THE OLD CHINA BOOK
Fig. 24. ALMSHOUSE, NEW YORK. A. Stevenson.
Fig. 25. COLUMBIA COLLEGE. A. Slevensor..
THE OLD CHINA BOOK
INCLUDING
STAFFORDSHIRE, WEDGWOOD, LUSTRE,
AND
OTHER ENGLISH POTTERY AND PORCELAIN
BY
N. HUDSON MOORE
NEW YORK " '
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY ■"*'''. f;
PUBLISHERS
rv
V
^'i*iiiiZ::oi3 t.?j t„PT.
Copyright, 1903,
By Frederick A. Stukes Company.
Rriittc'fl in the United States of America
PREFACE.
This little book has been compiled to meet the
wants (expressed in hundreds of letters) of those who
own old china, particularly old English china, and
would like to know more about it, and to stimulate
others to whom the fascinations of china collecting are
as yet unknown.
There are many more to whom we hope to appeal : —
those who are interested in their country's history
during that strenuous time when the colony cast aside
its mother's hand and took its first steps alone.
It may well stir our patriotism to look on the plain
buildings our ancestors were content to view as
" Beauties " ; to note the primitive methods of trans-
portation both on land and sea ; to revise our know-
ledge of such famous victories as McDonough's, or
Bunker Hill, and to study the rugged features of those
who worked and died to make our country what she is.
All this and more may be found within the limits of a
collection of " Old Blue."
Quite apart from the peculiar interest of the Staf-
fordshire wares are those lovely English porcelains
and pottery of the late eighteenth century. They well
repay study, and many of us may rejoice to find that
we are harbouring angels unawares.
Some of the illustrations have been used in articles
on this subject, and thanks are due to the DelineatoTy
House Beautiful, and the Ledger Mo7ithly for permis-
sion to reproduce them.
'^><.7<
M/l
vi PREFACE.
To the editors of " Old China " the writer is indebted
for a number of cuts, particularly the fine English
views, which are being eagerly sought. Numerous
photographs were taken expressly for this book, and
obligations are expressed to the Boston Museum of
Fine Arts, Concord Antiquarian Society, to Mrs.
Frederick Yates, Mrs. A. K. Davis Anthony Killgore,
Esq., Mr. William M. Hoyt, and many others, who
kindly put their private collections at the writer's
disposal.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
CHAPTER I.
1. Salt glaze plate.
2. Tortoise-shell covered mug.
3. Queen's ware jug.
4. Willow pattern platter.
CHAPTER II.
5. View of City of Albany.
6. " Chief Justice Marshall '' (steamboat).
7. "Cadmus."
8. Wood and Caldwell jug.
9. Catskill. N, Y.
10. Lake George, N. Y.
11. Castle Garden and Battery, N. Y.
12. West Point, Newburg, Catskill Mt. House.
13. Landing of the Pilgrims.
14. Landing of Pilgrims pitcher.
15. Erie Canal plates.
16. Table Rock, Niagara.
17. Falls of Montmorency.
18. Woman of Samaria.
19. Marine Hospital, Ky.
20. Limehouse Dock.
21. Warwick Castle,
22. Ely.
23. Mill at Charenton.
24. Columbia College.
25. Almshouse, N. Y.
26. New York from Brooklyn Heights.
27. New York from Brooklyn Heights (platter).
28. Landing of Lafayette.
29. States platter.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
30. Pittsfield Elm.
31. Syntax tray. Advertisement for a Wife,
32. Syntax plate. Bluestocking Beauty,
33. The Valentine. Wilkie design.
34. Lumley Castle, Durham.
35. Boston State House.
36. Nahant.
CHAPTER III.
37. Capitol at Washington.
38. Almshouse, N. Y.
39. Boston Hospital.
40. Capitol at Washington (Fish tray).
41. Octagon Church, Boston.
42. Mount Vernon and two cup-plates.
43. All Soul's College and St. Mary's Church, Oxford.
44. Battery.
45. Battle of Bunker Hill.
46. Lawrence Mansion, Boston.
47. So called — Lawrence Mansion.
48. Capitol, Washington.
49. City Hotel, N. Y.
50. Scudder's American Museum.
51. Harvard College.
52. Columbia College.
53. Harewood House.
54. Franklin's Tomb (cup and saucer).
CHAPTER IV.
55. Arms of Rhode Island.
56. Arms of Pennsylvania.
57. Arms of New York.
58. Arms of Delaware.
59. Tomb (sugar bowl).
60. Mitchell & Freeman's China House.
61. Columbus plate.
62. St. George's Chapel.
63. Branxholm Castle.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
64.
Hancock House.
65.
State House, Boston.
66.
U. S. Hotel, Philadelphia.
67.
Richard Jordan's residence.
68.
Louisville, Ky.
69.
Sandusky, Ohio.
70.
Albany, N. Y.
71.
Baltimore Almshouse.
72.
Fulton steamboat.
73.
Eulogy plate.
74.
Utica inscription.
75.
Lovejoy plate.
76.
Burning of Merchant's Exchange, N. Y.
CHAPTER V.
77.
Medallion pitcher.
78.
St. Paul's Chapel.
79-
Windsor Castle.
80.
Jefferson and Clinton, Boston Hospital
81.
Lafayette.
82.
Niagara.
83.
Franklin.
84.
Perry.
CHAPTER VL
85.
Butcher's Arms pitcher.
86.
Butchers Arms pitcher. Reverse side.
87.
Black-printed ware.
88.
Apotheosis jug.
89.
Washington map jug.
90-
Washington jug.
91.
Monument jug.
92.
Washington jug.
93.
Masonic jug.
94.
Death of Wolfe.
95.
Commodore Preble pitcher.
96-
Sunderland jugs.
97.
Printed tea-set.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
CHAPTER VII
98. Bow pickle leaf and creamer,
99. Chelsea.
100. Crown-Derby, Falstaff.
loi. Bristol, Flora.
102. Bristol pottery.
103. Leed's ware.
104. Old Worcester cup and saucer,
105. Old Worcester plate.
106. Plymouth, Harlequin.
107. Corner cupboard of Lowestoft.
108. Rose-sprigged Lowestoft.
109. Blue-banded Lowestoft.
no. Certified Lowestoft.
111. Spode.
112. Mason's stone.
113. Herculaneum porcelain.
CHAPTER VIIL
114. Black basaltes tea-set.
115. Nelson teapot.
116. Silver lustre tea-set.
117. Silver lustre cake-basket and vase*.
118. Group of jugs.
119. Lustre mug and goblets.
120. Group of lustre jugs.
121. Cornwallis.
122. Lafayette.
123. Cups and saucers, lustre decoration.
124. Castleford teapot.
CHAPTER IX.
125. Cream ware, teapot.
126. Basaltes medallion.
127. Basaltes tea-set.
128. Basaltes vase.
129. Jasper flower-holder.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
130. Jasper vase, blue and white.
131. Jasper vase, lilac and white.
132. Flower-pot.
133. Lustre candlesticks.
134. Wedgwood's patterns.
CHAPTER X.
135. Toby, etc.
136. Lavender porcelain jug.
137. Davenport jug.
138. Newburg jug. Clews.
139. Minster jug.
140. Ariadne jug.
141. Alcock jugs.
142. Eagle and Silenus jugs.
143. Toby jugs.
144. Group of teapots, printed wares.
145. Groups of teapots, lustre decorations.
146. Group of teapots, painted wares.
147. "Lion Slayer."
148. Pepper-pot.
149. Nottingham Bear.
150. Cow and Calf.
CONTENTS.
CHArrSK. FAGK.
Preface v
List of Illustrations vii
I. Early Pottery i
II. Staffordshire Wares 12
III. Staffordshire Wares, Continued . . 38
IV. Staffordshire Wares, Continued . . 61
V. Portrait Pieces 86
VI. Liverpool and Other Printed Wares . 100
VII. English Porcelain and Pottery . . 124
VIII. Basaltes, Lustres, White Ware, Etc., . 166
IX. Wedgwood and His Wares . . . .185
X. Jugs, Teapots and Animals . . .234
List of Views *54
Works on Pottery and Porcelain Con-
sulted 284
Index 285
THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
CHAPTER I.^ . .,..,.,..
EARLY POTTERY.
To-DAY, when our watchword seems to be " rush,"
when people who would like to pause and bide awhile
are swept along with the multitude, the thoughtful
person is likely to ask " How can I best withstand the
pressure? "
The device which is of the greatest use is the culti-
vation of a hobby, an intense interest in some particu-
lar subject, let it be birds, butterflies or beetles, old
laces, engravings, or china.
To be able to throw your mind into the contempla-
tion of a subject which is of such interest to you that
workaday worries are crowded out is not only a rest
but a pleasure, and though you may have started on
your gatherings without either thought or desire for im-
provement, insensibly you will find yourself drawn into
new fields, into by-paths leading off from the main
road, where you will find much to surprise and interest
you.
It is not necessary to mention the shining lights of
past and present times who have found pleasure in
the gathering of china. I am sometimes asked if it is
not a very costly pleasure. It may be, yet within my
8 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
own experience have come the following ardent col-
lectors of " old blue " : a busy doctor, a woman who is
a cook in a restaurant, an editor, a butcher, an actor,
a school teacher, and dozens of women of leisure, some
with wealth and some with none, some owning
dozens, even hundreds, of pieces, some less than a
score, yet all fejoicing in the cultivation of an interest,
" a new interest in life," as many of them say, which
provides agreeable food for reflection, and which
stimulates as well as rests.
The making of pottery is one of the oldest arts,
practised even by prehistoric races, with the exception
of the cave dwellers of the Drift period. The sepul-
chral barrows of Great Britain have yielded many
specimens of this work, and to-day the attention of
most collectors centers on the pottery of England,
particularly that made in the eighteenth and the first
quarter of the nineteenth centuries.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth there were
imported from Germany numbers of stoneware jugs,
generally called Bellarmines, which superseded for
drinking purposes home-made vessels. Not only these
German vessels but Delft ware and occasional pieces
of Oriental ware and Italian faience also crept into
England, were eagerly sought, and brought good
prices. This stimulated the potters of England, who
had at their command, right at hand, the necessary
materials in great variety and abundance.
From this period, about 1560, may be dated the use
of the potter's art in England, and many utensils were
made which were not lacking in artistic feeling and
suitability for the purposes for which they were used.
Fifty years later the mugs and jugs with many handles.
EARLY POTTERY. 3
the posset-pots and flagons were turned in a superior
style of material, design and workmanship. During
the second half of the seventeenth century many pot-
teries started up all over England, most of them being
content to imitate German stoneware or the Dutch
Delft. There were a few potters who were progressive
enough to try and improve their old-fashioned earthen-
ware, and of all these early wares dated specimens are
still to be found in England. Such as are in this coun-
try are museum specimens, so we need not go into fur-
ther description.
As early as i68o glazing by means of salt (a process
which had been known in Germany for many years)
became common, and superseded the coarse glaze
hitherto known, which was called " lead glaze" and
was opaque. Eventually this salt glazing was im-
proved upon, and the ware to which it was applied
was called " Crouch-Ware" (FiG.i). Even at its best
all this pottery was but rude ware, and the nobility
and gentry still clung to plate and pewter, and even
to wooden trenchers.
