Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair

Chinese teapot with applied flowers and triple repairs, c.1730

August 2nd, 2020

This baluster form porcelain teapot with applied flowers was made in China during the tail end of the Yongzheng period (1678-1735.) It measures 5 inches high, 6.75 inches from handle to spout and is decorated in the Famille Rose palette of green, orange, blue, lavender, and gilt.

Various craftspeople were kept busy making repairs on this poor injured fighter. We will never know exactly who did the repairs or when they were done but it seems likely that a metal smith made the silver replacement spout sometime in the 1700s-1800s. The rattan wrapped bronze replacement handle was most likely done in the 1800s and the wooden replacement knob could have been done as late as the early 1900s.

The last photo shows a similar teapot with all of its original parts intact, but I much prefer my mismatched sampler of various early repairs.

This teapot with similar form and decoration suggests what the original spout, handle, and knob on mine might have looked like before it took a tumble.

Photo courtesy of Northeast Auctions

Tags: bronze, Chinese, metal handle, metal spout, porcelain, rattan, silver, wood knob
Posted in teapot | 3 Comments »

Small copper lustre jug with metal handle, c.1830

July 26th, 2020

This small pottery jug with copper lustre glaze was most likely made by Enoch Wood & Sons in Staffordshire, England, c.1830. It stands 4.5 inches high and is much smaller than most of the other lustre jugs I have in my collection. I especially like the unusual, whimsical painted decoration, which looks like a tree of green eyeballs, right out of a Dr. Seuss book.

But the real reason you are viewing this jug is because of its metal replacement handle, added by a tinsmith after the original handle broke off. This type of repair is not unusual and can be found on all types of ceramics throughout the world. What makes it special to me is the juxtaposition of the clunky metal handle on the delicate pottery jug with the quirky decoration.

This gives you an idea of what the original handle on my jug would have looked like when it was intact.

Photo courtesy of George Gibison

Tags: copper lustre, English, metal handle, pottery
Posted in jug | 1 Comment »

Small compote with wood base, c.1915

July 19th, 2020

This small EAPG (Early American Pattern Glass) compote or candy dish was made in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by the United States Glass Co., c.1915. Made affordable to the masses by simulating more expensive cut glass, EAPG was immediately popular and thousands of patterns were manufactured in every conceivable shape and style. This example is in the Australian Sweetmeat pattern and stands 6 inches high with a 4.5 inch opening.

At some point in its early life, the cover went missing and the glass base broke off. A replacement base, made from 2 pieces of carved wood, was most likely created at home. Originally painted black, the octagonal shape mimics the pattern in the glass.

This compote of similar form and pattern suggests with the original cover and base on mine might have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Early American Pattern Glass Society

Tags: American, EAPG, pattern glass, pressed glass, wood base
Posted in bowl/dish | No Comments »

Mend it with Mendets

July 12th, 2020

Now more than ever it seems we are spending much of our time at home. Many, like myself, finally have time to go through our things, weed out unwanted items, and repair broken objects we’ve been meaning to fix but never got around to. I imagine (and hope!) this will lead to a new generation of inventive repairs popping up all around the globe. Stay tuned to see what interesting repairs I come up with in the coming months.

I have dozens of whimsical homemade repairs in my collection and have seen countless others showing thrift, artistry, and ingenuity. Although most were achieved by using whatever was available at hand, manufactured products started to creep up during the 1940s Make-Do and Mend era.

A popular early 1940s product, Mendets, provided a do-it-yourself solution to repairing holes in enameled cookware, metal pots, and even rubber hot water bottles. The white enameled cup, repaired with a small bolt and nut and not with an official Mendets plug, still seems to have done the trick.

Photo courtesy of eBay

Posted in household | 3 Comments »

Happy 4th of July!

July 5th, 2020

O, Say Can You See…these inventive repairs in patriotic colors?

I hope you enjoyed Independence Day weekend.

