Ridgway “Apostle” stoneware jug, c.1842

March 11th, 2010

A large stoneware pottery jug with a salt glazed finish and deep relief decoration, registered in 1842 by Ridgway and designed by Charles Meigh & Co in Hanley, Staffordshire, England.

There are 8 apostle figures standing in 8 Gothic arches surrounding the jug.

Gothic revival style jug measures 10-1/4″ high by 10-1/4″ wide.

Charles Meigh’s first relief molded jug was made in 1835 and his “Apostle” jug is the most famous and popular.

An elaborate tin replacement handle mimics the original handle form.

This intact jug shows the original handle design. I’d say the tinsmith did a spectacular job recreating the broken handle with his similarly shaped and detailed replacement.

Photo courtesy of Victoria & Albert Museum

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English sugar bowl, c.1820

March 11th, 2010

An English pottery sugar bowl with lush floral blue & white underglaze transfer decoration made by Davenport in the first quarter of the 1800s.

Sugar bowl measures 3-1/2″ high and 5-1/2″ wide.

Marked on the bottom with an impressed DAVENPORT and anchor. At some point the matching lid was broken or lost and was replaced with an unassuming carved wood lid. The knob, made from a nail, is even less assuming.

This small piece of paper, the size of a fortune cookie fortune, was found inside with this faded inscription: “Great Great Grandmother Pate – 1770”.

This complete sugar bowl from the same period, still maintains its original matching lid.

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Photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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French Delft ewer, c.1690

March 11th, 2010

A French red body tin glazed earthenware ewer in traditional blue & white Delft decoration. Made for export, most likely for the Persian market.

I found this unusual piece in an antique shop in Cold Spring Harbor, NY while working on the film Eat Pray Love as a set decorator.

Elaborate metal mounts with dangling glass “jewels” replace the original ceramic spout, handle and cover.

The metal twisted rope style handle replaces the original long-gone handle, which would have been much simpler in form. It attaches at the bottom of the ewer to the stub of the broken handle.

Decorative multi-color glass beads are wired on to the metal cover and spout.

The ewer has a delicate baluster form and measures 6-1/2” high.

This similarly shaped ewer still sports its original handle and spout, although to me it looks a bit naked without the fanciful adornments found on my ewer.

Photo courtesy of eBay

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Flint glass candlestick, c.1870

March 11th, 2010

One of my favorite antiques with inventive repairs illustrates the incongruence of materials and the immediate need to mend a broken item. When this elegant American flint glass candlestick snapped off at the base, it was attached to a simple 3-1/2″ solid block of mahogany.

Candlestick with replaced wood base measures 12-1/2” high.

A similar flint glass candlestick, showing a standard round base.

Photo courtesy of eBay

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Cast iron horse drawn ladder wagon, c.1900

March 11th, 2010

A small cast iron fragment is all that remains of an elaborate miniature horse drawn ladder wagon. Someone loved their toy almost “to death” and I am grateful to whoever nailed the remains to a scrap of wood, breathing new life in to their cherished plaything.

Cast iron toys were extremely popular in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, as they were easy to mass produce. Durable as they were, cast iron was still likely to snap if misused.

A single bent nail holds the 8-1/2″ long American toy upright. This has got to be one of the most poignant toys with inventive repairs I have ever seen and I am amazed that it survived over one hundred years.

Intact wagon, shown in all of its splendor, with horses, firemen and removable ladders. The back end & wheels are all that remains of my extraordinary “make-do” toy.

Photo courtesy of Live Auctioneers

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Cold painted cast lead dog figure, c.1930

March 11th, 2010

A simple yet remarkable home repair using just a small nail and short length of wire to replace a tiny toy dog’s missing leg. I find vintage toys with inventive repair rather poignant and I am always glad to see that someone bothered to repair the plaything, rather than discard it.

Dog measures just 2″ wide and 2” high and is incised “France” on belly with a paper label marked “46”.

Recently, a friend named the toy canine “Lucky”, but I think I am “lucky” to have adopted this stray dog with a most effective inventive repair!

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Chinese Famille Rose teapot, c.1820

March 10th, 2010

This Chinese export porcelain drum form teapot from the early 1800s is decorated with parrots, butterflies, chrysanthemums and gilt trim. It has a small lid with a pomegranate shaped knob and measures 6″ tall.

The polychrome underglaze enamels are in the famille rose palette.

When the original lapped reeded handle broke off leaving just the leaf terminals, an unusual wire and turned wood handle (reused from a discarded bucket) was added.

This teapot with similar form shows what the original handle on my teapot would have looked like.

Photo courtesy of eBay

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Chinese clobbered saucer, c.1690

March 10th, 2010

This Chinese porcelain hexagonal shaped saucer began life in the late 1600’s simply decorated with blue underglaze, but was later clobbered (painted over) in the mid-1700’s in more “attractive colors” to the taste of the day.

The original blue underglaze decoration was “improved upon” with the addition of arbitrarily painted red and green overglaze, most likely in Amsterdam.

This small gem, which measures 4-1/2″ in diameter, has 14 metal staples holding the once shattered saucer intact, more staples per square inch than any other example I own. A matching cup, also held together with many staple repairs, was unfortunately lost during a move to Florida.

There are 11 iron staples on the back of the saucer and 3 staples (2 iron and 1 brass) on the front.

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English copper lustre jug, c.1835

March 10th, 2010

This English copper lustre (or luster) jug (or pitcher) was one of the first items I purchased with a “make-do” repair. It has a pink lustre greyhound in relief on one side…

an ornate standing basket of flowers decorates the front of the jug…

and a bull graces the other side of the jug…

A tin handle with thumb rest and bands replaces the original pottery handle, which broke off over 100 years ago

“Perfect” example showing original handle intact

Photo courtesy of WorthPoint

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Globular Chinese export teapot, c.1750

March 10th, 2010

The original handle on this 3-3/4″ high porcelain “one cup” teapot was replaced by a simple iron one, bolted on and painted to match the famille rose floral decoration.

Look closely to see the large circular crack masked by a painted green garland. This is one of the first items I purchased for my collection and is the only example I have found with this type of repair

what the original handle & lid might have looked like

Photo courtesy of AntikWest

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