The chartering of the East India Trading Company
in 1600, for carrying on business in the East Indies,
is one of the chapters in English history that makes
interesting reading. It was, perhaps, the first great
trust or " combine " of which we have record, and its
rapacities became so great that, finally, about the
middle of the nineteenth century, the Crown was
obliged to step in and take away its charter. It was,
however, to this company that England was indebted
for the introduction of porcelain from the Orient.
To be sure a few pieces had been brought in prior to
1600, but even Queen Bess regarded highly her two
4 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
cups. One was a porringer of "white porselyn," gar-
nished with gold, a gift from Lord Burleigh, and the
other a cup of " grene pursselyn," given by Robert
Cecil. We may be very sure that the canny queen
would have gathered in more specimens if her loyal
subjects had possessed much of this " pursselyn," for at
New Year's time she had the habit of demanding gifts
from rich and poor alike, even ginger from the crossing-
sweeper was not too small an offering for her gracious
acceptance, and she " sware right lustily " if the gifts
were not forthcoming on time. By 163 1 the trading
company had thrown out several tentacles, and with
other spoils from the East began to bring in porcelain.
The company suffered greatly because its officers en-
gaged in smuggling " certain wares and merchandise."
A long list of articles was drawn up which the officers
were forbidden to bring in, but they were allowed to
bring home as much china and " purslanes " as they
desired.
On September 25, 1660, Pepys (whose sprightly
diary is a record of all that was doing about town in
those days), says, " I did send for a cup of tee (a
China drink), of which I never drank before." So it
seems as if some cups and bowls came in before the
beverage for which they were ultimately used. Tea
was then so scarce in England that the infusion of it
in water was taxed by the gallon in common with
chocolate and sherbet. Two pounds and two ounces
were, in the same year, 1659, formally presented to
the king by the East India Company as a most valua-
ble oblation.
Now at this time the vessel known as a teapot had
not been invented. Even in the land of the tea plant
Fig. I. SALT GLAZE PLATE.
Fig. 2. TORTOISE-SHELL MUG.
Fig. 3. QUEEN'S WARE PITCHER.
Fig. 4. WILLOW P.\TTERX PLATTER.
EARLY POTTERY. S
the almond-eyed celestial brewed his tea by pouring
hot water over the leaves in a bowl. It was left to
more recent times and more civilized nations to use
such a utensil as we call teapot, and to boil out all the
injurious qualities from this cheering plant. With
these facts in mind a letter which lies before me seems
a little startling. It says " This teapot has been in
our family two hundred and fifty years. It is red and
yellow, and is decorated with the coat of arms of
England. Can you tell me who made it ? " This has
happened scores of times to me. People of upright
and sterling character, many of them possessed of
New England consciences, write me such letters. They
have no scruple in adding a hundred or more years to
the age of a bit of china, while they might fairly hesi-
tate in taking off ten or twenty years of their own
age in the presence of the census-taker. It is well to
fix in your mind the date, 1660, as the approximate
time when porcelain from the Orient, in plates, cups
and bowls, first began to appear in England. There
were few teapots until nearly half a hundred years
later.
Although, during recent years, England may well be
proud of her porcelain products, she has equal reason
to uphold the fame of her pioneer potters, when
among them may be found such names as Adams,
Elers, Mason, Mayer, Meigh, Ridgway, Wedgwood
and Wood.
The term " pottery," in its widest sense, includes all
objects made of clay, moulded into shape while in a
moist state, and then hardened -by fire. In ordinary
wares, pottery and semi-china, clay was used which
had impurities, while the paste of porcelain is of a
6 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
purer silicate of alumina. The essential difference in
appearance between pottery and porcelain is that the
latter is whiter, harder and slightly translucent. The
use of pounded flint was the cause of great improve-
ments in earthenware. The material was mixed
with sand and pipeclay, and coloured with oxide of
copper and manganese, making the agate, or combed,
or tortoise-shell ware which became very popular.
(Fig. 2.) This particular tortoise-shell mug, with its
graceful cover, is in the Concord Museum of Antiqui-
ties. It is very light in weight, rich in colour, and ab-
solutely perfect. Pasted in the cover is the following
legend — "Jonas Potter, born Feby 6, 1740. Married
Dec. 30, 1766, died, March 7, 182 1." It is the record
of a whole life, and the monument to this unknown
Jonas, one frail mug, has outlived him more than
three-quarters of a century. It is undoubtedly made
by Wheildon, who never identified his pieces by any
mark or name ; but their workmanship is so superior
that they cannot be mistaken, for no imitator ever
approached their perfection. The choicest pieces of
these wares were probably made between 1752 and
1759-
The cream-coloured wares followed the tortoise-shell,
and were named in honour of Queen Anne, who ad-
mired them. They were usually decorated with orna-
ments in low relief, copied from the forms of silverware
of the period (FiG. 3). After the plain coloured wares
came those printed and painted, and this pottery was
by no means lacking in beauty of form or design. To
the collector the " feel " of a piece of china is almost
as great a guide as its looks. The old china had a
lightness, you almost may say a softness (which
EARLY POTTERY. y
modern wares lack), particularly that old English ware
known as semi-china.
The word porcelain comes from the Italian word
porcellana, meaning cowry-shell, and we commonly
call porcelain ware china, because it was first made by
the Chinese. Porcelain is made of a certain kind of
clay, which is purified and then baked, producing a
hard, translucent material, the transparency of which
is regulated by its thickness.
Paste is the body or substance of which the article
is made, and may be either hard or soft. Hard paste
is made of the natural clay, and appears, when broken,
sparkling, fine grained and vitreous. Soft paste is
more porous and dull, and is made of artificial clays.
You may only distinguish the hardness or softness of
the paste where there is a clean chip, but it is well to
remember that all modern china is hard paste.
Glaze is the shiny material which covers the paste.
Hard glaze is colourless and thin, making the object
cold to the hands. Soft glaze is somewhat gummy to
the touch, without the hard cold feeling which dis-
tinguishes hard glaze, and may be scratched with a
knife. The rims or little rings on which pieces of
hard paste porcelain rest are left unglazed. This is an
easy method of distinguishing hard from soft paste
porcelain.
All Oriental china is hard paste. Hard-glaze porce-
lain was made at Plymouth, Bristol and Liverpool.
Soft glaze manufactories were at Bow, Chelsea, Derby,
Worcester, and also at Liverpool and Rockingham.
The Staffordshire porcelain was soft glaze, but had
feldspar added.
Biscuit is the technical term applied to both pottery
« THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
and porcelain before they are enamelled or glazed. It
is a dead white, and does not receive well colours
which need a glaze to bring out their beauty.
Faience is a French word which is applied to every
kind of glazed earthenware, but does not include
porcelain. Majolica, as the term is commonly used,
means about the same thing as faience, but formerly
it meant exclusively Italian decorated pottery of the
fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth cen-
turies, made in the old Italian style.
Stoneware is seldom glazed by a " dip," the glazing
and firing usually being done at one time by the in-
troduction of salt in the kiln.
Semi-china is made with a large admixture of feld-
spar, and is almost as translucent as porcelain. The
main differences in the manufacture of earthenware,
stoneware and porcelain are due to a few minor in-
gredients, to the way they are prepared, and to the
degree of heat to which they are subjected.
There is one mark which appears on new, old and
middle-aged china that causes much perturbation of
spirit. As many correspondents say it " is not in the
books." This mark is somewhat diamond-shaped, with
a capital R in the middle, and figures in the angles.
It simply means "registered," showing that the pat-
tern is registered.
On almost every piece of this old china ware, particu-
larly " flat " or table ware, you will find on the face of
the piece three rough marks in the glaze. On the
back of each piece will also be found rough marks,
three in a group, and three groups at equal distances.
These are caused by the " stilts," or little tripods
which were put between the pieces to keep them
EARLYPOTTERY. 9
separate when they were fired in the kiln. They are
a very good test that the china is old. When it is
said that a piece is in "proof condition," it means
that it is without crackor chip, fine in colour and print-
ing, and not greased or scratched. A piece may be
called perfect, and yet have some tiny surface crack, or
may show signs of wear, like knife scratches, but other-
wise be in perfect condition. A crack detracts from
the value more than a chip or nick, even if the latter
be on the face of the china. The term "greased " is
applied, when, by much use, grease has penetrated
the glaze, and spoiled the colour.
The making of pottery took rapid strides after the
opening of the eighteenth century, and in the period
between 1722 and 1749 no less than nine patents were
taken out. Among the earliest pieces made for domes-
tic uses were the Bellarmines, already spoken of,
copied from the German stoneware, ale jugs and
various drinking vessels, mugs and posset-pots.
The name "mug" was singularly derived from the
fact that these drinking cups were generally decorated
with a rude, or grotesque face, or " mug." Posset-
pots were in popular use for supper on Chrismas eve.
In the tasty drink, with its spices and sippets of toast,
were dropped the wedding ring of the hostess and a
bit of silver money. Each guest fished in turn after
taking a drink. The one Avho succeeded in rescuing
the ring was assured a speedy and happy marriage,
while the one who got the coin was equally certain to
have good luck for the year. These pots, seldom used
during the year but on this single occasion, were
handed down in families, and may still be found in
Great Britain.
10 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
The taste for collecting china began very early in
England, but it was Oriental china that filled the
cabinets, with sometimes a few pieces of Delft, decor-
ated in Chinese fashion. Before 1694 Queen Mary
had quite a number of vases in which she delighted,
and " on which houses, trees, bridges and mandarins
were depicted in outrageous defiance of all laws of
perspective." It is a matter of speculation if the vases
thus described had on them designs similar to what we
now know as the " willow-pattern," and which every
English potter turned his attention to at one time or
another. They are to be found all over this country,
in every shade of blue and every degree of workman-
ship. Fig. 4 shows a very fine example of this pat-
tern.
The china mania in England reached its greatest
height in the eighteenth century, and all who could
filled their houses with jars and vases, cups and saucers,
and "loves of monsters," without use or beauty.
Of all collectors Horace Walpole was the prince,
and of him it was written :
" China's the passion of his soul ;
A cup, a plate, a dish, a bowl,
Can kindle wishes in his breast,
Inflame with joy or break his rest."
He was so fond of his brittle treasures that he
even washed them himself, though his poor hands
were swollen and knotted with gout. His collection
was, perhaps, the largest ever made by an individual.
It was all gathered between 1753 and 1776, and was
kept at his Gothic villa at Strawberry Hill.
This priceless collection was sold in 1842 by Lord
Waldegrave who inherited the property, and it took
EARLY POTTERY. "
twenty-seven days to dispose of all the treasures at
auction. It is a pity that it could not have been left
to the nation, like the unrivalled Wallace collection
of pictures, which was begun by the third Marquis of
Hertford at about the end of the eighteenth century.
CHAPTER II.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES.
England is not a very large section of the globe,
but the history of the villages and hamlets which com-
prise that district in Staffordshire known as the "pot-
teries" would fill a large volume. The potting dis-
trict was over ten miles long and comprised Stoke-on-
Trent, Hanley, Cobridge, Etruria, Burslem, Fenton,
Tunstall, Longport, Shelton, Lane End, and some
lesser known works.
