Posts Tagged ‘staples/rivets’

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!

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.

French faience bowl, c.1800

Sunday, January 31st, 2021

This shallow French faience pottery bowl was given to me a few years ago by my friend Marianne, who found it in Belgium. It measures 9.25 inches in diameter and was made in North France in the late 1700s to early 1800s. It is made of red clay with tin glaze and floral decoration in blue, green and orange enamels.

Soon after the plate broke in half it was repaired most likely by an itinerant repairer, using 3 large metal staples, each 3/4 inches long. Although metal staple (aka rivet) repairs were done throughout the world, this type of long heavy staple was predominantly used in France, Italy and in other nearby European countries.

Happy Halloween, 2020!

Saturday, October 31st, 2020

Could 2020 have been any scarier? With the double whammy of the worldwide pandemic still threatening our lives during one of the most polarizing US presidential elections in history, I think not.

Here are some of the scariest victims of metal staple repairs in my collection, no doubt inspired by Frankenstein’s monster himself.

I’m going to assume the hidden side of the teacup is riddled with metal staples.

Have a spooktacular Halloween!

Boris Karloff photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

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

Delft floral plate, c.1700s

Sunday, October 11th, 2020

I found this colorful tin glazed earthenware pottery plate at a shop in Amsterdam about 6 years ago. It was made in the Netherlands in the 1700s and has stylized floral decoration in polychrome enamels of green, orange, and blue on a white ground. It measures 9 inches in diameter.

After the plate broke, well over 200 years ago, it was repaired most likely by an itinerant repairer. Holes were drilled on either side of the crack and multiple strands of thin brass wire were looped through the holes. The remaining spaces were filled with plaster or a binder of some sort. This is a variation on staple/rivet repairs in which holes are drilled part way through and small metal clamps are secured to the broken pieces. I have found many repairs like these predominantly in Northern France, Brussels, and the Netherlands.

Similar plate with similar crack is in the permanent collection at the Detroit Institute of Art.

Photo courtesy of the Detroit Institute of Arts

Spanish tin-glazed plate, c.1870

Sunday, August 16th, 2020

Who doesn’t like blue and white ceramics? Not many, according to popular taste. Be it porcelain or pottery, Chinese or European, cobalt blue glaze on a white ground is arguably the most popular color combination throughout the world.

This tin-glazed earthenware pottery plate was made in Valencia, Spain in the mid to late 1800s. It measures 11.25 inches in diameter and is decorated with stylized flowers in teardrop shapes which form a ring. As lovely as the decoration is, I was drawn to the plate due to the 18 large double metal wire staples on the back holding the broken pieces together. After it was repaired, a rustic wire hanger was made so it could be displayed on the wall. With all the trouble the owner went through, this must have been a very special plate.

My plate would feel right at home among these similar examples at the Museu de Ceramica de Manises in Valencia, Spain.

Photo courtesy of Museu de Ceramica de Manises

Blue & white Spanish plate, c.1870

Sunday, 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

Mismatched Canton trio with large staples, c.1835

Sunday, April 26th, 2020

My cousin-in-law Carol is a true artist with incredible taste. She is equally adept at painting, sculpture, sewing, and just about any other form of art or craft. Her homes have been decorated with a keen eye and filled with beautiful and quirky details. When she found out about my passion for antiques with inventive repairs, she started sending me wonderful examples for my collection.

This trio of mis-matched 18th century Chinese Canton porcelain arrived unannounced a few months ago. Each piece is decorated in the pagoda pattern in cobalt blue underglaze on a white ground. The small tureen measures 7 inches wide from handle to handle and is 5 inches high to the top of lid finial. The small plate, used here as an under tray, is 9.5 inches x 6.75 inches.

I wouldn’t be surprised of these “damaged” pieces were weeded out of a larger dinner service by a dealer who only wanted to keep the “perfect” pieces. The repairs here include 3 large double brass staples each on the tureen and lid, and 3 large white metal staples on the underside of the plate.

Thank you to whoever did me the favor of dividing up the set and leaving the more interesting stapled pieces for my collection. And thank you again Carol for your generosity and appreciation for the unusual and the quirky!

Floral French faience plate, c.1830

Saturday, April 18th, 2020

This colorful faience (tin-glazed) earthenware plate was made in north-eastern France in the early 1800s. The bold floral decoration is rendered in polychrome enamels, attributed to small pottery workshops in the town of Les Islettes in the Lorraine region. The plate measures 12 inches in diameter.

Earthenware is less durable than porcelain and stoneware so it is not uncommon to find tin-glazed plates from this period with early repairs. After the plate broke, a restorer reunited the two pieces by drilling small holes straight through the surface, lacing a small piece of sturdy wire through the holes, and twisting the ends together. Putty or a bonding cement was added to fill the gaps in the holes. Sometimes multiple strands of thin brass wire were used instead of one piece of heavier wire. Other popular types of repairs in the region include large staples and rivets, also found throughout the world.

My high school French teacher found this plate in Belgium about 6 years ago and knew I would give it a good home. Thanks Marianne for your keen eye!

Many examples of plates similar to mine are on view at the Seisaam Museum in north-east France.

Photo courtesy of Seisaam Museum