Posts Tagged ‘transferware’

“Farmers Arms” harvest jug, c.1805

Saturday, October 15th, 2011

An English pearlware “Dutch” shape jug made in Staffordshire, England in the early 1800’s. It is decorated on both sides with a black transfer decoration with red & yellow overglaze washes and silver lustre bands at the top and bottom. Although it has been beat up over the past 200+ years, is riddled with numerous chips and cracks and lost its original handle along the way, I am glad to have plucked it from near oblivion.

The banner proclaims “INDUSTRY PRODUCETH WEALTH” along with images including a bee hive, shafts of wheat and farm tools.

Jug measures 4-3/4″ tall.

Below a banner which reads “TRUST IN GOD” is the verse:

“SUCCESS TO THE FLEECE

THE PLOUGH AND THE PAIL

MAY TAXES GROW LESS

AND THE TENANT NE’ER FAIL”

The replacement metal handle with thumb rest has been painted silver to blend in and appear more pleasing.

A metal bolt, securing the metal handle to the body of the jug, can be seen from the inside of the fragile jug.

This example has the same form and silver lustre decoration as my jug and shows what the original handle might have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Powerhouse Museum

Child’s transferware cream jug, c.1840

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

This diminutive cream colored pearlware pottery cream jug was part of a larger child’s tea set and was made in England in the first part of the nineteenth century.

It is decorated with a bat printed black transfer pastoral scene, which may have been inspired by an engraving from the same period.

Cream jug measures 2-3/4″ high.

The other side is decorated with a church scene with what appears to be fallen tombstones.

The crudely made metal replacement handle has crimped edges and a flat strap at the top, with a wrapped wire band at the base.

Another early child’s creamer from the early 1800’s is shown with its handle intact.

Photo courtesy of WorthPoint

“Beehive” pattern waste bowl, c.1820

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

This English-made soft paste pottery waste bowl was originally part of a larger tea set. Waste bowls, aka slop bowls, were used for pouring out the remaining cold tea before pouring another cup of tea. It has a cobalt blue & white transfer decoration of a bee skep in a bucolic pastoral setting

The many cracks on the sides have been stabilized by the careful addition of small ridged metal staples, which appear to be machine made

A single bent metal staple affixed to the underside acts as a crutch and ingeniously supports the broken base

Bowl measures 2-1/2″ high with a dimeter of 4-1/8″

“John Bull” Staffordshire jug, c.1812

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

A rare soft paste pottery jug with transfer decoration and overglaze polychrome washes featuring a Napoleonic  political cartoon. Made in Staffordshire, England and marked “T. Harley – Lane End”.

Thomas Harley (1778-1832) produced earthenware jugs and other wares in his Lane End (now Longton) studio from 1805-1812. In 1814 he was involved in a meeting which called for the abolition of the slave trade.

Jug measures 7-1/2″ high and is featured in AN ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BRITISH POTTERY AND PORCELAIN by Geoffrey A. Godden, Bonanza Books Inc., N.Y., 1966.

A now rusted metal handle with thumb rest, made by a metalsmith over 100 years ago, replaces the original damaged ceramic handle.

This rare example with intact handle shows what my jug looked like before a clumsy person dropped it.

 

Photo courtesy of Commemorative Ceramics

“Amoy” pattern water jug, c.1845

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

This large transferware water jug dates from the mid-1800’s and was made in England by William Ridgway. It is decorated with the “Amoy” pattern, an exotic blue & white Chinoiserie design. It had a matching basin and was part of a larger wash set that would have been found on top of a bedroom washstand

Jug measures 13″ tall

Chinoiserie (“Chinese-esque”) decoration was quite popular in Europe since being introduced by the French in the 17th century. Playing with scale, it employs asymmetrical images of an imaginary China, its popularity peaking by the middle of the 18th century

Marked in cobalt blue “AMOY W.R.” on the bottom

When the original handle snapped off, a large metal handle with thumb rest and finger grip was strapped on to make the jug functional

This blue & white transfer jug has a simple handle; most likely the same shape was on my jug

Photo courtesy of Country Living

Child’s waste bowl, c.1830

Monday, July 19th, 2010

A child’s waste bowl with brown printed transfer decoration on soft paste pearlware pottery, made in England in the early 1800’s. This small waste bowl was part of a child’s tea set which would have included a teapot, cream jug, sugar jar, plates, cups & saucers. The waste bowl (aka slop bowl) was used for emptying unwanted cold tea before refilling a cup with hot tea

One side of the bowl has a printed design depicting a girl and boy chasing a butterfly…

…the other side shows the same girl and boy after the successful capture of the butterfly

After the bowl was dropped and broke in to four pieces, it was taken to a tinsmith who created an elaborate metal truss to keep it intact. A puddle of light blue glaze seen on the inner rim confirms this to be a piece of pearlware pottery. Bowl measures 2-1/2″ high and has a diameter of 5″

Large Sunderland jug, c.1855

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

This “Dutch” shape pottery jug was made in Sunderland, England, to commemorate the Crimean War. Decorated on one side with black transfer image of “A Frigate in Full Sail”, with overglaze polychrome enamel and pink lustre decoration

Most Sunderland pieces were produced at Anthony Scott’s Pottery in Southwick, Dawson’s Pottery in Low Ford (now South Hylton), or at Dixon, Austin & Co., all along England’s Northeast coast

Jug stands 8-1/2″ tall and is 13″ wide

A faux coat of arms with “CRIMEA” flanked by an eagle and a lion, English and French flags, along with banners that read: “MAY THEY EVER BE UNITED” and “VIVE L’EMP, REUR…GOD SAVE THE QUEEN”

A large metal handle with thumb rest and finger grip replaced the pottery handle formerly on the jug. Small metal tabs are all that remains of the support band seen at the top of the handle, as well as rust stains on the jug’s front surface

This jug with identical Crimean War transfer decoration still has its original handle

Photo courtesy of WorthPoint

Pearlware sugar bowl, c.1825

Friday, May 28th, 2010

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.

“Stone China” transferware jug, c.1830

Friday, May 14th, 2010

“Filled-in transfer” is the term describing the of use of multicolor enamel washes over printed transfer decoration. This English “Dutch” shape jug was most likely made by Spode, founded by Josiah Spode in Stoke-on-Trent in 1767. His “Stone China” line, a new type of stoneware that gave the appearance of porcelain, was introduced in 1813 to great acclaim.

This oriental style of decoration copied the popular Chinese export porcelains of the 18th & 19th century.

Jug measures 5″ high by 7″ wide.

Cobalt blue transfer mark printed on the bottom includes the ubiquitous lion and unicorn.

Tin handle has rusted over the years but still functions as a practical replacement.

This jug with similar form and transfer decoration maintains its original handle.

Photo courtesy of Hudson Antiques

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.

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Photo courtesy of eBay