Ralph Shaw, in 1733, patented a salt-glazed ware,
brown and white outside and white within. The
patent did not hold, however, and his rivals copied
and improved on his ware with great rapidity. Wedg-
wood has always been a famous name among potters,
and as early as the seventeenth century there was a
Wedgwood potting at Burslem. The Staffordshire
potters who are of chief interest to us, may be said to
begin with Enoch Wood, generally referred to as
"The Father of the Pottery," who went into business
in 1784, and who made all kinds of table ware, pitch-
ers, punch bowls, and even statuettes. By this time,
just after the Revolution, we were recovering from
our struggles, and anxious for more comforts than we
had hitherto demanded. Enoch Wood was practical
enough to seize upon the occasion, and turned out
from his pottery quantities of ware, serviceable, attrac-
tive and cheap. He did more than this, he made
Fig. 5. CITY OF ALBANY. J!'oo<f.
Fig. 6. "CHIEF JUSTICE MARSHALL." (Troy Line.) U'aoJ.
Fig. 7- SHIP "CADMUS." ITood.
rm
Fig. 8. WOOD AND CALDWELL JUG.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. 13
ware particularly for the American market, and used
incidents and scenes which appealed in a peculiar way
to the growing nation. The art of printing on pottery
had now become well known. Richard Sadler had
been practising it as early as 1752, and though, for
many years, only black was used yet blue was found
to run equally as well. The designs were engraved
on copper, and impressions made on tissue paper,
with prepared paints mixed with oil, and transferred
to the pottery. The deep, rich blue we admire so
much recommended itself on account of its cheapness
and durability, for although to-day we pay, with the
greatest eagerness, twenty-three dollars for a tiny
cup-plate, three and one half inches wide, it was made
to sell for three pence or even less. Although we
cannot say with assurance just why blue was chosen,
the fact remains that all the Staffordshire potters used
it, and to great advantage.
There is a certain style of design known as " flow
blue," which has nondescript patterns, flowers, geomet-
ric designs, and occasionally landscapes, and which
has nothing whatever of beauty or interest to recom-
mend it, but which was sent over here in quantities,
and of which there is still much to be found.
Of all discouragements which a china collector has
to meet, the very worst is flowing blue, next comes
the inevitable willow pattern, which every English
potter made at one time or another, and which is as
plentiful as blades of grass. It varies in colour from
the fine old blue, to a tint so reddish as to be almost
purple, and is shown in every degree of clearness. It
is worth next to nothing, but owners of it hold it at
the very highest market price.
M THEOLDCHINABOOK.
After the rage for old blue had somewhat subsided,
say between 1835 and 1850, some of the potters took
to printing scenes from all over the world, in various
colours, red, green, etc. This second period lacked the
interest of the first, for the pieces were less meritori-
ous and decidedly inartistic. Many of them are held
in this country, and I am in receipt of scores of let-
ters asking if they are not as valuable as old blue.
Perhaps I should say instead that the owners think
they are as valuable as old blue, and ask if this is not
the case.
Enoch Wood,
The list of Staffordshire potters should begin (after
we except Wedgwood, who will be treated in a separ-
ate chapter), with the name of Wood. Ralph Wood
was succeeded by his son Aaron, a clever cutter of
moulds for salt-glazed stoneware with perforated and
raised borders. About 1783 Enoch, youngest son of
Ralph, started in the potting business for himself. He
had been a sculptor and had modelled busts of many
celebrated persons. Enoch, as before mentioned, is
the one who is of the most interest to us, as the bulk
of his work was made for, and sent to, this country.
Although a prosperous and prolific potter, English
writers on pottery give him scant mention, and know
little about his work for the American market. In
their own country the Woods, Ralph, Aaron and
Enoch, are known principally for their successful
figure work and busts, rather than for their flat ware.
ST AFFORDSHIRE WARES. 15
There are two of these busts in the Boston Museum
of Fine Arts, made about 1781, of the Rev. John
Wesley and of John Whitfield.
They also made blue and white jasper and black
ware. They marked few of these pieces, admirable
though they were, and this practice they carried out
in much of the china sent to this country. The pieces
they did mark were sometimes impressed, the mark
being circular and an inch in diameter. In the center
is an eagle with a shield and below him " Semi-china."
Surrounding this are the words " E. Wood & Sons,
Burslem, Warranted." In addition to the impressed
mark is frequently found a mark in blue, consisting of
the name of the scene, an eagle with a branch in his
claws, and a scroll flowing from his mouth with the
words •' E Pluribus Unum."
It is perhaps well for us that it seems to have been
a custom among these potters to design certain bor-
ders, which grew to be as distinctive a mark of the firm
employing them as the stamped name. Enoch Wood
chose sea-shells, and of this border there were two
arrangements :
First. The central view is shown in a circle, and a
cockle shell is conspicuous in the border. Name of
scene on the back (See FiG. 5).
Second. The central view in irregular opening.
Shell border but without cockles. Name of scene
generally on face (See FiG. 6).
In this same series are three views of the ship Cad-
mus, which brought Lafayette to this country, as a
guest, in 1824. It was fitted up by a patriotic Ameri-
can merchant, who placed it at the General's disposal.
TMs was only one incident of the many that showed
i6 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
to our guest that for once, at least, a republic was not
ungrateful (FiG. 7).
As will be seen by reference to the index, there
were very many more examples of the first pattern
than of the second, though the latter makes rather
the prettier plate. The firm name changed in 1790 to
Wood & Caldwell, when James Caldwell was taken
into the business. This partnership lasted but two
years, and the name was changed to Enoch Wood &
Co., and then, in 1818, to Enoch Wood & Sons.
In Fig. 8 we show a sample of the work turned out
during the brief period when Caldwell was in the firm,
that is from 1790 to 1792. It makes this jug over
one hundred and ten years old. The body is a light
shade of blue, highly glazed, and the figures and
ornaments are in white. It is a charming piece, and
must have been well made, for that it has been put to
severe usage is most evident ; the inside is a perfect
net-work of fine cracks. It was picked up in London
half a dozen years since in a curiosity shop, and was
a part of odds and ends which came from the sale of
the effects of Lord Chief Justice Coleridge, the emi-
nent English jurist, who received great honours during
a visit to America some years previous.
I have seen in similar ware, also marked Wood
& Caldwell, a charming eight-inch-high flower-pot and
saucer. It stands on the mantelshelf in a quaint old
house, on the same spot where it has stood for fifty
years, a receptacle for neatly rolled bits of string. It
has passed down through many generations, and the
present owner never remembers it put to any other
use or in any other spot than where it now stands.
There is one other piece of Wood & Caldwell's work
Fig. lo. I,AKE GEORGE. N. V. JfooJ.
Fig. II. CASTLE GARDEN AND BATTERY. UW;/.
Fig. 12. THREE HUDSON RIVER PLATES. Wood.
WEST POINT. NEWBURG. CATSKILL MT. HOUSE.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. 17
which I have seen, and which is so unique and beauti-
ful that it deserves mention. It is also a pitcher, in
size and shape like the one in the figure, except that
the blue background is a somewhat handsomer shade.
It was made for a Miss Caldwell, sister of James, and
in this case the figures of children . playing were
coloured according to nature, with gowns of the pret-
tiest pale shades of pink, straw-colour and green.
The grouping is very lovely, and nearly identical
with some of the designs made by Lady Templeton for
Wedgwood. Miss Caldwell came to this country
many years ago, and died here, and the jug has
remained in the possession of her descendants. Un-
fortunately the condition of the jug is poor, though
handle and lip are still perfect. Some of the figures
have peeled off, showing that they were cast in moulds
and then stuck on while the clay was wet, and before
glazing. The name Wood & Caldwell is printed in
capital letters, impressed in a straight line.
" Wood " alone is sometimes found impressed, and
stands for the period before the sons were admitted to
the firm. E. W. & S. is also found on many pieces
printed in black, or in the colour of the design on the
face. These are all of a later period.
The great bulk of the china made by the Woods has
the name Enoch, or E. Wood & Sons, either impressed
or stamped in blue on the back. An impressed stamp
is made in the moist clay before glazing, and sometimes
is almost filled up by the glaze, so that it is hard to
distinguish. The blue marks may be put on either
under or over glaze, and consist of the firm name
sometimes the name of the pattern, and occasionally
a wreath, scroll, or an eagle with the words " E Pluri-
i8 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
bus Unum." The words "stone," " stone china," of
" semi-china," are also sometimes used.
The Woods made forty or more views of our scenery
from sketches and prints, and most of them are valu-
able historical documents in the story of our country's
progress. They not only made flat ware, as plates,
platters, low vegetable dishes, etc., were called, but
toilet sets and pitchers as well. FiG. 9 shows a fine
dish, probably a platter for a soup tureen, seventeen
inches long, and perfect. Besides the words " Catskill,
N. Y.," it has on the back, in blue, " E Pluribus
Unum," and an eagle. The border on this piece is
unusually handsome and clear. FiG. 10 is another
piece which belongs, like FiG. 9, to class one. It is a
view of Lake George, N. Y., and has markings similar
to Fig. 9 on the back.
There are curious details to be noted in collecting
this old china. You never seem to find a piece per-
taining to a particular locality in the place it celebrates.
If you want a view of Albany you might begin your
search in Buffalo, and vice versa. The city of Roch-
ester, so far as is known, has but two plates bearing
the Rochester aqueduct, and both were found out of
the state.
Fig. 1 1 shows one of Wood's most celebrated pieces.
Castle Garden and the Battery, N. Y. I am repeatedly
asked by owners how much their pieces are worth, and
have invented an answer to suit all cases. " Whatever
you can get for it." If you can find a collector who is
very anxious to have the particular piece you hold, you
rather command the market, for the china collector is
ever haunted by the fear that if he hesitates some
other " fiend " will rush in and get his treasure. Sup-
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. 19
pose that you sell to a dealer, you will get the very
lowest price he can induce you to take, and if you sell
at auction, — well, it depends much upon the weather
and the auctioneer. The mate to the platter which
is shown brought at auction in New York City, at the
Gilbert Sale, November 8, 1901, one hundred and
seven dollars and fifty cents. It is eighteen inches
long and in proof condition. The price certainly is
exorbitant, but though it may never be reached again,
it is matter of record that it has been given once.
The platter, though interesting, as a mere pictorial
piece is less attractive than many others, less rich in
colour, as. though deep, it is dull. One is glad to note
many little curious details such as the footbridge
between Castle Garden and the mainland. It gives an
idea of the beauty of the old Battery Walk where the
" Four Hundred " of those days came forth of an after-
noon to walk up and down in the shade and enjoy the
sea-breeze. This Battery, which is now given over to
the immigrant, elevated road and the aquarium, was
built as early as 1692. It retains nothing of what it
was originally except its name, for it was constructed
" to make a platform upon the outmost point of rocks
under the fort to command both rivers." For many
years the Battery was the City's parade ground. Here
the Pulaski Cadets, the Light Guard, the red-coated
City Guards, and the Tompkins Blues went through
countless evolutions before the eyes of the admiring
townsfolk. Here, also, was played between the Red
Stockings and the Blue Stockings the national game.
Innumerable pleasure boats sailed up and down, and
the land faintly seen in the distance is Governor's
Island, which was owned by the War Department
so THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
even before 1812, and on which was a fort to guard
the Narrows.
