Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair

Victoria and Albert jug, c.1840

March 14th, 2010

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

Tags: commemorative, English, metal handle, pearlware, transferware
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Large Chinese Mandarin mug, c.1780

March 14th, 2010

Heavy porcelain Chinese export mug with flared base made during the Quinlong Period (1736-95) measures 6-1/2″ high. It has an intricately painted courtyard scene in the Mandarin palette with polychrome enamel decoration, including a diaperwork background with gilt highlights.

An unusual replacement handle was made from an early bronze ruler. I have many replacement handles made of bronze in my collection and did not realize this particular one was formerly a ruler until I got it home and studied it more closely.

This strikingly similar mug with original porcelain handle shows what the handle might have looked like on my mug before it was replaced.

Photo courtesy of Burchard Galleries

Tags: bronze, Chinese, Mandarin, metal handle, porcelain
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Helmet form cream jug, c.1790

March 14th, 2010

This Chinese export porcelain helmet form jug with cobalt blue decoration was made in the style of an 18th century silver creamer.

Jug measures 4-2/4″ high and has a monochromatic floral design enameled on the front.

The replaced handle was recycled from a silver spoon by a jeweler, most likely in the early 1800’s.

The remains of early hallmarks can be seen on the inside of the handle.

This “perfect” example shown below has its original handle intact.

Photo courtesy of Eldred’s

Tags: blue & white, Chinese, silver
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Mercury glass candle holders, c.1860

March 14th, 2010

Pair of candle holders with mercury-filled double-walled glass and cold painted with white enamel floral decoration. Mercury glass was first patented in 1849 in England, where it was often referred to as “poor man’s silver”.

I have never seen another example of mercury glass with an inventive repair. Someone did a fine repair job outfitting these broken candle holders, each measuring 6-3/4″ high, with silver painted wood bases.

The pair of bases are nicely painted, even on the bottoms.

Intact bases are shown below on this similar pair of 19th century French candlesticks.

Photo courtesy of Foret

Tags: English, glass, wood base
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Toy cast iron cannon, c.1880

March 13th, 2010

A well worn English miniature cannon from the late 19th century shows it was much loved for many years. A Victorian boy perhaps found this under his Christmas tree and played with it until the delicate base became detached, leaving the sturdy cannon barrel abandoned.

The boy’s father, grandfather, friend, or the boy himself must have whittled the crude base out of a piece of scrap wood and attached the iron barrel using two pieces of heavy wire. A coat of brown paint completed the repair and although the cannon looks nothing at all like the unbroken original, it is still highly functional and no doubt brought joy to the original owner.

Cannon in its new incarnation with replacement wood base measures 6-1/2″ long.

The underside reveals pitted metal wire and and an unfinished wood surface.

This toy cast iron ship’s signal cannon from the early 1800’s shows what the original base on my cannon might have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Land and Sea Collection

Tags: English, iron, wood base
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Wedgwood Imari Teapot, c.1880

March 13th, 2010

English porcelain teapot, stamped WEDGWOOD with amphora vase mark on bottom, measures 9-1/2″ long by 4-3/4″ high.

An elegant, polished carved wood handle from the early 20th century replaces the original, which broke off long ago.

The wobbly wood handle is attached to the teapot with lightweight metal pins at the top and bottom.

This repair is purely ornamental, as the handle could never withstand the weight of even an empty teapot.

A Wedgwood teapot with the same form as mine shows what the original handle would have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Domouchelles

Tags: English, Imari, Wedgwood, wood handle
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Chinese export porcelain tea caddy, c.1775

March 13th, 2010

A porcelain tea caddy with sloped shoulders and rectangular body, made in China in the third quarter of the 1700s for export to North America and Europe.

The hand painted cobalt blue decoration with gilt highlights is in the “Jesuit” floral pattern.

A painted metal lid with embossed star & collar replaces the original floriform finial lid.

Tea caddy dates from the Qianlong period (1736-95) and measures 5″ high by 3-1/4″ wide.

This intact tea caddy with similar form and decoration still maintains its original floriform finial lid.

Photo courtesy of Eldred’s

Tags: blue & white, Chinese, metal lid, porcelain, Qianlong
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Ripley double finger oil lamp, c.1868

March 12th, 2010

There are many variations of this double finger oil lamp, made of pressed glass by Ripley & Company in Pittsburgh, PA. This 8″ high lamp has a lovely yellow patina in the oil reservoir from many years of use.

It was not uncommon for oil lamps to snap off at the base. As a result, I have come across many examples over the years with a variety of wood and metal replacement bases.

This wood replacement base was carved in a curious manner.

“Ripley & Co. Patd Jan 7, June 14, Aug 11, 1868” is marked on bottom of the intact base of this lamp.

Photo courtesy of eCRATER

Tags: American, glass, wood base
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Imari mug with zinc liner, c.1700

March 12th, 2010

A large Imari style porcelain mug made in China during the Kangxi period (1662-1722).

Decorated with peonies and chrysanthemums in blue, iron red and gilt underglaze enamel.

A carved wood handle, possibly reused from a damaged mid-19th century pewter teapot, replaces the original porcelain handle.

The zinc liner was added in the 1900’s, after the mug could no longer hold liquids. It now makes a perfect vase which I frequently use. Mug measures 6-1/4″ high.