rattan « Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair

Posts Tagged ‘rattan’

Mandarin bell shaped mug, c.1770

Sunday, May 11th, 2014

In honor of Mother’s Day I am presenting a Chinese porcelain bell shaped mug from the Qianlong period (1736-1795), decorated with a domestic scene, including a mother and her children. The colorful decoration is hand painted in the Famille Rose palette and includes cobalt blue borders, floral sprays and cartouches. I particularly like the young boy balancing on a rickety red lacquered table while holding a bird above his head, which I can imagine resulted in his mother saying “son, get down from that table NOW or you will fall and break your neck.”

I am hoping the boy survived his table climbing antics unharmed, but it seems this 6-1/4″ tall mug was not so lucky. Sometime in its early life, the mug slipped from the hands of a thirsty drinker and it crashed to the floor, resulting in a broken handle and a large crack to one side. Because Chinese porcelain was expensive and highly valued in the 18th century, it was taken to a “china mender” who formed a bronze replacement handle and covered it in woven rattan for insulation. Four metal staples were applied to stabilize the crack and the mug was able to be used again.

Happy Mother’s Day and remember children, listen to your mother!

This mug with similar form and decoration still has its original loop handle intact.

Photo courtesy go Auction Atrium

Tags:Chinese, Mandarin, metal handle, porcelain, rattan, staples/rivets
Posted in mug/tankard | 6 Comments »

Badly damaged Chinese teapot, c.1780

Saturday, November 9th, 2013

What a sad little teapot this is. Once pristine, this late 18th century Chinese porcelain globular-form teapot with Mandarin decoration in the Famille Rose palette has suffered years of abuse and neglect. It stands 5-1/4″ high and is 7-1/2″ wide from the tip of the spout to the end of the handle. I am told the hand painted decoration shows the Qianlong King making a secret visit to the river bank. Not only did the original porcelain loop handle fall off after the teapot slipped from the hands of whoever was serving tea or tidying up, but the body cracked and is chipped in numerous places. Regardless, the teapot must have been highly valued, as it was brought to a china restorer who created a rattan-wrapped metal replacement handle sometime in the 1800s. The lid did not fare well either, as after it shattered into 6 pieces at a later date, it was hastily glued back together, leaving many large gaps. But at last it ended up in my collection where it proudly stands alongside hundreds of other wounded survivors living together in solidarity.

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

Photo courtesy of William Word Fine Antiques

Tags:Chinese, globular, Mandarin, metal handle, rattan
Posted in teapot | 2 Comments »

Glass jug with metal handle, c.1800

Sunday, August 25th, 2013

I had never seen an early metal replacement handle found on a piece of glassware, until now. This blown glass baluster form jug with cut decoration stands 5-3/4″ tall and was made in England in the late 18th to early 19th century. Etched on the underside is a cursive signature, Neale & Co. WH, above an unpolished pontil scar. James Neale, a London merchant who opened the Church Works in North Staffordshire in the second half of the 18th century, was famous for producing earthenware in the style of neighbor Josiah Wedgwood’s ubiquitous pottery. Neale’s wares were of the same fine quality and though rivals, he helped Wedgwood, when in a pinch, with large orders that needed to be filled. Though known mostly for producing ceramic tableware and figures, Neale & Co. also housed glassware merchants at the Church Works, which explains why this unusual mark is found on my glass jug.

As I usually come across either handles still covered in rattan or exposed bare metal handles with all covering long gone, I was pleased to find this hybrid. It reveals a half-round crimped support strip of rattan along the interior of the handle, and also shows the remains of a decoratively woven outer cover. Pieces such as this seemingly inconsequential imperfect repair help collectors and scholars discover the early methods of repair and insulation. So thanks to those who owned this wonderful jug before me, keeping the remains of this most inventive repair intact!

This crystal jug shows what the original applied handle might have looked like on my jug.