The old fort on the Battery was first called " Fort
Manhattan." This was as early as 1614. It soon
was too small for the thriving Dutch colony, and a
new one was built called Fort Amsterdam. In 1664
the English captured the city and fort, and re-named
the latter, in honour of the Duke of York, Fort James.
It did not hold this name long, for in 1684 the Dutch
recaptured it and re-christened it Fort William Henry.
This was its briefest experience with any name, for in
a few months the English got it back, and once more
it was Fort James. After this it was successively Fort
William, Fort Anne in 1702, and Fort George in 1714,
and so it continued until, in the year 1789, it was
demolished as useless.
Picturesque views of the Hudson River and of some
of the thriving towns on the banks are frequently
found in the blue, as well as in other colours. Wood
made some charming ones. In FiG. 12 there are three
such, each of the pieces being six-inch plates and hav-
ing come together in one collection from different
parts of the United States. The shell border shows
us that they are by Wood, and the name of each view
is on the back. The central view is the Hudson
River near Newburg. The plate on the right shows
the Catskill Mountain House, and on the left we have
West Point. The scenes look decidedly unfamiliar to
our modern eyes.
The year 1820 was distinguished as completing the
second century since New England's shores were
" first impressed by the footsteps of those who gave an
empire birth." This event was celebrated in Boston
Fig. 13. LANDING OF THE
PILGRIMS, lyood.
FiK. 14. LANDING OF THE
PILGRIMS PITCHER. H'ood.
Fig. 15. ROCHESTER, LITTLE FALLS. UTICA, Wood.
(Erie Canal Plates.^
Fig. 16. TABLE ROCK, NIAGARA.
IVood.
Fig. 17. FALLS OF MONTMORENCY,
NEAR QUEBEC, irooti.
Fig. i8 WOMAN OF SAMARL\. iroad.
Fig. 19. MARINE HOSPITAL,
LOUISVILLE, KY. l-Food.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. ai
by a banquet, at which Daniel Webster delivered the
commemorative address which has become a classic in
our literature. The entire dinner service was made in
England by Enoch Wood & Sons and appropriately
decorated with a representation of the " Landing of the
Pilgrims." It is some of the handsomest china put out
by this conscientious firm, and has a central view of a
boat coming ashore and the astonished Indians regard-
ing it (Fig. 13). The border is very handsome, of
scrolls and four medallions, two of them showing ships
and two of them inscriptions. The top one says
"America Independent, July 4, 1776," and the lower
one "Washington, born 1732, died 1792." On a rock
in the picture are the names of some of the pilgrims.
Besides the dinner service itself a small surplus
was made, which was sold as souvenirs. We give, in
Fig. 14, one of the pitchers, on which the arrangement
was a little different from that on the flat ware. The
pieces are always in demand, and a ten-inch plate, in
proof condition, should bring about fifteen dollars,
though three were sold at the Haigh sale in Boston,
for fourteen dollars and a ha/f, eleven dollars, and
eight dollars, respectively.
Rarest of all Wood's plates are two that are shown in
Fig. 15. They are in the rich blue, with very hand-
some borders of large flowers, and commemorate the
opening of the Erie Canal, that great event in the
history of New York State, which took place October
26, 1825. There are three of these plates, the aque-
ducts at Rochester and Little Falls, and the entrance
of the canal into the Hudson at Albany. We give the
Rochester plate on the left, size seven and a half
inches, and the Little Falls in the center. This latter
22 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
plate has been found of two sizes, ten-inch soup-plate
and eight-inch plate. These plates are not marked
except on the face with the name of the view, but a
washbowl is on record with the Albany view and the
floral border and with the impressed mark of E. Wood
& Sons. As late as 1806 the town of Little Falls, two
hundred miles from New York, was regarded as very
much in the backwoods, and an English traveller relates
with wonder that at an " inn there they had a tablecloth
on the table, with plates, knives and forks. That the
breakfast was very good, consisting of tea, bread and
butter, steak, eggs and cheese, potatoes, beets and
salt." All this prof usion was furnished for twenty-five
cents. This was nearly twenty years before the plate
was made. The Table Rock, Niagara, plates are also
much esteemed and sell for good prices. FiG. 16 shows
one.
There is also china of a much less artistic value
made by this firm, sometimes in one colour and some-
times in two, such as the Washington vase, which is
marked on the back "Pearl Stoneware, Washington
Vase," and below " E. W. & Co." There is also the
Washington memorial, blue and black, or red and
green, with border of urns and willows, marked on the
back ♦' E. W. & S. " The shapes of the plates are
pretty but the printing is badly done, the design is
almost grotesque, and the colour feeble.
There were many American designs made about the
same time, signed " E. W. & S.," and given the name
of "Celtic China." They were printed in various
colours, including light blue and green, and command a
very small sum to-day, their only value being as heir-
looms. The Woods made a few views of Canadian
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. aj
scenes also, one of which, the " Falls of Montmorency,
near Quebec," is given in FiG. I7. It has the shell
border and is a very handsome plate.
There were also made by this same firm, in dark
blue, a set of scriptural pictures on china, with a bor-
der of flowers and scrolls, with scriptural devices. In
Fig. 18 we give one of these called *' Christ and the
Woman of Samaria." These designs seem to have
been held in greater respect than the pieces which we
call historical, probably on account of the significance
of the decoration. There were also some few designs
made by this firm in other colours than blue, called the
" Sun of Righteousness " series, on account of the
border which shows a rising sun as a feature of the
decoration.
During the last two years much interest has been
aroused in the gathering together of English views,
made by the same potters, and at about the same
period as the American scenes. As recently as eighteen
or twenty months ago the pieces could have been
picked up for the proverbial song; but every day sees
them soar in price, and new collections are being started
in every direction. Attics and closets are being ran-
sacked, and these pieces, which were neglected by col-
lectors of Anglo-American scenes, are coming to the
fore in a rapid manner. In all this desire for these
pieces it is hard to know of cupboards and bureaus,
closets and presses being filled to overflowing with
specimens of this precious china. I know such a place
in a lumberman's office in New York State. All his
treasures are hidden away ; he seldom looks at them;
few people know that he has them. If you attempt
to buy, even offering very tempting prices, he will
84 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
shuffle about, giving one excuse after another until
the final one comes, " Mother would not like it if I
sold that one," the truth being that " mother " neither
knows nor cares about them. I doubt if she is aware
of their number or value. This same hoarder has the
curious fancy of collecting old clocks, not the "grand-
father" pattern, but a large mantel clock, with carved
side pillars and top and with painted glass pictures in
the door. He does not care for them as clocks, and
immediately removes the works, substituting one or
two pine shelves, and using them as cupboards.
Some of them are of great rarity and beauty and it
would drive a collector wild to see the uses to which
they are put. Old papers, bottles, and occasionally
china are tucked away in them, their narrowness
precluding their being used for storage of articles of
any size.
For actual beauty of design the English views excel
the American for the reason that the subjects that
they depict are of greater beauty. Old and famous
castles, manor houses and cathedrals possess more
picturesque lines than our early buildings, and besides
the glamour of antiquity, most of them have been
made famous by their owners or builders, and by the
history which has clustered about them. The Woods
made perhaps a hundred of such views, over eighty
have already been recorded, and more are constantly
coming to hand. On one set they used a shell border
of a different arrangement from those with which
we are familiar on American ware, and this is rather
handsomer and more carefully worked out. The
opening is irregular, and the name of the view is
introduced on the face. There are twelve or fifteen
Fig. 21. WARWICK CASTLE, ll'ood.
Fig. 22. ELY. IFoot^.
Fig. 23. MILL AT CHARENTON. H'ooii.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. 25
views in this set, of places generally, Hke Yarmouth,
Isle of Wight, Dublin, Cowes, etc.
A second set, called " London Views," has the scene
in an oblong medallion, with a frame-like margin, and
the entire border of the plate or platter is covered
with large bunches of grapes. This border is
completely in accord with the laws of design, for it
fills agreeably the space for which it is intended, is
decorative, and the pattern of it is pleasing to the eye.
The scenes in this set are chiefly from Regent's Park.
One of them is the Limehouse Dock, Regent's Canal,
with which we are more familiar to-day from
Whistler's etching, made about forty years ago
(Fig. 20). The names of these places are in a scroll
with leaves, the words " London Views " being at the
top, and below it the name of the particular object,
and below that, " Regent's Park."
The third series is of country seats and castles,
many of them well known to us, like Warwick and
Windsor castles, Kenilworth and Guy's Cliff. The
border to this set is flowers and grapes, with vines, —
morning glories probably, — and on the edge is a
twisted margin. The name of each place is on the
back, in a sort of ribbon scroll with a few leaves.
The fourth set, " English Cities", is marked on the
back " E. W. & S.," has the name of the series, and of
the particular city on two scrolls, which are surrounded
by a bishop's mitre and staff. The border is very
unlike what we are familiar with as coming from this
firm, and is not unlike the borders made by Jackson.
It has six medallions, and a very rich arrangement of
flowers and scrolls, and the central view is set in a
regular circle or oval, separated from the border by an
26 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
ornamental little pattern. These pieces are printed in
different colours, including light blue, and, on account
of the beauty of the scenes, and the careful workman-
ship are very handsome. There are in the neighbour-
hood of twenty of these views so far identified. (FiG.
22 shows Ely.)
Foreign designs made by this firm are not hard to
find in this country, particularly a set of French views
connected in one way or another with Lafayette.
The border is very pretty and not so stiff as the shell
ones which have been shown, and is composed of
fieurs-de-lys, hollyhocks and bunches of grapes, pen-
dant across the top. (FiG. 23, " Mill at Charenton.")
In addition to the views already enumerated, E.
Wood & Sons produced many views of scenery
characteristic of other countries, India, Africa, Italy,
etc. They are to be found in considerable numbers,
among them being such well-known places as Calcutta
and " Cape Coast Castle on the Gold Coast, Africa."
"A Ship of the Line in the Downs," is made to ap-
peal to our national pride by bearing a large Ameri-
can flag.
Andrew Stevenson.
Ralph and James Clews.
Next in importance to the Woods, as having pro-
duced valuable and beautiful pottery, comes the name
of Clews. In this case, as in those of several other
potters, there were two brothers, and Ralph and James
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. 27
Clews have left their name on much highly desirable
pottery and semi-china. Before taking up properly
the product of the Clews pottery we must speak of
the potter who immediately preceded them at the
Cobridge works, Andrew Stevenson. As early in the
last century as 1808 pottery works were established
at Cobridge, Staffordshire, England, by the f^rm of
Bucknall & Stevenson. They seem to have made
the ordinary English wares, but after a few years
Bucknall withdrew, and Stevenson carried on the works
alone. It was not long before he began to work
largely to please the American market, and though he
turned out only about twenty odd American designs,
every one of them is good in colour and workmanship.
He also had an advantage over many of his contempora-
ries in getting some better sketches to work from than
the crude prints which were sent over from here. An
artist from Dublin, W. G. Wall, Esq., came to this
country in 1818, and made quite a number of sketches
of our prominent buildings. (FiGS 24 and 25 are of
the Almshouse, New York, and Columbia College.)
It must have been arranged beforehand that he
should furnish these to the Stevenson works, for he
began to send them back to England very soon after
his arrival here. A number of designs were issued
with his name in blue on the back of each piece, and
yet these pottery works were sold by Stevenson to
the Clews brothers late in that year, or early in 1 8 19.
