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.
One of the most unusual repairs I have seen can be found on this early 19th century English pearlware sugar bowl with strap handles. Both sides are decorated with the same cobalt blue transfer decoration of a sheep shearer in a pastoral setting.
Sugar bowl measures 3″ high by 5″ wide.
After a hole bore through the thin-walled ceramic bottom, a clever restorer used a small piece of glass as a patch. An early paper label reads “ENGLISH SOFT PASTE 1770”, incorrectly dating the piece to be about 55 years older than it actually is.
The underside of the sugar bowl reveals a glass patch held in place with putty. Although not an attractive repair, it was probably a quick fix and has lasted longer than the owner most likely anticipated.
This large soft paste pearlware ale mug was most likely made in Staffordshire, England in the late 1700s. Standing 6-1/2″ tall, the mug is decorated in cobalt blue underglaze with the “Chinese House” pattern, a popular middle class replacement for similarly decorated Chinese porcelain, affordable only to the wealthy. I am quite fond of this loose, stylized decoration; a melding of Eastern and Western influences. The sturdy 19th century replacement handle, with thumb rest and support straps, is made of Britannia metal, aka Britannium, a composite made up of 93% tin, 5% antimony and 2% copper. A traveling tinker made repairs such as this for the townspeople who saved their cherished broken wares in need of his services. Members of the upper class would have taken their damaged goods to a silversmith, resulting in a more refined sterling silver replacement.
This is what the simple loop handle must have looked like before it broke off, as seen on this similarly shaped mug of the same period.
photo courtesy of Earle D. Vandekar
Colorful pearlware baluster shaped coffee pot from England with double repairs and “King’s Rose” pattern decoration. Pot stands 12″ high, and has seen better days.
The base, riddled with large chips and no longer able to support the pot, was repaired with tin replacement in the middle to late 1800’s.
The ill-fitting domed lid, possibly from another piece in the set, originally had a skep shaped knob. This replaced knob, made of iron and looking like a large push pin, has been bolted through the top of the lid.
An astonishingly similar coffee pot, in wonderful condition, boasts its original base and finial.
Photo courtesy of Christie’s
Little girls were given fragile miniature tea sets such as this one, to practice their homemaking skills and to prepare themselves to become good wives, mothers and hostesses. This drabware soft past pottery set from the early 1800’s was made in England.
The teapot, with replacement metal handle & strap, measures 3-1/2″ tall.
I feel badly for the little girl who accidently broke the teapot, but I am glad her parents took it to their local tinsmith to be repaired, so it could one day end up in my collection.
An English pottery pearlware footed cream jug with cobalt blue transfer decoration, measures 5-1/4″ high.
This was purchased in London at the start of my collecting antiques with inventive repairs.
It remains one of the favorite pieces in my collection.
The broken handle was faithfully reproduced in woven rattan and I have yet to see another example like it.
The original handle, as seen on the same shaped jug below.
Photo courtesy of Merlin Antiques
English commemorative pearlware pottery jug from 1840, with transfer decoration portrait of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Jug measures 7″ high and has a royal blue background with hand painted pink lustre and gilt floral ornamentation
A tin handle with thumb grip and strap replaces the original ornate handle, shown here with remaining sharp fragment at the bottom.
The tin strap conceals the royal couple’s identity.
Intact example showing the unmasked couple and original, more elaborate handle
Photo courtesy of Knotty Pine Antiques