English « Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair

Posts Tagged ‘English’

Bristol teapot with Meissen mark, c.1775

Saturday, September 9th, 2023

This globular form porcelain teapot has flipped its lid. It was made in Bristol, England in the third quarter of the eighteenth century and stands 4.5 inches high. It is decorated with pink, green, yellow, and orange flowers and has a pseudo-Meissen blue crossed swords mark on the underside.

In addition to its missing lid, the original handle was replaced over 150 years ago with an ear shaped metal replacement with thumb rest. If only the tinker who made the replacement handle fashioned a replacement lid as well, I’d have a double make-do.

This example suggests what the original handle and lid might have looked like on my teapot.

Photo courtesy of LiveAuctioneers

Tags:English, globular, metal handle, porcelain
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Black salt glazed teapot with metal handle, c.1830

Sunday, November 13th, 2022

This black basalt (aka Egyptian black or shining black ) stoneware low form collared teapot was make in England in the early 1800s. It has elegant engine turned banding decoration and measures 3.5 inches high, 9.5 inches from handle to spout.

Early in its life, the original handle broke off and was replaced with a metal “tinker” replacement. I like how it has taken on a dark patina over the past 150+ years, nearly matching the dark glaze of the teapot. The lid also took a tumble at a later time and was glued back together, suggesting that the break/repair was done more recently. I wish staples/rivets were used to repair it but that’s a bit selfish of me, I know.

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

Photo courtesy of Ebay

Tags:basalt, English, metal handle, pottery, salt glaze, stoneware
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Tiny cream jug with EHFDR handle, c.1830

Sunday, July 24th, 2022

This minuscule pearlware pottery Dutch shape cream jug was made in the UK in the first half of the 1800s. It is hand decorated with brown sprigs on a tan ground and stands just 2 inches high. Due to its small size, I believe it to be part of a child’s tea set.

Many years ago, I imagine an eager child poured the pretend cream too aggressively, resulting in a broken handle. Amazingly the broken jug wasn’t discarded, and instead was resurrected nearly 100 years later, thanks to snapping on an Emergency Handle for Domestic Receptacles (EHFDR.) I have more of these nifty do-it-yourself replacement handles, patented in the early 1920s, in my collection and have long admired this unique, though not quite successful, invention: Copper & pink luster child’s mug, c.1820, Mini Sunderland jug with EHFDR, c.1850. I am excited to report that Emergency Handle for Domestic Receptacles, c.1922 was acquired by the V&A and is now in their permanent ceramics collection.

This large jug with similar form suggests what the original handle on my tiny jug might have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

Tags:English, metal handle, miniature, pottery
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Child’s pearlware sauce boat, c.1790

Sunday, June 19th, 2022

It’s been a busy spring but I’m back!

This child’s pearlware pottery sauce boat with pedestal foot was made in England in the late 1700s. It has cobalt blue hand-decoration in the Pagoda with Fence (aka Chinese House) pattern and measures 2.5 inches high, 4.25 inches wide from handle to spout. The metal replacement handle and support straps were most likely added by a tinker, well over 150 years ago, to replace a broken handle.

It is not unusual to find children’s pieces with early repairs, as you can imagine how many tiny hands have dropped their prized pottery playthings. Actually, it’s amazing how many fragile ceramic toys have survived intact. I have dozens of examples of miniatures in my collection and I would be happy just collecting these small examples of inventive repairs.

This example suggests what the original handle on my miniature sauce boat might have looked like before the handle broke off.

Photo courtesy of The Hoarde

Tags:blue & white, child's, English, metal handle, pearlware, pottery
Posted in sauce boat | 4 Comments »

Mocha ware pepper pot, c.1820

Sunday, April 24th, 2022

This baluster form redware pottery pepper pot was made in Britain during the first quarter of the 19th century. It is decorated in brown, pale blue, and cream glazes and features a tree (aka dendritic) pattern on the body and dome. Intricate inslip-inlaid checkered rouletting in black and cream decorates the top rim. Pepper pot stands 5.25 inches high.