In Fig. 26 is one of the views on a ten-inch plate. It
is a rare piece, New York from Brooklyn Heights.
This view is shown upon plates and platters, the view
being different on the two pieces. See FiG. 27. It is
marked very plainly on the back in blue, under-
28 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
glaze, and bears Wall's name as well. He chose some
curious subjects for his brush, among them a view of
"Weehawk" as he calls it. The smaller plate in
Fig. 26 is one of a dozen or more with similar bor-
der, which come at present under the heading " Maker
Unknown." It is a view on the Hudson River near
Fishkill. A plate has recently been found bearing the
name of Stevenson, but having a shell border like
Wood's.
Ralph Stevenson, who also potted at Cobridge, but
some years later, is considered in another chapter.
They both used as a mark the name " Stevenson "
impressed. A circular stamp, impressed, of a crown,
surrounded by the words " Stevenson, Warranted
Staffordshire," comes on many pieces, which also bear
the name of the view in blue, with an eagle. Some-
times an urn is found, with a bit of drapery about it
and the name of the scene. This is not common on
American pieces.
Andrew Stevenson made a series of very beautiful
English views with floral borders, and is supposed to
be the maker of FiG. 82, which is shown among the
portrait pieces and spoken of there. All the English
views were made about the same time as the American
views, say from 1820 to 1840, and many of them seem
of quite a superior degree of workmanship. The bor-
der in the English series is large flowers, roses with
leaves, etc., the same border in fact as is found on the
four-medallion plate with Niagara view (FiG. 82). The
series consists of about twenty views, and all form very
decorative pieces for shelf or wall. They are marked
with an urn, and plates and platters are the pieces
usually found.
Fig. 26. FISHKILL.
Maker unknoivn.
NEW YORK FROM BROOKLYN
A. SteTfuson.
Fig. 27. PLATTER OF NEW YciRK 1 R. ).M 1;R( m iKLYN HE.GHi-S.
A. Stevenson.
LANDING OF LAFAYETTE,
aews.
Fig. 30. PITTSFIELD ELM. Cle^vs.
Fig. 29. STATES PLATTER. CleTus.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. 29
It was Andrew Stevenson who was succeeded by
James and Ralph Clews. These potters worked at
Cobridge from 1818 to 1834, or possibly a year later,
and James came to this country in 1836 and en-
deavored to start a pottery at Troy, Indiana. The
story of his failure is told in E. A. Barber's " Pottery
and Porcelain of the United States," and was brought
about by the difficulty of obtaining competent work-
men and clay for working. Since that time large beds
of kaolin have been found within a few miles of his
factory, one of the disagreeable freaks of fate to which
we are often subjected.
Undoubtedly the most celebrated china which Clews
put forth were the two patterns known as " Landing
of Lafayette," made to celebrate that hero's visit to
this country in 1824, and what is known as the
" States " pattern, bearing a border of festoons con-
taining the names of the fifteen states. Both of the
views are great favourites among collectors, and are
generally among the first pieces sought. There is a
large quantity of the Lafayette china in this country,
and it has a beautiful border of leaves and flowers.
All the pieces, from three and a half-inch cup-plates,
to those of largest size are desirable, and they maintain
a stiff price, even if repaired. Ten-inch plates in
good condition bring ten dollars easily, and the platters
proportionately larger sums (FiG. 28).
The platter shown is what the owner calls " turkey
size," eighteen inches, and is in a splendid state of
preservation, having only a few scratches on its face.
It shows another view of Castle Garden, its footbridge
being a conspicuous object. All the shipping is
gathered in the foreground to make a brave showing.
30 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
This pattern shows several inaccuracies with regard to
these boats which have been discovered recently.
The two boats with the three masts were intended for
the Fulton and the Chancellor Livingston, but as the
Fulton had but one mast, it is evident that the English
potter used his fancy to embellish his designs. The
small boat in the foreground, without any masts, is
quite as bad as the Fulton, for up to this time no
steamers were made without masts, in this country at
least. Steam was too unknown a quantity to be
pressed too hard, and sails were used in case of
accident, or to help along.
The States pattern presents many pleasing varieties.
The border is always the same but the center varies
according to the space to be filled, and the fancy of
the potter. The border is composed of festoons, bear-
ing the names of the fifteen states, and between the
festoons are stars with five or eight points. There are
at least a dozen different views in the center pictures.
Fig. 29 is the White House at Washington. Besides
the White House, Mount Vernon and the Custom
House, there is one view of an English castle. There
is a three-story building, also, which often appears,
the foreground being varied by sheep or cows, or
women walking. However, it is always extremely
simple to name this platter under any conditions, for
America and Independence are ever in full view, and
the medallion of Washington is always the same.
This platter brought at auction last year, at the
Haigh sale in Boston, forty-six dollars.
The Clewses did not confine themselves to one or two
borders as closely as did the Woods. The flowers
and scroll is one of their best-known ones. On the
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. 3'
Pittsfield Elm plate is found a very handsome border
of passion flowers and medallions.
The piece in FiG. 30 is a ten-inch soup-plate in per-
fect condition. It brought twenty dollars at private
sale, but inferior copies, not perfect, may be picked up
for less. The Puritan character of this design is well
in keeping with the scene it was meant to perpetuate.
In Revolutionary days the minister at this meeting-
house was an ardent patriot, and one Sunday, so the
story goes, he entered the pulpit wearing a long cloak.
He began his sermon with moderation, but before
long his patriotism grew too much for him, and throw-
ing the cloak aside he showed himself in the Conti-
nental uniform. Calling on the men in the congrega-
tion he led them forth under the elm shown on the
plate, and organized them into a company. The
fence was put around the tree in 1825, showing the
plates to be of later date, for up to that time the
neighbouring farmers had used it for a hitching-post,
as many iron staples driven into the tree testified.
It was too late to save it, and, in the early sixties, it
fell, the wood from it being made into cups and
bowls.
The Clewses also issued a set of designs in various
colours, — red, brown, black, light blue, etc. They were
taken from sketches, by W. G. Wall, in water colour,
comprising what he called his " Hudson River Port-
folio." They are handsome pieces with a very rich
and graceful border of flowers and birds, and they
command fair prices. Clews also made three sets of
dark blue designs, which are eagerly snapped up by
collectors and fetch larger prices. They are the
Syntax, Wilkie, and Don Quixote designs. The first
32 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
series contains the largest number of pieces, and is
taken from those quaint books illustrated by Row-
landson, and for which William Comb, for forty-three
years an inmate of the King's Bench debtor's prison,
wrote the verses. The first volume was printed by
Ackerman in book form, as early as 1815, and was
called " Doctor Syntax in search of the Picturesque."
The success of this book was so great that it was
followed by the "Second Tour of Doctor Syntax in
search of Consolation," published in 1820, and in 1821
by the third tour, "In Search of a Wife." About
thirty of these designs have come to hand.
In Fig. 31 is shown a small tray, supposedly the
tray of a fruit dish (though I have heard of a soup
tureen which stands in a similar tray, but larger), and
is in perfect condition. This picture is from the third
tour, and is called " The Advertisement for a Wife."
Fig. 32 shows a scene from the second tour,
" Doctor Syntax and the Blue-Stocking Beauty."
Only two pieces of this pattern have come under my
notice, both six-inch plates, and for one of them,
which is held in Boston, the price asked is forty
dollars.
There must have been a great demand for this
china, which was made to sell for about seven or eight
cents apiece, and Clews took advantage of the grow-
ing market.
Sir David Wilkie, an English artist who lived and
worked during the first half of the nineteenth century,
made a set of comic pictures which were very popular,
and from wnich plates were made by Clews. The
borders are beautiful, a passion flower is conspicuous,
and there are other flowers and scrolls. The colour is
Fig. 31. "THE ADVERTISEMEXT FOR A WIFE,
SYNTAX TRAY. CU^vt.
Fig. 3.. "BLUE-STOCKING BEAUTY.
SYNTAX PLATE. C/e-w^.
Fig. 33- "THE VALENTINE." Clervs.
Fig. 34. LUMLEY CASTLE, DURHAM. Ciews.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. 33
deep and rich, and they are very decorative. In FiG.
33 is shown " The Valentine." The precious missive
seems to have been snatched away from its owner,
and she is trying to get possession of it again. Tlie
other views are similarly coarse in sentiment, but
they are certainly very ornamental on the wall and
a beautiful piece of colour.
Not content with catering to the popular taste with
these Syntax and Wilkie patterns, Clews made the
third set, scenes from the life of Don Quixote. The
border is less pleasing than in the other patterns, as it
is irregular points and flowers. The colour of the
pieces is good, however, and they command fair prices,
not as high as either of the other sets, a nine and three
quarters-inch plate of " Sancho Panza at the Boar
Hunt," bringing eleven dollars at auction.
There are two variations which have recently come
to liglit in the Syntax plates, which present two of
those china puzzles that are constantly arising to con-
fuse the china collector. One of these puzzles is a
plate, " Doctor Syntax returned from his Tour," in a
medium shade of blue with a raised border. The mark
of Clews is on the back, the stilt marks are all right,
and the piece is light in weight, as all this ware is. I
have also been informed by a china collector that he
has in his possession a Syntax plate with the oak leaf
and acorn border, which has always been ascribed to
R. Stevenson and Williams.
Then comes the series of English views, consisting
chiefly of castles, abbeys and cathedrals. About
twenty-five of these have come to hand, but all are not
yet identified. The borders vary, some being much
more beautiful than others. One of them, enclosing
34 THE OLD CHIN A B OOK.
such views as Fountains Abbey, Ripon, etc., is large
flowers, too large in fact for tiie space they occupy.
The series is called " Select Views," and bears this
name on the back enclosed in a little wreath of leaves
tied with a ribbon, and below, on a ribbon scroll, the
name of the view. Bluebells and aster-like flowers
make up the border of a second set, and just here
another puzzle comes to the front. Although this
bluebell border is used by Clews on at least eight or
ten views of such famous places as Wells Cathedral,
and Dulwich Castle, it is as a border of Adams that
we know it best. Lumley Castle (FiG. 34) is an ex-
ample. Occasionally the pieces, in addition to the
frame with flowers which enclosed the name of the
view on the back, bear the name of Clews, but not
always.
There is another border also used by Clews, com-
posed of trees meeting in foliage at the top and with
growing plants at the base. This is entirely sur-
rounded by scroll work, consisting of circles with a
little leaf in the middle. Adams and Clews both used
this border also, and it can only be explained by pre-
suming that Adams bought some of Clews' patterns
when the latter's works were closed. The exact dates,
that is within a year or two, when various potters be-
gan or stopped potting, are quite uncertain. The
authorities to be relied on are town histories and
chronicles, and these are not so accurate as one could
wish. In the American views we have come to de-
pend quite implicitly on the certainty with which we
can allot a certain border to a certain potter, so that
these vagaries on English views are quite confusing.
However, on these foliage border views the name of
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. 35
Adams or Clews is always stamped, but while they
make that matter clear, they never mark the name of
the view, which can only be identified from engravings
or views on other china.