Posted in anecdotal | 6 Comments »

Stoneware teapot with flute player, c.1760

June 27th, 2020

This globular form salt-glazed stoneware teapot was made in Staffordshire, England, c.1760-65. It has a molded crabstock spout and is decorated in polychrome enamels of pink, green, yellow, blue, and black. I quite like how the male flute player and the female dancing among oversized flowers are rendered. Measures 3.25 inches high, 6 inches wide from handle to spout.

Someone must have been a bit clumsy over 200 years ago, as the little teapot has not one but two early repairs – a metal replacement handle and a metal replacement knob. These are both a bit rustic and most likely done by an itinerant tinker, traveling from town to town to repair all types of broken household objects. Thanks to the unsung hero who helped preserve this charming teapot, as well as the original owners who had to good sense to have it repaired and then pass it on for future generations to enjoy.

This teapot, with similar form and decoration, suggests what the original handle and knob might have looked like on my teapot.

Photo courtesy of John Howard

Tags: English, globular, metal handle, metal knob, salt glaze, stoneware
Posted in teapot | No Comments »

Glass laboratory beaker, c.1920

June 14th, 2020

Glass beakers, jars, and test tubes have been breaking in chemistry labs for centuries. Not surprisingly, I have come across dozens of examples of fragile laboratory glassware with early repairs. As with this one, most of the repairs I find are broken beakers set into repurposed metal lids filled with plaster. These repairs were done in-house using whatever materials were on hand and were put back to use as soon as the plaster had set.

This glass beaker, which stands 7.25 inches high, was made around 1920 by Whitall Tatum Company, was one of the first glass factories in America. Located in Millville, New Jersey, they also manufactured glass bottles and insulators. It has etched marks on the side: “TO DELIVER GUARANTEED ACCURATE, N.Y WHITALL TATUM CO., PHILA.” and: “N.Y. CITY AND PENNA. APPROVED TYPE III, SERIAL A-2.”

Check out a previous post, Two glass beakers, c.1890, showing similar repairs.

This beaker shows what the original base on mine would have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Tags: American, glass, metal base
Posted in commercial | 2 Comments »

Blue & white Spanish plate, c.1870

June 7th, 2020

This striking tin-glazed earthenware pottery plate was most likely made in Manises, Valencia, Spain in the late 1800s. It is boldly decorated with stylized trees, flowers and houses in cobalt blue glaze and measures 12.25 inches in diameter.

On the underside is the mark Fv V(?) as well as 7 HUGE metal wire staples, which were attached well over 100 years ago after the plate broke in half. Metal staples/rivets were used in many parts of the world to repair broken ceramics and glassware, ranging in size from less than 1/2 inch to over 3 inches long. Repairs done on tin glazed pottery from Spain, Italy and France typically have larger iron staples such as these.

My plate would feel right at home with this collection at the Museum of Ceramics in Manises, Spain.

Photo courtesy of Museu de Ceramica de Manises

Tags: blue & white, earthenware, pottery, Spanish, staples/rivets, tin-glazed
Posted in plate/platter | 2 Comments »

Floral Tribute

May 31st, 2020

Those of you who know me well, know that I do not have a green thumb. But with lots of free time on my hands these days, I have taken the plunge and started to do a little bit of gardening. I’ve enjoyed planting flowers which (hopefully) the deer, groundhogs, chipmunks, and rabbits won’t eat. Let’s see how well that goes.

Inspired by my new activity, I am happy to present some of my favorite teapots with floral decoration.

Posted in anecdotal | 4 Comments »

Pair of Chinese jugs with silver spouts, c.1720

May 23rd, 2020

As I have noted many times in these pages, I love finding multiples of matching inventive repairs.

This colorful pair of Chinese porcelain footed jugs, made during the later part of the Kangxi period (1661–1722), has floral decorations with gilt highlights. They are baluster-form with unusual flattened sides, stand 8 inches high, and were most likely part of a large set of tableware for a wealthy household.

At some point in the jugs early lives, both of the spouts broke off, rendering them unusable. Luckily, a clever and talented silversmith was able to fashion new spouts with lovely engraved decoration, and attach them to the jugs. I can only assume that as soon as the jugs were brought home, they were put back on the dining room table and used again for many generations.