After the original base broke off – I imagine sometime between the middle 1800s and the middle 1900s – this nicely proportioned turned wood replacement base was added. The warm color of the polished brown wood blends nicely with the natural redware glaze, making this distinctive repair unnoticeable at first glance.

This pepper pot, with similar form and decoration, shows what the original base on my pot might have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Skinner

Tags:English, mochaware, pottery, wood base
Posted in pepper/salt | No Comments »

Lowestoft pearlware jug, c.1780

Sunday, January 23rd, 2022

I spotted this diminutive pear-shaped sparrow beak cream jug in an antiques shop in Dublin, Ireland in 2015. It is decorated with the Pagoda and Trees pattern, hand rendered in cobalt blue underglaze. A delicate lattice border embellishes the inside rim. Made in England by the Lowestoft factory around 1775-1785, the jug stands 3 inches high and has an incised number 4 on the underside.

After the original handle broke off over 200 years ago, a tinker made a metal replacement supported with horizontal and vertical straps, much like an iron girdle. Although the small but mighty jug is in poor condition, I felt compelled to rescue it and bring it back to America, where it now lives among friends with similar battle scars.

This jug with similar form and decoration shows what the original handle on mine might have looked like.

Photo courtesy of English Porcelain Online

Tags:blue & white, English, metal handle, pearlware, porcelain
Posted in jug | 3 Comments »

Chelsea porcelain red anchor mug, c.1755

Sunday, October 31st, 2021

This bell-shaped Chelsea porcelain mug was made in England between 1752 and 1756. The superbly painted polychrome floral decoration was no doubt inspired by similar examples made by Meissen. A red anchor mark can be found on the underside.

At one point in the mugs early life, the original loop handle broke off and a metal replacement was attached. The simplicity and delicacy of the new handle, as well as the rich bronze color, make this mug even more appealing to me than if the original handle was still intact.

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

Photos courtesy of Scottish Antiques

Tags:English, metal handle, porcelain
Posted in mug/tankard | No Comments »

Mocha ware bowl with staples, c.1780

Saturday, September 11th, 2021

I bought this gorgeous mocha ware pottery punch bowl with marble and combed slip decoration & checkerboard rim a few years ago from Christine Hanauer, a collector/dealer in Connecticut. The striking colors and bold decoration have made this bowl a favorite of mine. It was made in England in the late 1700s and measures 7.25 inches in diameter and 3 inches high.

Although the repair is hard to detect, there are 5 metal staples stabilizing cracks along one side of the bowl. I am a big fan of mocha ware and am thrilled to have this wonderful example in my collection.

P.S. Christine made a batch of mocha ware cookies, seen in the last photo, for the attendees of Don Carpentier’s Dish Camp in 2012. So well done and almost too good to eat!

Tags:English, mochaware, pearlware, staples/rivets
Posted in bowl/dish | 2 Comments »

Silver lustre cream jug with metal handle, c.1840

Saturday, August 7th, 2021

This silver lustre pottery cream jug with molded ribbing was made in England, c.1840. It measures 3.5 inches high, 6.5 inches wide.

Well over 100 years ago after the jug took a tumble, a metal replacement handle with crimped edges and an upper horizontal support strap was added by a tinsmith. Tin repairs such as this are perhaps the most common type of make-do repair and I have dozens of similar examples in my collection.

This silver lustre cream jug with similar form shows what the original handle on my jug may have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Catawiki

Tags:English, metal handle, silver lustre
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Jug with transfer decoration and unusual metal handle, c.1880

Sunday, May 9th, 2021

This sturdy transferware jug was made by Cork, Edge & Malkin of Burslem, England, as part of the Italy series. The red transfer design was registered on September 29, 1879. Jug stands 5.5 inches high and is stamped on the underside: “TRADE MARK, E.M & CO. B, ITALY.”

Although the durable earthenware seems likely to have withstood much wear and tear, somehow the handle became detached well over 100 years ago. To bring the jug back to life, a tinker created an unusual replacement handle using crimped tin and wire. By carefully attaching bands at the top and bottom, the handle was secured without drilling through the body, which might have resulted in further damage. Much thanks to the anonymous tinker who made this otherwise innocuous jug unique.