Posts Tagged ‘porcelain’

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Chinese Mandarin port scene mug, c.1750

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Porcelain mug made in China for export to Europe and North America, with polychrome underglaze port scene in the Mandarin palette

Bold cobalt blue Fitzhugh border encircles the rim

Mug measures 4-3/4″ high

The broken porcelain handle was replaced sometime in the late 1700’s to mid-1800’s with one made of iron and in the same shape as the original. It was gessoed and painted with white enamel, now faded to a cream color, to match the body of the mug

You can see the original handle on this mug with the same shape and similar decoration

Photo courtesy of Hartleys Auctions

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Clobbered Imari teapot, c.1730

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

Chinese porcelain globular form teapot with cobalt blue underglaze Nanking design, “clobbered” in the mid-1700’s with red & gilt overglaze in Imari style decoration

Surprisingly, the extended lid finial has survived the past 300 years intact. Teapot measures 5″ high

Original porcelain spout was replaced in the mid-18th to early 19th century with a well formed metal spout and round backplate

This beautiful clobbered Imari teapot shows what the original spout on my teapot might have looked like

Photo courtesy of M. Ford Creech Antiques

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Chinese Imari mug, c.1770

Monday, May 31st, 2010

This Chinese export ribbed barrel form mug is decorated in the Imari style with polychrome enamel and gilding. Chinese Imari porcelains are copies of popular Japanese Imari pieces of the mid 17th to early 18th century and were made for export to Europe and North America

Rim is decorated with an alternating diaper & floral spring design

Mug measures 4-3/4″ high and has a 2-3/4″ diameter opening

The replaced silver handle & rim were exquisitely crafted by an experienced silversmith and I only wish they left their hallmark. It is some of the finest silver work I have seen on a repaired item. Porcelain handle fragments enable the new silver handle to be mounted, in the same manner as a crown is attached to the remains of a tooth

This mug, identical in form and decoration to mine, still has its original handle. But it too has been repaired, this time using metal staples to hold it together. There seems to be a design flaw as the delicate handle couldn’t support the weight of the heavy mug…especially when filled with ale.

Photo courtesy of eBay

 

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German doll head pen wiper, c.1900

Monday, May 17th, 2010

What do you do when a bisque doll’s body breaks? Naturally you turn the unbroken doll head in to a pen wiper! At least that is exactly what someone did in the early 1900’s to recycle a broken toy.

Unmarked German bisque doll head with a human hair wig, stationary glass eyes, painted lashes, eyebrows & mouth

Home made pen wipers were common household items and were used to remove excess ink from dip pens. Once the ink was on the page, a paper blotter was used to soak in the excess ink so it would not smear. This pen wiper measures 3-1/2″ tall

Below is an illustration from a Victorian craft book, showing how to make a decorative pen wiper, with the following description: “Girls are always trying to find something which they can make to delight their papas, and a gay little pen-wiper with fresh uninked leaves rarely comes amiss to a man who likes an orderly writing-table”

Photo courtesy of KnitHeaven

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6 matching “Log Cabin” plates, c.1790

Friday, April 30th, 2010

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.

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Bone china cup with saucer, c.1850

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Although found together, this Victorian bone china teacup has nothing at all to do with the Imari patterned saucer, as they were “married” sometime after the saucer went missing. The only mark on the teacup is “2/1247”, hand painted in red on the bottom. The undamaged saucer is marked “Pointons England” on the bottom and dates from 1891. I would have been thrilled had the saucer also been a recipient of an inventive repair!

I do love the simple yet effective replaced handle on the cup, made from a bent iron rod

The ends of the iron rod protrude through carefully drilled holes on the inside of the cup

Teacup measures 2-1/4″ high, 3-5/8″ in diameter and the saucer measures 5-1/2″ in diameter

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Child’s cream jug, c.1840

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

This small pottery creamer from a child’s tea service is 3 inches tall and has green transfer decoration depicting a woman with a basket of flowers and a castle in the distance.

This close up shows the pointillist transfer decal decoration in “high definition”.

A crudely made copper armature was attached as the base structure for a replacement handle. Many layers of gesso and enamel matching the original colors were applied over this, but have since fallen away.

Another jug with similar form and decoration suggests what the handle on my little jug may have looked like.

Screen Shot 2016-03-28 at 10.18.09 AM

Photo courtesy of eBay

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Kangxi period dish, c.1700

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

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.

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Blue & white Chinese teapot, c.1790

Monday, April 19th, 2010

This Chinese export porcelain teapot with globular (aka bullet) form has a blue underglaze decoration and a simple looped handle.

Teapot measures 4-1/2″ high.

Nicely painted decoration of a man on horseback is featured on both sides of the teapot.

Not only has the spout been replaced with silver sometime in the early to mid 1800’s…

…but the lid now sports a nicely turned wood replacement knob.

The wood replacement knob is held in place with this early, hand forged bolt & nut.

This example shows what the original spout and knob may have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Collectibles Articles

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Globular teapot with double repairs, c.1750

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Someone must have really loved this much abused Chinese export porcelain teapot with globular form and famille rose decoration. Not only does it have a severely chipped lid but it lost its original spout and handle sometime during its long life.

Teapot measures 5″ high.

The same red and green enamel decoration is on both sides.

A loose, cartoon-like decoration is revealed upon closer inspection.

When the porcelain handle broke off it was replaced with a wooden handle, possibly from a pewter teapot. It was repaired again later with reinforcement wire

A silver plated spout replaces the original one, sometime in the late 18th to mid 19th century.

Surprisingly, the original lid with skep-shaped knob has survived, though it bears the battle scars of large chips along the outer edge.

This teapot is in excellent condition and has both its handle and spout intact.

Photo courtesy of AntikWest

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