Clews' mark, like most of the others, is subject to
variations. One of them is circles, impressed with a
crown in the center, and " Clews Warranted Stafford-
shire," in a circle about it. The " Picturesque Views "
set had a mark of its own, which, in addition to the
crown, and "Clews Warranted Staffordshire," im-
pressed, was put on all the pieces. It is a little view
with trees and a lake with a small boat. It has
through it a bar with the name of the view. These
were probably some of the last work done at the Co-
bridge works by James Clews, before he closed them
in 1829 or 1830.
yoseph Stubbs.
For a potter who did not make any great number
of pieces for the American market, the name of Joseph
Stubbs is held in unusually high estimation. Nor,
after you have become acquainted with his work, will
this seem strange. Every piece which bears his name,
and even those which bear only his well-known border,
are admirable pieces of work in every way — colour,
design and finish. FiG. 35 and FiG. 36 are a platter
and a plate by this maker, who made table services
decorated with American designs. He owned the
Dale Hall works at Burslem, from about 1790 to 1829
or 1830. The series he sent to this country is deco-
rated with what is called the eagle and scroll border,
and is generally arranged on plates with three eagles
36 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
at equal distances between flowers and scrolls, and on
platters with four eagles. FiG. 35 is always eagerly
sought. It is the Boston State House platter, and on
the left is John Hancock's house, and in the fore-
ground his cows, or so it is supposed. On this platter
there are but three eagles in the border, though it is a
sixteen-inch size, and there are no gravy wells.
The question of these same gravy wells is a much
mooted one among collectors. Many prefer their
pieces without these depressions, which are found on
many of the choicest platters. It is always to be re-
membered, however, that, originally, the platters with
wells were those which brought the highest price.
The Boston State House platter sold in Boston, in
1901, for fifty-five dollars.
This lovely old platter always furnishes so much
food for thought that it seems slighting it to pass it
by with a mere mention. It shows those delightfully
sylvan days when the Common was common, a pasture
for cows. John Hancock's were not the only ones
pastured there, and the practice was continued till so
late as 1830, when it was discontinued owing to the
protests of indignant citizens who objected to being
" tossed and gored " while pursuing their peaceful way
across the public grounds. The story goes, that once
upon a time many guests descended upon Mr. Han-
cock, and the servants were put to it for supplies; so
that several went out and milked all the cows on the
Common to provide, at least, enough milk.
It was also from this same house we see through
the trees that the china was thrown from the dining-
room window. Mr. Hancock was, in his later years,
a sufferer from gout, and during his attacks the clatter
Fig. 35. PLATTER-BOSTON STATE HOUSE AND COMMON, Stubbs.
Fig. 36. NAHANT. Stubbs.
Fig. 37. CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON. Ridgivay.
Fig. 38. ALMS HOUSE, NEW YORK. Ridgway.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES. yi
of china on the mahogany made him very angry
One day, finally, it irritated him so much that he
ordered his negro butler to throw it all out of the win.
dow and substitute pewter; so the Lowestoft— for.
tunately it was not " old blue"— was thrown carefully
on the grass, so as not to damage it, and became loot
for the butler. Negroes are true lovers of china ; they
hoard it away, and are always loth to part with it. I
know of much which has come out of cabins within
the last few years, where it has lain since war times,
when it was given away, or was rescued from deserted
houses and safely stowed away.
The Nahant plate is interesting also, showing life at
the beach and a curious vehicle in the middle distance.
Was it that fashionable equipage known as the Italian
chaise ?
The mark was Stubbs. impressed, in capital let-
ters, and, sometimes, " Joseph Stubbs, Longport,"
in a circle around a star. Apparently he took into
partnership later a man named Kent, for the name
" Stubbs & Kent, Longport," is found on many pieces.
He made the milk-maid designs found on tea and
toilet sets, and I have seen parts of tea-sets with decor-
ations of flowers, the pieces of exactly the same shape
and size as the milk-maid pattern, and having the
same curious, raised ornament in place of handles.
Prime does not mention either Stubbs, or Stubbs &
Kent, neither does Chaffers, and it is strange that
more is known about many of these potters and their
products in this country than in their own homes. In
addition to the fifteen or twenty American patterns
by which we know Stubbs, he made some beautiful
Enelish views.
CHAPTER III.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, CONTINUED.
Many collectors who began to gather these beau-
tiful wares years ago have been able to weed out their
poor specimens, and to settle down, either on one par-
ticular colour, like old blue, or on the different coloured
printed wares, or some one class of specimens like tea-
pots, pitchers or cup-plates, which latter class is, per-
haps, the most difficult to collect, and certainly, in
proportion to the size of the objects, the most costly.
For my own part it seems as if the greater pleasure lay
in a certain catholicity of taste, that a corner cupboard
— the most charming place to display old china — is a
greater mine of wealth and enjoyment if a jug has for
a background a platter or plate, and if a rare old
pepper-pot stands contentedly beside a cup and
saucer.
If you " specialize," as seems the tendency now-a-
days in everything, what a collection the china con-
nected with New York State alone makes, and if you
include the coloured printed ware, as well as old blue,
your collection will number considerably over one
hundred pieces. Plates and platters are comparative-
ly easy to obtain. If you have the "gift," which
must be born with you, like the knack of spelling, or
good looks, china collecting will come easy. Pieces
will drop down before you, fairly •* blow in," as one
collector has it, and you will gather treasures from
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 39
most unexpected places, and for small sums. That
the ways of the collector are devious every one knows.
The simon-pure collector has got rid of every rag of
conscience, and in return has his collection, a fair
exchange many of us think.
If you live in a small city or town you may add to
your stores by sitting down and letting it be known
that you buy old china. You will be surprised at the
result, for though good, bad and indifferent will be
presented to you, careful culling will give much that
is good. Odd and unpromising bundles often yield
rare and curious pieces. Not long since a collector
was heard to remark that a ragged newspaper bundle
made his heart beat and his wallet throb in his pocket.
He never knew what would be drawn forth. I saw
three plates recently, all by Clews, ten-inch, dark blue,
and perfect, one from the Syntax, one from the Wil-
kie, and one from the Don Quixote set, which came
in this unexpected way. A man, who showed that he
held close communion with the soil, appeared at the
front door with a negligently wrapped newspaper
parcel one summer morning. He announced that he
had come to "dicker," and then ensued a most amus-
ing scene, he falling and the collector rising, till at
last they met, and the bargain was struck. One's
feelings are apt to get the better of one under such
circumstances. The seller would not tell how he
came in possession of the plates, the only statement
that could be extracted from him was a nonchalant
" Oh, I got them in our town." What the town lost
no doubt it never knew, what the collector gained he
feels tingling through his veins every time he regards
his plates.
40 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Embarked on the hunt yourself, you never approach
your quarry with the direct question. " Have you
old china to sell?" If you did your quest would be
in vain. After selecting your house, which will prob-
ably be well weather-beaten, with straggling lilac
bushes beside the door, and will perhaps boast a well-
sweep, you modestly knock, and when the door is
opened a crack, ask, "Does Mrs. Preston live here?"
Of course you know she does not, and are not disap-
pointed in the reply, which you follow up by asking,
" Do you know where she does live? " You are not
amazed that they do not, and then proceed to step
three in your pre-arranged schedule, and say, " I am
sorry, for I thought she might have some old china she
would part with." Observe, you entirely eschew the
word "sell," it is " part with." No doubt the party
of the second part behind the door will, by this time,
have opened it a little wider, and if she has the truly
hospitable spirit of the country, will say, "Come
right in, perhaps I have got some." If she does not,
you must get along as well as you can by asking if
she knows of anybody in the neighbourhood who has.
When once inside the door the task is comparatively
easy, but every collector has his own little methods.
I know of one who has successfully worked a portion
of New Jersey, and who located many choice speci-
mens but could not get even within the houses which
contained them. He had in his employ a young man
of insignificant appearance, who had a "way with
him," who followed after the collector, at a decent
interval of a day or two, and gathered in easily and
at small prices the specimens which the collector him-
self had not even been able to see.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 41
The true collector, who gathers his wares for the
pleasure of it, and who is content to let his collection
grow by degrees, here a plate and there a platter,
now a pepper-pot and next month a pitcher, will
have each piece stand to him for joyful memories
and difficulties overborne. You may make mistakes,
but what of that ? Tuck the ware away when you have
found out your error ; you will know better next time.
y, &f W. Ridgway,
Of course with the series of the well-known potters
one cannot make mistakes, and in following down the
Staffordshire potteries we come next to consider the
Ridgways, one of the best-known names, in America
anyway, in connection with the much-sought-after
"old blue."
The pottery built at Hanley, Staffordshire, Eng-
land, in 1794, by Job Ridgway, the father of the
Ridgway brothers, produced much beautiful table
service and toilet sets as well, and a quantity of it
was sent to America. After some years the sons,
John and William, were admitted to partnership, and
the firm was known as Ridgway & Sons. Still later,
about 1 814, after the death of Job Ridgway, the
father, the firm name became J. & W. Ridgway, and
it is through the work of the sons that we become
most familiar with the output of these potteries.
The chief contribution which J. & W. Ridgway
made to the dark blue American china was what was
known as the " Beauties of America " series. There
are twenty or more views on the various pieces which
42 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
comprised the table services, and in FiG. 37 we give
the "Capitol at Washington," FiG. 38 "Almshouse,
New York," and FiG. 39 " Boston Hospital." In
Fig. 40 is repeated the view shown in FiG. 37 the
*' Capitol at Washington," as it is the only drainer for
a fish plate that I have come across. Tlie dish to
which it belongs has, long since, been broken, or at
least parted company, and it is a decorative piece,
even with the numerous holes that pierce it. The
border of this series of " American Beauties " is a con-
ventional rose with a few leaves set in medallions,
while around the central view is a small pointed edge
with dots. The colour is not so dark a blue as is seen
in many of Wood's pieces, is clearer and more shaded,
giving in this way a greater variety to each design.
In fact some of Wood's ware, for instance some of the
French views, are so dark that it is hard to distinguish
the pattern, showing that in many cases the designs
were used after they had become too worn to do good
work.
As is usual with this early china, the " beauties "
were chiefly alms and court houses, insane asylums
and churches, but the workmanship is so fine, the
colour so rich, and the medallion border so pleasing,
that every specimen of this china is truly a beauty,
and worth getting for its decorative value, if for
no other reason. The " Octagon Church, Boston "
(Fig. 41), is a notably handsome plate. It is really
the " New South Church," and came to be called " Oc-
tagon " from the shape of the body of the building,
which was eight-sided. The original church was dedi-
cated in January, 1717. The pulpit was filled at first
by candidates who were paid the moderate sum of
Fig. 39. BOSTON HOSPITAL. Ricigway.
Fig. 40. FISH PLATTER SHOWING THE CAPITOL AT WASKINGTCN. RiugMc^y.
Fig 41. OCTAGON CHURCH, BOSTON. Ridgiaay.
Fig. 42. LAFAYETTE MT. VKRXOX.
I„ANDI-NG. Kidgway.
BATTERY AND CASTLE
GARDEN.
Wood.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 43
twenty shillings per sermon. The picture on the
china is not of the old church, but as it appeared
when rebuilt in 1814. The church was beautifully
situated at the corner of Bedford and Summer streets.