Photo courtesy of Replacements

Tags:English, glass, metal handle, rattan
Posted in jug | 2 Comments »

Porcelain blue & white jug c.1785

Saturday, May 18th, 2013

Chinese porcelain baluster-form hot milk jug with sparrow beak spout, made in the mid to late 18th century during the Qianlong Period (1736-1795). Delicately decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, it shows a large vase sitting on a carved wood table and filled with precious objects surrounded by flowers and a pair of bees. The scale of these objects is a bit off-kilter, which adds a whimsical quality. Jug measures 5-3/4″ high and 4″ wide to the end of handle.

The original porcelain handle was replaced over one hundred years ago with a woven wicker-covered bronze replacement. I have dozens of examples of wicker-covered metal replacement handles in my collection, as this was a standard form of inventive repair; and at first glance, the handles all look pretty much the same, but upon closer inspection, you will see a variation in the pattern of the weaving. This handle has a straightforward checkerboard weave, while some of my pieces have the rattan in more than one color and woven in a more intricate pattern. I think a post dedicated to showing the many variations of woven-handle styles would be interesting, don’t you?

This blue & white decorated jug with similar form still has its porcelain handle and lid intact. Before my jug became an example of “inventive repair” it would have looked much like this one.

Photo courtesy of eBay

Tags:blue & white, bronze, Chinese, metal handle, Qianlong, rattan
Posted in jug | 3 Comments »

Pair of armorial sauce boats, c.1790

Sunday, April 7th, 2013

As collectors, we all have stories of “the one that got away” and for me it happened in June 1991, on the very first day I started collecting antiques with inventive repairs. Having landed in London the night before and still jet lagged, I stumbled down Portobello Road and wandered into a crowded stall selling porcelains. I spotted a pair of Chinese Export sauce boats each with a replaced metal loop handle. Pleading with the dealer to sell me just one, which I could barely afford, she broke up the pair and I happily walked away with what would be the start of my collection. Even then, I immediately regretted not being able to afford its mate, but I was pleased to at least own the one. To this day, I keep hoping I will come across the orphan I left behind and be able to reunite the two. So, if anyone can help me locate the long lost twin, I will be forever grateful and you will be rewarded for your excellent sleuthing!

The lone survivor of my maddening “Sophie’s Choice” moment

You can imagine how happy I was to have been recently contacted by dealer Polly Latham of Boston, MA, offering me a pair of Chinese Export sauce boats, each with identical replacement handles and decorated with an armorial coat of arms, no less. This pair, a part of a larger dinner service, was made for export to the English market at the end of the 18th century and bear the Arms of Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale (1759-1839). Maitland, a noted statesman, politician and controversial social and political critic of his time, criticized the clergy, condemned slavery and was an ardent supporter of the French Revolution. The motto under the coat-of-arms, intricately painted in polychrome enamels with gilt highlights, translates to “Wisdom and Courage”. Each measures 2 inches high and 7.75 inches long.

I am pleased to proclaim that as long as I am the caretaker of this fine pair, they shall remain unseparated. You can click here if you want more info.

The replaced handles are made of forged brass, covered in woven rattan, and pinned to the end of the sauce boats with two metal rivets. The rattan covering is not only decorative but also used to insulate the metal handle from the hot contents.

Take a look at the rest of the large dinner service, all bearing the arms of Maitland, including a pair of identical sauce boats with original handles intact, located in the center of the middle shelf.

Photo courtesy of P olly Latham Antiques

Tags:armorial, blue & white, brass, Chinese, metal handle, porcelain, rattan
Posted in sauce boat | 3 Comments »

Eva Zeisel majolica teapot, c.1929

Saturday, March 23rd, 2013

This boldly painted, hard to find teapot was designed by no other than Eva Zeisel, who worked for Majolika Fabrik in Schramberg, Germany. She arrived in the small Black Forest town in the fall of 1928 and left nearly two years later in the spring of 1930, creating nearly 200 brightly colored pottery objects of Art Deco inspired design. This lightweight pottery teapot measures 7-1/2″ tall and is 8-3/4″ wide from handle to spout.

I am not surprised that this fragile teapot did not remain unscathed over the past 84 years, as the low fired clay is susceptible to breakage. A large broken piece at the top of the pot has been reapplied, aided by three large metal staples, each measuring nearly 3/4″ long. To help camouflage this none-too-subtle repair, the staples were overpainted in matching tones, with only traces of color remaining. To add insult to injury, the top portion of the handle, once broken off, has been riveted back on to the body. Tightly woven rattan envelopes the entire handle and the lower portion of the teapot, although I am not sure if this is was a later addition. Original or not, the basket-like embellishment adds another layer of quirkiness to this most desirable vessel.

