The Collector's Handbook to Keramics of the Renaissance and Modern PeriodsChaffers, William
History
The Collector's Handbook to Keramics of the Renaissance and Modern Periods
Chaffers, William
Pottery
Dwight produced a great variety of objects, and brought the potter's
art to a great perfection. The figures, busts, and groups are
exquisitely modelled, and will bear comparison with any contemporary
manufactures of Europe. A careful inspection will convince any
unprejudiced mind of the erroneous impression which exists, that until
the time of Wedgwood the potter's art in England was at a very low ebb,
and that none but the rudest description of pottery was made, without
any attempt to display artistic excellence. For here, a century before
Josiah Wedgwood's time, we have examples of English pottery which would
do credit to the atelier of that distinguished potter himself. John
Dwight died in the year 1737, and with him also departed the glory of
his manufactory at Fulham.
[Illustration: FIG. 266.--"LYDIA DWIGHT. _Dyed March 3, 1673._"]
LAMBETH. The next important pottery in England in the 17th century was
that of Lambeth. In the _History of Lambeth_ it is related that about
1650 some Dutch potters established themselves here, and by degrees the
industry became important, for the village contained no less than twenty
manufactories, in which were made the glazed pottery and tiles used in
London and various parts of England. The ware was very much of the
character of Delft, with a fine white creamy glaze, painted with
landscapes and figures in blue.
[Illustration: FIG. 267.--DISH.]
The white bottles or jugs, upon which are written the names of wines
accompanied by dates, were made here.
The trade flourished here for more than a century, until about 1780 or
1790, at which time the Staffordshire potters, by the great improvements
they had made in the quality of their ware, and having coal and clay
ready to their hand, were enabled to produce it at a cheaper rate, and
eventually beat the Lambeth potters out of the field.
The Lambeth potters, about the end of the 17th century, appear also to
have copied the forms of the Palissy ware, especially in large oval
dishes with initials and dates. Fig. 267 is an example of one of these
dishes.
YEARSLEY, in Yorkshire. A pottery of coarse character was made here in
the 17th century. A factory was established by an ancestor of Josiah
Wedgwood about the year 1700; and on the estate of Sir George Wombwell
fragments of pottery, of a coarse brown ware, with lead glaze, have been
frequently found on the site of the old manufactory.
There was also a manufactory established at the Manor-house, YORK, about
1665, of which little is known except the mention of its existence by
Ralph Thoresby and Horace Walpole; although it is by the former
erroneously called porcelain, the ware was actually a fine stoneware,
with a salt glaze.
DON POTTERY. There was a pottery on the river Don, near Doncaster,
established by Mr. John Green of New-hill, who came from the Leeds
pottery about 1790. In 1807 some other members of his family joined the
firm, and it was for a short time "Greens, Clark, & Co."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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