porcelain « Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair

Posts Tagged ‘porcelain’

Chinese mug with metal & rattan handle, c.1785

Friday, July 2nd, 2021

I purchased this cylindrical form porcelain mug at auction last year, along with many lots of mugs, teapots, jugs, goblets, and oil lamps. As a result of my forced hiatus from work due to the pandemic, I was able to leisurely research and catalog the 50+ new pieces to my collection. This pretty mug in the Famille Rose palette has floral swag and tassel decoration in pink, purple, green, and orange. It was made in China during the Qianlong period (1736-95) and stands 4.5 inches high.

After the handle broke off, a bronze replacement was attached by carefully drilling through the body. Although I seem to have countless replacement handles such as this in my collection, each are a little different in size, proportion, and material. I especially enjoy the patterns created by the thinly cut rattan, woven over the handle as insulation and to help form a tighter grip.

This example, with similar form and decoration, shows what the original handle on my mug would have looked like before it took a tumble.

Photo courtesy of Ruby Lane

Tags:Chinese, famille rose, metal handle, porcelain, rattan
Posted in mug/tankard | 3 Comments »

Stapled bowl with birds & insects, c.1830

Sunday, April 4th, 2021

This Meissen style porcelain bowl with scalloped edge is hand decorated with a large bird at center surrounded by insects and finished with a delicate gilt border. It measures 5.5 inches in diameter. Although unsigned, it was most likely made in Germany, c.1830.

Long ago the bowl slipped from the hands of someone who might have been clearing the table or washing up after a meal. As a result of the mishap, the bowl, now in 2 pieces, was brought to a “china mender” for repair. With the addition of 12 carefully placed metal staples, the bowl was brought back to life and able to function once again on the dinner table.

Tags:German, porcelain, staples/rivets
Posted in bowl/dish | 1 Comment »

Small lobed teapot with metal spout & handle, c.1710

Sunday, February 21st, 2021

This small lobed porcelain teapot, appears to have been made in China during the late Kangxi period (1662-1722.) It measure 4.25 inches high, 6.25 inches wide handle to spout and is decorated in the Japanese Imari palette of blue, red, gilt on white.

I love a double repair and this one delivers on both counts. We will never know if the replacement handle and spout were added at the same time or separately. The sturdy bronze replacement handle is tightly wrapped in rattan for insulation from the hot teapot contents. The metal replacement spout is more humble but allowed the tea to flow once again.

This teapot, with similar form and decoration, has all of its original parts intact. But I still like mine, with its added character, better.

Photo courtesy of Live Auctioneers

Tags:bronze, Chinese, Imari, metal handle, metal spout, porcelain, rattan
Posted in teapot | 2 Comments »

Chinese teapot with metal spout, c.1770

Sunday, January 10th, 2021

This globular form porcelain teapot was made in China during the Qianlong Period (1736-1795.) It has floral decoration in the Famille Rose palette and measures 6 inches high, 8.75 inches wide from handle to spout.

Long ago, someone let this fragile teapot slip from their grasp, resulting in a broken spout and lid. A metalsmith brought it back to life by attaching a sturdy iron replacement spout, which allowed tea to flow once more. A lid with similar form and decoration from another (broken?) teapot was added to complete the restoration/transformation. Later in the troubled pot’s history, a few chips along the rim were painted over in gold. Rather than helping to soften the blow, the gilding actually accents the imperfections, in the same way that kintsugi celebrates cracks and repairs.

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

Photo courtesy of A & M

Tags:Chinese, famille rose, globular, metal spout, porcelain
Posted in teapot | No Comments »

Mandarin mug with metal handle, c.1760

Sunday, December 6th, 2020

This porcelain bell-shaped footed mug with Mandarin decoration stands 6 inches high. It was made in China during the Qianlong period for export overseas. The polychrome and gilt Famille Rose decoration depicts 2 figures in a garden – one with a pole and basket and the other holding a plate of fruit, as well as garlands of flowers, trees and rocks.

Long ago, after the original handle broke off, a tinker or an itinerant repairer fashioned a bronze replacement. There are 2 patches of woven rattan, which suggests the the entire handle was originally covered in rattan.

This intact example suggests what the original handle on my mug might have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Catherine Hunt Antiques

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

Kangxi powder blue teapot, c.1700

Sunday, October 18th, 2020

This porcelain barrel form teapot with powder blue glaze was made in China, c.1700. It is decorated with panels containing a flowering tree on one side and precious objects on the other side. It measures 4 inches high, 6.75 inches from handle to spout.

I love objects with multiple repairs and this beautiful teapot has many, including a metal replacement spout, a wood replacement knob, and 6 metal staples.

This teapot with almost identical form and decoration still has its original spout, and knob.

Photo courtesy of Rob Michiels Auctions

Tags:Chinese, Kangxi, metal knob, metal spout, porcelain, staples/rivets
Posted in teapot | 1 Comment »

Batavian teapot with silver coin terminals, c.1730

Sunday, September 27th, 2020

This Batavian brown glazed globular form teapot with cobalt blue decoration was made in China during the middle of the Qianlong dynasty (1736-1795). Batavia ware, aka Capuchin ware or Cafe au lait, was highly favored by the Dutch and named for the city of Batavia (today Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia), the center of Dutch trade in the 18th century.

Teapot stands 5.25 inches high, 7.5 inches from handle to spout and has double repairs: a metal replacement handle wrapped in woven rattan and a silver replacement spout with engraved decoration. As if that wasn’t enough, two silver coins from the reign of King Charles (Carlos) of Spain (1661-1700) were used as handle terminals. Judging from the precious materials used on both repairs, it’s safe to assume that the original owner was well off.

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

Photo courtesy of BidLive

Tags:Chinese, globular, metal handle, metal spout, porcelain, rattan, silver
Posted in teapot | 4 Comments »

Small mug with Imari decoration, c.1730

Sunday, September 13th, 2020

This small but sturdy porcelain bell (aka baluster) form mug is decorated with flowers in the Imari palette of red, blue, and gilt on a white ground. It was made in China for export, most likely to Europe and North America, around 1730. It stands 4 inches high.

Sometime in the 18th/19th century, this mug took a tumble, resulting in a broken handle. Rather than tossing it out, it was taken to a tinker who fashioned a bronze replacement handle. Most often metal handles on teapots, cups, and mugs were wrapped with rattan for insulation and comfort but this handle remains bare.

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

Photo courtesy of Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood

Tags:bronze, Chinese, Imari, metal handle, porcelain
Posted in mug/tankard | No Comments »

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

Sunday, 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 »

Pair of Chinese jugs with silver spouts, c.1720

Saturday, 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.