The octagonal body was built in a square of seventy-
six feet diameter, and the steeple, "sky scrapers"
being unknown then, was deemed very lofty. This
church was demolished in 1868, to give way to busi-
ness buildings, and our "American Beauty" gains
new value as showing a New England landmark now
swept away. The quaint vehicle, a travelling chaise
no doubt, with post-boy, is as curious to our eyes as
the famous " one hoss shay," and we can hardly
imagine a modish Boston belle, with her sprigged
India muslin and Leghorn bonnet with ostrich plumes,
getting about in such a conveyance.
From 1814 to 1830, the brothers Ridgway worked
together ; but at the latter date they separated, John,
the elder, carrying on the works at Cauldon Place,
built by his father in 1802, while William established
half a dozen works in Staffordshire, and turned out
much ware for the American market. Indeed so
highly did he think of this country as a market for his
goods that he placed them on sale in several cities,
and came to this country with a view to establishing
a pottery here. A site was selected in Kentucky, but
the plans got little further, and William Ridgway
returned to England.
After the separation of the brothers the making of
the " Beauties of America" series was stopped. John
Ridgway made several patterns for the Harrison cam-
paign of 1840, of variations of the Log Cabin, which
were printed in black, brown, red and pale blue. The
44 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
border was large stars, the space between them being
filled with scattered stars of a much smaller size.
Flatware, teapots and pitchers are found with these
designs. The marks found on Ridgway's " Beauties of
America " series are all in blue. First come the words
"Beauties of America," below that the name of the
particular view, and below that "J. & W. Ridgway."
William Ridgway made about fifteen patterns from
American views, but they are printed in other colours
than dark blue. There is a small series of views,
printed in light blue, marked "Catskill Moss," and
" C. C," which have only recently been identified as
being originated by William Ridgway. The borders
are irregular scales overlapped by sprays of moss.
The most interesting view in the series — there are but
six or seven so far identified — is a well-wooded scene
with a railroad showing one of the very early engines,
more of an English than an American type. How-
ever, the first locomotive used in this country was of
English make, and was called the " Stourbridge Lion."
The cars are of the stage-coach pattern, but the view
is plainly marked " Albany and Schenectady R. R."
This road, sixteen miles long, was opened in 1830, and
for the first year the cars were drawn by horses, so the
view was probably made a year or two later.
In fact, the foundations on which the name of Ridg-
way must rest are the " Beauties of America " series
and their English views, and they are broad enough to
stand for many a long year yet.
John Ridgway made one dark blue design of the
Capitol at Washington which is still made by his suc-
cessors. There are also to be found pitchers of white
ware, called the " Apostle " and " Tournament " pitch-
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 45
crs. They are interesting and I know of one particu-
larly fine specimen with a cover, also of the ware.
These Apostle jugs are very quaint in their arrange-
ment. They are octagonal in shape, which, of course,
gives room for only eight apostles. The other four are
accommodated as follows : one forms the handle, one is
below the lip, and one within and one on the outside
of the lip. Those in the niches are full length, digni-
fied figures; the last four are rather crowded. In FiG.
42 is shown one other " Beauties of America " piece, a
preserve dish giving a view of Mt. Vernon. On
either side are grouped cup-plates, on the left a
*' Landing of Lafayette," and on the right " Castle
Garden," the latter by Wood, the former by Clews.
They are three and a half inches across the face, and
both are remarkably clear impressions of the views
shown.
As we have said before, the collecting of cup-plates
is remarkably difficult, yet in South Framingham,
Massachusetts, there is a single collection numbering
over four hundred of these tiny pieces. That the
practice which we condemn as reprehensible to-day was
in good repute among our ancestors, these cup-plates
abundantly testify. Great-grandmama could not bear
to have her linen stained, or her mahogany marred
by the rims of teacups ; so when the fragrant Bohea —
I doubt if they had Orange Pekoe in those days — was
poured into the saucer to cool, the cup was neatly
placed in the little plate provided for it.
All the pieces of the historic sets seem to survive
except these plates. The only " Beauties of America "
cup-plate I have heard of is in this Massachusstts col-
lection, and has on it a picture of the Baltimore
46 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Exchange. Side by side with this choice piece are a
" Stoughton Church," Philadelphia, with the acorn bcw-
der, a " Mendenhall Ferry," " Savannah Bank," and the
** Pittsfield Elm." " Mendenhall Ferry" is unusual on
a cup-plate, yet two five and one-half inch plates with
this view have come to light recently in a negro cabin.
The "Savannah Bank" is more unusual still. There
are also examples of the Syntax, Wilkie and Don
Quixote designs,
A year or two ago I wrote that "historic cup-plates
Were worth their weight in gold," and some of my
correspondents took exception to my statement.
Within a few weeks I have heard of two four-inch
Lovejoy cup-plates which have come upon the mar-
ket, and give the respective prices they brought. The
first was sold at public auction in New York City,
and brought twenty-three dollars. The second was
"traded "by a collector, with two dollars and fifty
cents added, for the four following pieces ; one nine-
inch, dark-bli^ "i Wilkie plate " The Valentine," in
proof condition, by Clews ; one ten-inch, pink " Cat-
skill Mt. House, U. S.," by Adams, proof; one seven
and one-half-inch, dark-blue, " Southampton, Hamp-
shire," proof; one ten-inch brown. Picturesque Views
plate, "Troy from Mt. Ida." It seems as if my esti-
mate had hardly been high enough.
The Ridgways — to pass on from American pieces
— like all other potters of their time made many Eng-
lish views. These are all distinguished, like the other
pieces from their potteries, by fine colour and good de-
signs. The borders are unusual, flowers alternating
with quaint medallions of children and goats. The
central view is almost invariably set in an eight-sided
Fig. 43. ALL SOULS' COLLEGE AND ST. MARY'S CHURCH, OXFORD. Ridgway
Fig. 45. BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. ^. Stevenson.
Fig 46. LAWRENCE MANSION, BOSTON. St,
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 47
panel, but the views are all made from careful sketches
and are handsome in colour and design (FiG. 43). It is
quite noticeable that the English views are much
better than the American ones, probably from the
better class of drawings they had to work from. Mr.
Prime mentions in his valuable work on " Pottery and
Porcelain " that they sometimes used the same view
under different names. He says that he has the " State
House at Boston" on one plate and the "City Hall,
New York," on another, both views being of the latter
building. The Ridgways also started a series with a
very elaborate border of twisted scrolls which they
called the " Zoological Gardens." Two designs have
come to light so far: the bird cages and bear cages.
They are printed in various colours and were proba-
bly of late production.
Ralph Stevenson.
In studying and gathering this Staffordshire ware,
although it is all lovely and you cannot afford to miss
a piece that you can possibly make your own, yet
it is impossible to prevent preferences for particular
makers, either from the colour, consistency of paste, or
manner of printing their ware. Everybody strives
after Ralph Stevenson's designs. There are identified,
so far, about twenty-one or twenty-two, and when you
secure one it is generally put in a commanding posi-
tion in your collection (FiG. 44). All the designs with
the vine-leaf border, which are so ornamental, are
eagerly sought and bring high prices, and you may
find these same central views with a raised border in
48 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
white. One collector has written that he has a Syntax
plate with the acorn and oak leaf border, which is quite
as well known as the vine leaf. Perhaps it is the air of
mystery that surrounds all that is known of this potter
and his work, either when he potted alone or in com-
pany with Williams, which makes his pieces so desir-
able. No date can be given, with any degree of ac-
curacy, as to just when this firm worked, or whether
it was before or after the partnership that Stevenson
alone put forth his handsome pieces. It is curious
that in less than one hundred years the history of this
man and his pottery should be completely lost. His
works were at Cobridge in StafTordsiiire, and no doubt
he potted at the same time that the other Staffordshire
works were sending their wares here.
Carlyle says: " From a small window one may see
the infinite." We would paraphrase it to read : " On a
small plate one may read the history of a nation." In
Fig. 45 is given a view of the Battle of Bunker Hill,
that event in our history which has made a hundred
thousand men to fight more bravely, and caused the
arrogance of other nations to meet with an unexpected
check. It is a lovely old tray, part of a fruit dish ; for
there was, no doubt, a basket to stand it in when it
was first sent over. The round spots in the border
are holes which pierce it, a very curious style of orna-
mentation. As we see it on the china the battle
seems almost a toy affair, the proverbial "thin red
line " broken by two little prancing horses in the cen-
ter. But in reality the very ^lite of the British army
were in this action, Percy's Northumbrians, the Royal
Irish, the Fourth Corps, or the Kings Own, and the
Royal Welsh Fusileers, bearing on their colours the
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 49
badges of Edward the Black Prince, consisting of a
rising sun, red dragon and plumed hat, and the motto
" Ich dien."
In the fulfilment of an ancient and honourable cus-
tom these Welsh Fusileers were preceded in review by
a goat with gilded horns and adorned with garlands of
flowers. Every first of March, on the anniversary of
their tutelary saint, David, the officers of the Fusileers
gave a splendid entertainment to all their Welsh
brethren. After the removal of the cloth, a bumper
was filled to his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales,
whose health was always the first toast on that day.
The goat, gilded and loaded with flowers, was brought
in, a pretty little drummer-boy mounted on his back,
and the drum major was to lead him three times
around the top of the table. But on March first, 1775,
at Boston, the goat had other views, and giving a
vicious spring, threw off the drummer-boy, leaped
over the officers' heads, and ran back to the barracks,
to the unconcealed joy of such of the Americans as
had gathered to see the festivities.
Opposed to all the trained soldiers of old England
were our twelve companies, each mustering fifty-six
effective rank and file. They were largely composed
of " raw lads and old men, half armed, with no prac-
tice or discipline, commanded without order, and God
knows by whom." Who can look on the quaint old
plate without a quicker beating pulse, and what is the
intrinsic value compared to the lesson of patriotism it
teaches us all ? The English potter was not sensitive
when he made us this design, and in any form it is a
welcome addition and an ornament to a collection.
In Fig. 46 is given another New England view. It
so THEOLDCHINABOOK.
has the well-known vine-leaf border, and is as beauti-
fully coloured and printed as was all the output of
these works. It is the Lawrence Mansion, Boston,
situated on Park street, a very elegant residence which
saw much hospitality. It would hardly be guessed
that the illustration shows a wash bowl — the pitcher,
alas, did not survive — which measures twelve inches
across, the usual size of these articles in the early part
of the nineteenth century. However, we read in CoU
onial records that our ancestors' habits were not as
primitive as might be inferred from the size of this
bowl. The whole family was " rounded up " Saturday
night for the weekly scrubbing, down to the unwilling
pickaninnies, who took their turn in the great tubs of
wood bound with brass, which stood before the kitchen
fire. This process was superintended by mammy, the
cook. This custom prevailed not only in the South
but in New England as well, and is mentioned in
Smith's " Colonial Days and Ways," a delightful
record of a dozen generations of sterling Connecticut
stock.
In Fig. 47 is presented a platter, beautiful in colour
and pleasing in design, which has been a subject of
much discussion among collectors. For years it has
been known as the Lawrence Mansion, but it has
at last been decided that it is not an American view
at all. Prominent collectors who have it, still keep
it in their collections, and hope sometime that it
will be identified. We give it in order that the two
pieces may be easily compared. The view shown in
Fig. 48 is a pretty rendering of the Capitol at Washv
ington with which the other potters have made us
familiar.
