spain. While looking for a restaurant open for dinner before 10PM, we stumbled upon the shop, tucked away on a small side street. As the lovely Spanish shop owner spoke very little English and I barely speak any Spanish, we had a challenging but fun time communicating and bargaining.

I love the simple shape of this jug, which stands nearly 12″ tall…

as well as the slightly askew applied handle and beautiful green color.

The entire bottom of the jug is held together with large metal rivets.

Tags:pottery, Spanish, staples/rivets, tin glaze
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Staffordshire child’s mug, c.1840

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

This little pearlware pottery mug was made in Staffordshire, England in the mid-1800’s and was meant to be a “Present for a good boy”.

The cobalt blue transfer decoration depicts a bucolic country house with mother standing outside, a school and a waterfall.

The sharp remains of the original ceramic handle protrudes from the unusual tin plate and scrolled handle repair, not ideal for the fingers of a small boy.

Mug measures 2-3/4″ tall.

Even though the bottom of the mug is undamaged, it is completely covered in tin.

This child’s mug with similar form and transfer decoration has its original applied handle intact.

Photo courtesy of eBay

Tags:blue & white, English, metal handle, pottery, Staffordshire, transferware
Posted in mug/tankard | No Comments »

Set of five Lambeth jugs, c.1870

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

This is the holy grail of antiques with inventive repairs…a set of five matching two-tone salt glazed stoneware jugs with matching replaced tin handles! Each jug has a fox hunt scene in relief; the three larger jugs are marked “QUART” and the two smaller ones have “PINT” incised on the front. They were made in Lambeth (now known as Waterloo), a borough within London, England. I purchased the set from a dealer in New Jersey who loved them as much as I do. It took a couple of visits and a little bit of coaxing to convince her to sell them to me, as I assured her they were going to a good home.

These three jugs are quart-sized and measure 7″ tall.

And these two jugs are pint-sized and are 5-1/4″ tall.

All jugs have replaced handles with two straps made from tin, as well as multiple cracks and chips. If these jugs could talk I am sure they would tell colorful tales of life in an 19th century English pub!

This is what a Lambeth jug looks like with its handle intact.

Photo courtesy of Eron Johnson Antiques

Tags:English, metal handle, pottery, salt glaze, stoneware
Posted in jug | 1 Comment »

Lustreware goblet, c.1860

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Molded copper lustre goblet with classical relief design of figures in a chariot, measures 5″ high and dates from the mid-1800’s. Due to the proliferation of lustreware in England, coupled with the fragile nature of the clay, it is not uncommon to see inventive repairs on pieces such as this.

A detail of the child-like enamel decoration and the heavy “witch’s hat” shaped black-painted iron replacement base.

A goblet with floral decoration and similar shape maintains its original base

Photo courtesy of Appleby Antiques

Tags:English, lustre, metal base, pottery
Posted in glass/goblet | No Comments »

Redware jug with lid, c.1870

Friday, March 26th, 2010

This 6″ tall cracked jug with a replaced mismatched lid and tin base, possibly from Pennsylvania, is covered in a web of hand woven wire.

Redware pottery is earthenware made from red clay containing ferrous oxide, and the dark spots on the surface are a result of manganese in the glaze.

the cracked base was completely covered in wire and tin, now rusted. Please take a look at Tuscan pottery jug, another example of an earthenware jug with a similar repair.

This antique redware jug with similar form is without cracks and wire reinforcement.

Photo courtesy of Malleries

Tags:American, metal base, pottery, wire
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“Sailor’s Farewell & Return” jug, c.1800

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Prattware molded pottery jug from England with relief decoration and rare “PRATT” incised mark on bottom. Measures 5″ high. One side depicts a sailor bidding farewell to his lady.

And the other side of the jug shows them happily reunited upon his return home.

The plain metal handle replaces the original one, made of earthenware.

It is extremely rare to find a piece with an incised “PRATT” mark on bottom.

A similar jug without an inventive repair shows what the original handle looked like.

Photo courtesy of John Howard

Tags:English, metal handle, pottery, prattware
Posted in jug | No Comments »

Mochaware “Seaweed” pattern mug, c.1850

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

This cylinder-shaped soft paste English tavern mug from the mid-1800’s has blue & teal bands with a lovely seaweed pattern.

The front of the mug has an embossed cartouche bearing the word “PINT”, covered by its metal strap.

Judging from the multiple cracks, chips and handle loss, this poor mug must have been caught up in the middle of a bar room brawl. The original applied handle has been replaced with a sturdy tin handle and straps, sometime in the late 1800’s.