blue & white « Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair

Posts Tagged ‘blue & white’

Early Delft vase, c.1680

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

I believe this Dutch or German Delft vase to be the earliest piece in my collection. It is made of tin-glazed earthenware and decorated with a blue & white Chinese motif, as were most European ceramic pieces dating from the 17th and 18th centuries

Time has not been kind to this very heavy vase, which stands 10-1/2″ tall, but it must have been cherished by its owners over the past 330 years or so. It has survived the loss of its original base and bears the battle scars of large chips and cracks, restored many years after it was first made

It now stands on a wobbly, cracked wooden base, painted blue and white to match the body of the vase. Unfortunately, the painted surface has become unstable, flaking each time the vase is touched

Tags:blue & white, Dutch, pottery, tin glaze, wood base
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“Parson, Clerk & Sexton” jug, c.1790

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Pottery jug made in Staffordshire, England with cobalt blue glazed molded relief design of three men shown drinking and smoking, as well as trees on the front and back. There is a feathered border just below the rim and a leaf border in the middle and along the bottom.

Jug stands 8-3/4″ tall and dates from the late 1700’s.

This popular design is called the “Parson, Clerk & Sexton”, also known as the “Parson and Clerk” jug.

This type of soft paste pottery is referred to as Prattware.

An elaborate tin handle and a multitude of tin straps replace the original handle, which must have broken off in the nineteenth century.

The condition of the jug is deplorable, with numerous cracks and breaks. It’s amazing it still appears to be on one piece and has lasted over 200 years!

The bottom of the jug is inscribed “Dec 275”, perhaps meaning December 2, 1875. This might have been the date the piece was repaired and I only wish the mender had signed his name as well.

The same jug, decorated in a more colorful palette, still has its original “rustic” style handle.

Photo courtesy of David Pownall Willis

The vape pens we’re sponsored by the Pax 2. Follow the link for more information.

Tags:blue & white, English, metal handle, prattware
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Staffordshire child’s mug, c.1840

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

This little pearlware pottery mug was made in Staffordshire, England in the mid-1800’s and was meant to be a “Present for a good boy”.

The cobalt blue transfer decoration depicts a bucolic country house with mother standing outside, a school and a waterfall.

The sharp remains of the original ceramic handle protrudes from the unusual tin plate and scrolled handle repair, not ideal for the fingers of a small boy.

Mug measures 2-3/4″ tall.

Even though the bottom of the mug is undamaged, it is completely covered in tin.

This child’s mug with similar form and transfer decoration has its original applied handle intact.

Photo courtesy of eBay

Tags:blue & white, English, metal handle, pottery, Staffordshire, transferware
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Castleford teapot, c.1810

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Iconic white feldspathic stoneware 4-3/4″ high teapot from Castleford, England, has neoclassical relief and applied decoration with blue enamel detail. Originally designed by Dunderdale & Co. in 1800, many manufactures in the same region made their own version inspired by the original.

This teapot has survived 200 years of despair and repair.

The unique sliding lid, which had the same scalloped edge detail as the pot, seems to have slid off on to the floor and has been replaced by a brass lid, some time in the mid-1800’s.

The tip of the spout was also damaged and a metal sleeve now covers the broken spout.

There are even a few staples holding a crack together, making this an unusual example of an item with three inventive repairs made from three different materials.

An early paper label and an incised “22” are mark found on the bottom.

This example with eagle decoration and made for the American market maintains its original lid and spout.

Photo courtesy of Martyn Edgell Antiques

Tags:blue & white, English, metal lid, metal spout, staples/rivets, stoneware
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Pratt “Native Scenery” tea caddy, c.1900

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

English porcelain tea caddy with blue and white transfer decoration, made by F & R Pratt and Company of Fenton, Staffordshire from 1880 to 1920. The scene is believed to depict Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby known as “The Ladies of Llangollen” who lived together in North Wales from 1790 to 1831.

Tea caddy measures 5-3/4″ high.

Marked in blue transfer on the bottom “Pratts Native Scenery”.

Clever copper strap repair holds together the two broken halves of the lid.

Tags:blue & white, English, porcelain, prattware, transferware
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Reticulated Nanking chestnut basket, c.1820

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

A Chinese export porcelain chestnut basket, measuring 6-3/4″ long and 2-1/2″ high, and decorated with a classic cobalt blue Nanking design.

Baskets such as these with pierced sides were used for fruit, so air could better circulate around the contents. They also had molded porcelain handles, gilded to look like they were made of metal.

How ironic that when the original porcelain “metal” handles broke off, they were replace with actual metal handles.

Metal staples and bolts were also used to help put this piece back together.

This basket in perfect condition, showing original gilt porcelain handles.

Photo courtesy of WorthPoint

Tags:blue & white, Chinese, metal handle, porcelain, staples/rivets
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“Quadrupeds” sauce boat, c.1820

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

This wonderfully graphic pearlware pottery sauce boat was made by I. Hall in Staffordshire, England in the early 1800’s. It has a dark cobalt blue transfer decoration in the “Quadrupeds” pattern featuring a fantastic fox on both sides.

The replaced hollow pewter handle has been cleverly painted to match the decoration.

Sauce boat from the early 1800’s measures 3-7/8″ high, 7-1/2″ long.

Sauce boat is boldly stamped in cobalt on the bottom I HALL, QUADRUPEDS.

Another blue & white transferware sauce boat with its original handle.

Photo courtesy of Richard G. Marden & Daughter

Tags:blue & white, English, metal handle, pottery, Staffordshire
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Mocha ware jug trio, c.1840

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

I love finding sets with matching inventive repairs, such as these three English jugs found together in Maine.

The largest jug is 6-1/2″ tall and has blue bands and earthworm decoration, made from slip.

There is an elegantly shaped tin replacement handle with straps, showing remains of the original broken handle.

The middle jug is 5-3/4″ high with a bold design of blue and green bands.

The crimped tin strap at the top front of the jug has corroded.

The smallest blue striped jug is 5″ high.

A flimsy tin replacement handle is now bent and rusting.

This almost identical jug is intact without the abuse of my trio.

Photo courtesy of Louwers Antiques

Tags:blue & white, English, metal handle, pottery
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Chinese armorial sauce boat, c.1780

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

This Chinese porcelain sauce boat was made for export to the American market and has a distinctive Fitzhugh pattern outer rim border, and measures 7.5 inches wide, 2.75 inches high.