Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair

Pressed glass “Liberty Bell” goblet, c.1876

March 15th, 2010

This pressed glass goblet was made by Gillinder & Co. for the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876 as a commemorative souvenir. It is embossed with the Liberty Bell on one side and and printed “Declaration of Independence, 100 Years Ago, 1776-1876” on the other side.

Goblet measures 7-3/4″ high.

After the glass was most likely dropped and the original glass base shattered, a refined turned mahogany wood replacement base was attached.

This complete identical goblet shows what the glass base looked like.

Photo courtesy of Ruby Lane

Tags: American, glass, pattern glass, wood base
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Baluster cruet jug, c.1710

March 15th, 2010

A unusual Chinese porcelain baluster form cruet jug with beak spout, stands 5-1/2″ high. It is decorated in the Chinese Imari pattern, using cobalt blue and iron red enamel washes and gilt highlights.

The original porcelain handle has been replaced by a woven rattan covered gilt bronze handle, set at right angle.

These three examples of similarly formed cruet jugs each have their original handles & lids.

Photo courtesy of Christie’s

Tags: bronze, Chinese, Imari, metal handle, porcelain, rattan
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English silver lustre teapot, c.1820

March 15th, 2010

English silver lustre glazed pottery teapot with faceted, beaded & gadrooned body, stands 5.75 inches high and is 9.5 inches long.

One of the most common inventive repairs is a teapot spout replacement tip or shield. This repair was made by wrapping a single triangular shaped piece of tin and soldiering in place.

Another view of the teapot with its replaced spout tip.

An almost exact example is shown with a more elaborate eagle’s head handle.

Photo courtesy of Cathcart’s Antiques

Tags: English, lustre, metal spout
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Stoneware bean pot, c.1880

March 15th, 2010

American brown glazed stoneware bean pot with lid, measures 5-1/2″ high and is 8-1/2″ wide from handle to handle.

A mismatched lid from another piece has been “married” to this pot.

The lid has an incised number “2” on the top right edge.

This was most likely made in Ohio or Pennsylvania in the late 1800’s.

When the single applied stoneware handle broke off, twin metal handles and straps were attached to “improve” upon the original design. The small, lightweight handles are out scale with the heavy pot and have become misshapen from use.

A metal support strap around the top has a bolt and nut to insure a tight fit.

This pot still has its original single handle.

Photo courtesy of Cyber Attic

Tags: American, metal handle, pottery, stoneware
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Clews “Pittsfield Elm” plate, c.1825

March 14th, 2010

Spending my teenage years in a small town in the Berkshires meant frequent excursions to nearby Pittsfield, MA, home of three faded movie theaters, a large library and a Mexican restaurant. Once I remember seeing a “Pittsfield Elm” plate for sale in my parent’s antiques shop and feeling a sense of pride that a local tree was immortalized on a plate. This treasured pottery plate was made by James & Ralph Clews at Cobridge Works, Cobridge, Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, UK. They were made between 1818 and 1834 as a part of a highly collected line of Historical Blue Staffordshire pottery.

It has been held tightly together for over one hundred years with 5 flattened copper rivets, and measures 8-3/4″ in diameter.

This English pottery plate with deep cobalt blue transfer decoration is marked on the back WINTER VIEW OF PITTSFIELD MASS, CLEWS as well as impressed CLEWS WARRANTED STAFFORDSHIRE surrounding a crown.

The beloved “Old Elm” in Park Square, as seen in a 1855 engraving, was sadly cut down in 1861.

Photo courtesy of Image Museum

Tags: blue & white, English, Staffordshire, staples/rivets, transferware
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Milk glass hen pin cushion, c.1890

March 14th, 2010

Almost every home in America had a version of a molded glass hen on a nest covered dish. But most homes did not have this clever “make-do” pin cushion, made from just a broken lid. I assume the intact bottom half was reused as a dish, but the top half remains were encased in fabric and cotton batting, crocheted with red “feathers” around the neck and transformed in to a practical pin cushion.

Pin cushion hen measures 4-1/4″ high.

The mother hen pin cushion began life looking something like this.

Photo courtesy of Cornerstone Collectibles

Tags: American, glass
Posted in pin cushion/sewing | 4 Comments »

Bachelor’s salt glaze teapot, c.1820

March 14th, 2010

Black glazed pottery “one cup” (aka “Bachelor’s”) teapot from England with scroll relief decoration, stands 3-1/2″ high and was made in the early 1800s.

A simple tin replacement handle was most likely made by a traveling tinsmith in the 1800s.

The intact handle on an identical teapot to mine shows what the original handle looked like.

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Antiques

Tags: basalt, English, metal handle, salt glaze
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Mason’s Ironstone jug, c.1830

March 14th, 2010

A Large English paneled body pottery jug, made in North Staffordshire, England in the early nineteenth century. The Mason family of potters traded under various styles at Lane Delph and Fenton from 1800-54. Charles James Mason patented the famous “PATENT IRONSTONE CHINA” in 1813. Jug measures 8″ high.