Pottery and Porcelain, from early times down to the Philadelphia exhibition of 1876Elliott, Charles Wyllys
History
Pottery and Porcelain, from early times down to the Philadelphia exhibition of 1876
Elliott, Charles Wyllys
Pottery -- History; Pottery -- Marks
"Another striking variety is the fan and feather pattern, in imitation
of _Capo di Monte_, painted in purple, blue, and red, in the form of
basins and ewers. Many of these vases are elaborately painted, with
diaper-work in gold, and colors, and escutcheons of flowers, and small
landscapes. Among all the flowers and exquisite floral patterns the rose
predominates, and it is remarkable how easily the peculiar touch of the
artist--whose name was Rose--can be detected. Another style of
decoration peculiar to Lowestoft is a rococo scroll or running border of
flowers, slightly raised upon the plain surface in opaque white enamel."
In the collection of Mr. J. V. L. Pruyn, at Albany, is quite a large
dinner-service with the rose-decoration, which we can easily believe to
be true Lowestoft. The colors are not brilliant, nor is the glaze
perfect. The paste lacks the whiteness of the best Chinese, and is
lighter than any true Chinese porcelain I have seen. Some persons in
this country think that many or most of the dinner and tea services
ordered in the United States during the last century, and which it was
supposed were made in China, really came from Lowestoft through
Liverpool or Bristol; among them those sets which bore initials in a
sort of shield, and were finished on the edges with a deep-blue band
studded with gold stars. It seems certain that this kind of decoration
was done at Lowestoft; it is equally certain that it was also done in
China, from designs sent out there. I have myself some pieces so
decorated, which were imported direct from China to New Haven about the
end of the last century.
[Illustration: FIG. 149.--_Lowestoft Porcelain._]
The perplexity and discussion existing as to the hard-paste porcelain
made at Lowestoft have been increased by the statements made by Mr.
Marryat and Mr. Jewett, in England, that much white undecorated
porcelain was imported into Lowestoft from China, and was painted in
England. Some of the forms and decorations made at Lowestoft are so like
those made in China that it has been almost impossible to distinguish
them. To a person not interested, this will seem a matter of the very
slightest consequence; to a china-fancier quite the contrary. Sydney
Smith, you will remember, said it was strange, but quite true, that
"there were persons living who spoke disrespectfully of the equator, but
we should bear with them and pity them." This advice we must apply to
those who care nothing about porcelain.
Mr. Chaffers, in his work, "Marks and Monograms on Pottery and
Porcelain," presents very strong and varied testimony to show that no
white porcelain was imported from China and painted at Lowestoft; that
the hard paste made at Lowestoft is quite different, and not so hard as
that made in China, and need not be confounded with it. My own belief is
that much of what is called "Lowestoft," both in England and in the
United States, was made in China.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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