Posts Tagged ‘porcelain’

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Nanking barrel form mug, c.1770

Monday, April 12th, 2010

Chinese export porcelain barrel form mug with cobalt blue underglaze Nanking decoration, measuring 5″ high. As this mug is the perfect size and shape for holding pencils, it sits on my home office desk as a pencil cup.

Visible cracks with metal staple repairs are seen all around the mug.

The rich cobalt blue underglaze decoration includes this beautifully rendered building.

This mug is a lucky survivor of much abuse over the past 240 years, as is evident from the various cracks, chips and a missing handle.

I have only seen a few examples of metal replacement handles covered in woven wire with a pattern emulating rattan.

Metal staples, painted white and blue to blend in to the glazed decoration, still hold the cracks tightly together.

This mug with similar form has its original handle, with a blue heart-shaped thumb rest, intact.

Photo courtesy of Earle D. Vandekar

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Famille rose cream jug, c.1790

Friday, April 9th, 2010

My father gave me this Chinese porcelain baluster form sparrow beak cream jug for my 38th birthday.

It dates from the Qianlong period (1736-96) and measures 5″ high.

The sides are decorated with enamel floral decoration in the famille rose palette.

What really makes this piece exceptionable is the simply shaped, hallmarked sterling silver replacement handle.

I have not looked up these marks, but once I do I will be able to identify the maker and the year this handle was made. Until then, if anyone knows about these marks I would love to know.

This similar jug is missing its lid but still has its original handle, in the shape of a ruyi scepter.

Photo courtesy of Three Empires

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Famille rose teapot painted “en camaïeu”, c.1750

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

Globular shaped porcelain teapot from China has a subtle, “en camaïeu” (monochromatic) iron-red enamel floral design in the famille rose style.

The same nicely painted decoration is found on both sides of the teapot.

Teapot was made for export to North America and Europe and stands 5-1/4″ tall.

When the spout broke off sometime in the late 1700s to early 1800s, the teapot was taken to a silversmith for replacement. A family of great wealth must have originally owned this piece, as the silver repair indicates.

Another example of a Chinese porcelain teapot with its original spout intact.

Photo courtesy of Pater Gratia Oriental Art

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Chinese export sauce boat, c.1780

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

I found this porcelain sauce boat nearly 20 years ago during my first “official” search for antiques with creative repairs in London, June 1991. Actually, this was one of a pair of matching sauce boats with identical replaced handles. Knowing I did not have enough money to purchase both pieces, the dealer split up the set and sold me just one. A lovely gesture that I appreciated at the time, but now I am sorry that someone lost out on the opportunity of owning the pair

This was one of four antiques with inventive repairs I found during that memorable trip. You can check out the other three pieces, which I have already posted: English copper lustre jug, Globular Chinese export teapot and Chinese “clobbered” saucer

The inside is painted in a famille rose underglaze floral design, and it measures 8″ from bow to stern, and is 2-3/4″ high. The sturdy replacement handle is made of forged iron

This example still has its original applied porcelain handle

Photo courtesy of Andrew Dando

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Mandarin mug with hunting scene, c.1750

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Chinese porcelain mug made for export during the Qianlong period, measures 5″ high

Decorated with panels depicting a hunting scene in the Mandarin style

With a beautifully painted cobalt blue Fitzhugh style border

The original handle was replaced with a gesso covered aluminum armature, painted to match the porcelain. Time has not been kind to the handle, as very little gesso remains with just a hint of color

This is what the original handle might have looked like

Photo courtesy of Andrew Dando

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Porcelain teapot “en grisaille”, c.1750

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

This Chinese export porcelain teapot from the middle 19th century is globular in form and decorated “en grisaille” (painted in shades of gray) with gilt highlights along the top rim.

Teapot measures 3-3/4″ high.

The simply shaped original spout was replaced with a finely detailed bronze spout in the form of a serpent.

Another teapot decorated en grisaille, shown with original spout and lid.

Photo courtesy of Richard Gould Antiques

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Sparrow beak cream jug, c.1750

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Chinese export pear shaped porcelain jug with sparrow beak from the mid-1700’s with multi color enamel decoration in the Mandarin style, stands 4″ tall.

Blue painted metal replacement handle and LOTS of strapwork guarantee many years of use, after the more delicate original handle broke off.

This Chinese porcelain jug with similar form and decoration shows what the original handle on my jug might have looked like.

chinese jug

Photo courtesy of Ruby Lane

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Chinese famille rose Mandarin teapot, c.1750

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

Globular shaped Chinese export porcelain teapot has finely painted enamel and gilt “Mandarin” decoration.

Both sides of the teapot have exquisitely detailed figures painted in the famille rose palette.

Teapot measures 5-1/2″ to the top of the lid.

The nicely woven rattan covered bronze handle is a replacement, fabricated in the late 18th to early 19th century.

This teapot with similar shape body and spout shows what the original handle might have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Guest & Gray

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Pratt “Native Scenery” tea caddy, c.1900

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

English porcelain tea caddy with blue and white transfer decoration, made by F & R Pratt and Company of Fenton, Staffordshire from 1880 to 1920. The scene is believed to depict Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby known as “The Ladies of Llangollen” who lived together in North Wales from 1790 to 1831.

Tea caddy measures 5-3/4″ high.

Marked in blue transfer on the bottom “Pratts Native Scenery”.

Clever copper strap repair holds together the two broken halves of the lid.

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Meissen style trinket box, c.1890

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

I found this oddity in a gift shop in Provencetown, MA and thought it was so ugly I almost didn’t buy it. But the “beauty” of this repair is that the entire lower portion of the covered box that was lost, has been lovingly recreated out of wood.

The back view of the wine barrel-shaped box, which measures 7-3/4″ high and 6-1/2″ long, shows great skill and detail.

Matching the faux woodgrain on the porcelain top, a craftsman painted the replaced wooden bottom to look like porcelain, which had already been painted to look like wood!

Wonderful details include this minutely carved spigot.

The porcelain figure on top of my trinket box…

is very similar to this c. 1800 Meissen porcelain figure of a boy holding grapes

Photo courtesy of M. S. Rau Antiques

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