The stamped mark on the bottom reads: Majolika, SMF (contained within a shield), Schramberg Handyemalt, 64.

Photo courtesy of Kulturprojekte Berlin

These are more examples of majolica designed by Eva Zeisel during her years in Schramberg, Germany

An early photograph of Eva Zeisel in her studio, c. 1930.

Photos courtesy of John Foster

Tags:German, pottery, rattan, staples/rivets
Posted in teapot | 6 Comments »

Wucai teapot with misplaced handle, c.1690

Saturday, February 16th, 2013

This early porcelain teapot was made in China in the late 1600s and is a good example of an original form shifting to become current with the next generation. It is decorated in the Wucai palette, consisting of five enamel colors outlined in black and measures 5.5 inches high and 7.25 inches from handle to spout. What I love most about this piece is that by the time the original fixed upright handle broke off, it was replaced with a rattan-wrapped metal handle attached to the side of the teapot. Most likely the break occurred over one hundred years after the teapot was made, which explains why the placement of the new handle is more in keeping with teapots of the early 19th century. This act of altering the original form of a piece is reminiscent of clobbered wares; a practice of painting over simply decorated porcelain with multi color enamels to appeal to changing styles. An added bonus is the presence of long meal staples at the top of the neck, holding together two broken pieces back in place.

This teapot shows what the fixed vertical handle on my teapot would have looked like before the replacement handle was attached to the side.

Photo courtesy of Grays

Tags:Chinese, metal handle, porcelain, rattan, staples/rivets
Posted in teapot | 5 Comments »

Teapot with kingfisher decoration, c.1750

Saturday, August 4th, 2012

Chinese globular form porcelain teapot with underglaze decoration featuring a kingfisher and pink peonies in the famille rose palette. This popular form was made for export to North America and Europe in the mid 1700s.

Teapot measures 5-1/2″ high and 7-3/4″ wide, from tip of spout to end of handle.

After the original porcelain loop handle broke off, a tinker formed a replacement using bronze covered in woven rattan. I have many examples of wrapped handles on teapots, each with slight variations. I am researching the different decorative patterns used and hope to identify the distinctions unique to each maker.

This globular teapot from the same period shows what the handle on my piece would have looked like before it broke off.

Photo courtesy of LiveAuctioneers

Tags:Chinese, globular, metal handle, porcelain, rattan
Posted in teapot | 5 Comments »

Imperial Nanking cup & saucer, c.1810

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

A delicate Imperial Nanking porcelain cup with matching saucer, decorated in cobalt blue underglaze with gilt overglaze trim. Both pieces have a scalloped rim and were made in China for export to Europe and North America in the early 1800’s.

The cup measures 2-1/4″ high, with a diameter of 2-1/4″ and the saucer has a diameter of 5″.

When the lapped reeded handle broke off nearly 160 years ago leaving just the leaf terminals, a skilled metalsmith forged a bronze handle and covered it with woven rattan.

The original handle on my cup would have looked like the one on this cup of similar form and decoration.

Photo courtesy of Trocadero

Tags:blue & white, Chinese, metal handle, rattan
Posted in cup/saucer, saucer | No Comments »

Herculaneum coffee can, c.1815

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Herculaneum pottery coffee can, made in Liverpool, England in the early 1800s. Herculaneum Pottery was based in Toxteth, and produced creamware and pearlware pottery, as well as bone china porcelain, between 1793 and 1841. This superbly decorated example has delicately hand painted flowers, birds and butterflies with gilt detailing. Although unmarked, the original pattern number is believed to be 905. Coffee can measures just over 2-1/2″ high and has a diameter of 2-3/4″. The sturdy replacement handle, made of bronze and covered in tightly wrapped rattan painted with red detailing, is held in place with the aid of two wires which pass through the body of the mug. It was most likely made by an English china mender in the mid-1800s.