Fig. 47. SO-CALLED L.WX'RENXE MAXSIOX.
Fig. 48. CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON. A'. ::tev.
i*^H.*f "
Fig. 49. CITY HOTEL, NEW VORK. K. S. &» IV.
Fig. so. 'SdUDDER'S AMERICAN MUSEUM, NEW YORK. J?. S. (jf JV
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 51
The designs made by Ralph Stevenson & Williams
are quite as choice and interesting as those bearing
the imprint of Ralph Stevenson alone. The borders
are acorn and oak leaf, a pretty and artistic pattern
covering the edge of the plate, and separated from the
central design by a small beading. All the central
views are good and generally of interest, almshouses
being rather conspicuous by their absence.
In Fig. 49 is shown one of those early landmarks of
old New York that invite one to tarry awhile and
study it. It is the City Hotel, New York, which once
filled the entire front of the block on Broadway, be-
tween Thomas and Cedar streets. The building itself
was plain enough, architecturally, as one may see, but
it was comfortable without and within, and very well
furnished. The dining-room was large and famed for
its neatness, and it accommodated many guests and
numerous waiters. There was a second dining-room
devoted to ladies, and this was used, as occasion
demanded, for lectures, a favourite form of entertain-
ment, and more rarely for concerts. The proprietors
were two old bachelors, Jennings and Willard, famed
far and wide for their jovial manners and attention to
business. They performed all the duties incident to
their business, that haughty creation of modern times,
the hotel clerk, being then unknown. Jennings did
all the purchasing of supplies, while Willard presided
over the inside of the hotel ; and both men had that
happy faculty of remembering both names and faces
that is such a necessary factor in successful hotel-keep-
ing. Trinity Church steeple is visible in the distance,
and the woodpile in the foreground tells a tale of
leisure that is completely jarred out of mind by the
52 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
ceaseless clang of the trolley which usurps its place
to-day.
Buckhorn Tavern stood at Broadway and Twenty-
second street, and was another famous inn at about
the same time ; but it was very much out of town,
quite a day's drive from the City Hotel.
Scudder's American Museum, which is shown in
Fig. 50, was where P. T. Barnum first started as a
showman and laid the foundation for the fortune he
subsequently made.
Quite as interesting as the old buildings which have
long since given way to many-storied business struc-
tures are the pictures of colleges which Stevenson
made. They are found on plates and platters and are
eagerly snapped up at high prices. I know of one
Harvard College plate, the one shown in FiG. 51,
which travelled for some years between town and
country as the cover for a butter-pot. The farmer's
wife brought it into the house one day, instead of
removing it beforehand as usual, and thought that
she had been more than well paid when she took
two dollars for it. It is a ten-inch, dark-blue plate,
in perfect condition, and is quoted now at fifty dol-
lars. It shows Hollis Hall, built 1763, Harvard Hall,
1766, Holworthy and Stoughton. There is another
view on smaller plates, showing University Hall. It
has in the foreground a figure on horseback. Six-
inch plates (all these have the acorn border) show a
third view by Stevenson, also of University Hail-
So far as is known he made no views of Yale Col-
lege, which is odd, as after Harvard it was the oldest
college. In fact there are no views of it by any
maker in dark blue, but Columbia is shown in three
views by Stevenson.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 53
Fig. 52 shows a seven and one-half inch dark-blue
plate, with acorn border by Stevenson, showing Col-
umbia College as it was after 1820, when a belfry and
two wings were added. Starting out in 1756 as King's
College, after the Revolution the name was changed
to Columbia. The college buildings stood in a twenty-
acre tract presented by the legislature, between Fifth
and Sixth avenues and Forty-seventh and Forty-ninth
streets. One of the views has the vine-leaf border,
and is marked R. S. FiG. 52 is marked R. S. W., and
the third view, with flowers and scrolls on the border,
is marked A. Stevenson.
There has always been such a feeling of uncertainty
in the minds of the more conservative collectors as to
whether " R. S. W." really stood for R. Stevenson &
Williams, for it might belong to Ridgway, Son &
Wear, that the discovery by a well-known collector of
Pennsylvania of two Stoughton Church cup-plates
with the usual blue stamp, the R. S. W. mark, and also
the impressed mark Stevenson, is welcome assurance.
It has been known for some time that medallion plates,
with portraits of Lafayette and Washington, are in
existence, which bear in full the name of R. Stevenson
& Williams. But then again these have other borders
than the vine leaf or acorn.
There are portraits also by Stevenson which will be
spoken of in the chapter devoted to those designs.
There are also two designs in other colours than blue,
signed " R. S.," having a lace border with six bunches
of flowers, and enclosing as central view Erie Canal at
Buffalo, showing packet boat, the second view being of
the city of New Orleans.
Of course Stevenson made " English Views," and,
54 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
as might be expected, they are as admirable as the
work with American designs. The oak leaf and acorn
decorate one series, the lace border, which we have
just mentioned in connection with two American
scenes, surrounds a fine view of Eaton Hall, Fonthill
Abbey, with a graceful foliage border, is plainly marked
on the scroll on the back, " R. S." and " Panoramic
Scenery." The name of the view is not given, but the
same building is shown on pieces by other makers
which are stamped, and is in this way easily identified.
He probably began a series of views of the English
lake scenery, for one such view is found with a very
ornate flower and scroll border. It is marked " British
Lakes, R. S. & S.," and is identified as Lake Win-
dermere. The design of Harewood House is very
handsome, the view being well composed and decora-
tive, and, as is so invariable with this potter, the colour
is very fine (FiG. 53).
E. J. PhilUps m Co.
This firm, like so many others whose work we seek
and cherish, has its history wrapped in obscurity. It
has been ascertained that they had potteries at Long-
port, Staffordshire, at least as late as 1830, and two
pieces are in evidence as coming from their works.
The first and most interesting to us is a cup and saucer
(Fig. 54), showing Franklin's tomb. The name of
Franklin is on the urn which surmounts the tomb.
This design was a favourite one with potters. The
Woods made three tomb designs, and there has always
been much discussion as to the figures standing in
Fig. 51. HARVARD COLLEGE. R. S. &= IK
Fig. 52. COLUMBIA COLLEGE. R. S. &- JK
'^^1?... '
Fig. 53. HAREWOOD HOUSE, ENGLAND. R. Stevenson.
Fig. 54. CUP AND SAUCER SHOWING FRAXKLIX-S TOMB. Phimj,s
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 55
contemplation near them. One collector by years of
patience has got together six cups and saucers, all with
tomb designs, five of them by Wood and the sixth
being the rare one by Phillips, given in FiG. 54.
Next to cup-plates, cups and saucers seem to be the
most difficult pieces to come across, though why, as
they are large and stout, one can hardly say. They
do not boast any handles, and were fashioned to hold
a generous measure of the infusion. Robert Morris
had one of the finest houses in Philadelphia filled with
beautiful furniture and luxuries of every description.
The Prince de Broglie visited Philadelphia some few
years after the Revolution and called upon Mrs.
Morris. He says, writing of the visit, " I got some ex-
cellent tea, and I think I should be drinking it yet if
the Ambassador had not charitably warned me when
I had taken the twelfth cup, that I must put my spoon
across my cup whenever I wanted this species of tor-
ture by hot water to stop, since, said he to me, * it is
almost as bad manners to refuse a cup of tea when it
is offered to you, as it would be indiscreet for the mis-
tress of the house to offer you more when the cere-
mony of the spoon has shown what your wishes are in
the matter.' " If Mrs. Morris's cups approximated
the size of this one we do not wonder the Prince called
it " torture by hot water." Probably, though, her
cups were porcelain ones and these large ones came
in when tea was a less expensive beverage.
Washington and Franklin both liked blue china for
every-day use, and the father of his country, plain
citizen though he called himself, liked his household
appointments abundant and suitable. His " every-day
use " was blue and white Canton, and there is a letter by
$6 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
him ordering a set : " Not less than six or eight dozen,
however, and proportionable number of deep and
other plates, butter-boats, dishes and tureens will suf-
fice."
Franklin liked blue and white also, and among some
barrelfuls which he sent over to his wife, was a certain
little squat blue and white pitcher, which he particu-
larly commended to his wife's notice, for he says, " I
bought it because it reminded me of you know who ! "
No doubt this preference for blue and white was
largely instrumental in influencing the English potters
to use the colour blue when they were starting to
make their wares attractive to our market.
In the Phillips tomb scene the figure of the man has
on long trousers. In one of Wood's designs the figure
wears small clothes, is standing by the tomb, and
carries in his hand a scroll. For years this has been
known as " Lafayette at Franklin's Tomb," and the
reason why collectors have decided that it is Washing
ton is curious. When Lafayette visited this countrj
in 1824 he was sixty-seven years old. Knee breechei
had begun to be discarded shortly after eighteen hun-
dred by young men, but were retained by some o(
their elders till as late as 1820, or thereabouts. Trous-
ers had become an established fashion by 1824, and
it was unusual to see small clothes except on the
limbs of some conservative member of the old regime.
Top boots with the yellow lining falling over, and
cordovans or half boots, made of elastic leather and
fitting itself to the shape of the leg, also belonged to
this time.
To the mind's eye the vision of Lafayette is always
that of an heroic figure, with a queue, brocade coat, silk
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 57
stockings, and with a sword by his side, as he, no doubt,
was when, at twenty, he came to prop our feeble
fortunes. But these pieces were made after his visit
in 1824, when he was comparatively an old man,
weakened by years of exile and imprisonment and by
cares of state in his own perturbed country. He wore
the prevailing trousers, a coat with skirts, his own
hair, and no sword. It is the running down of these
small details which has resulted in settling the design
to be some other figure than Lafayette's, presumably
Washington's or Jefferson's, though the lace ruffles on
the shirt front are hardly consistent with what we are
instructed to regard as Jeffersonian simplicity.
The second piece, marked with the firm name of
E. J. Phillips & Co., is an English view of Eton College,
with a very ornate border of flowers and scrolls. It
comes on the tiny toilet sets we have mentioned, and
is a handsome building with many little pointed tur-
rets. This college was founded by Henry VI in 1440,
very near to Windsor, and the habit worn by the boys,
the short coat and beaver, makes them almost as
marked figures in the streets of London as the Blue-
coat Boys, with their indigo robes and bare heads.
No English works on pottery make any mention of
Phillips, and it would seem as if the time had come
for a comprehensive and well-written work on the
pottery and porcelain of Great Britain. Amid the
number of voluminous works so far issued there is no
mention of the vast quantity of semi-china or pottery
made for this market, or even of the numerous and
elaborate sets of English views, with which we are
becoming more familiar. There are pieces of this
" -jemi " ware to be found bearing the words " British
58 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
Flowers " on the back, the words being surrounded by
a pretty floral wreath. There are also the impressed
initials " E. & G. P.," which seem to stand for E. & G.
Phillips plainly enough. The designs on the face of
the china are graceful bunches of fruits and flowers,
distinguished by the same careful printing and true
blue which we notice on the other Phillips designs.
These pictures are, of course, of trifling value, as are
all pieces with merely floral embellishment, and such
designs as were issued by the Halls. These series
are named respectively "Oriental," "Italian," and
" Indian " scenery, and are marked with the firm name
of I. Hall & Sons, the scenes on the front being indica-
tive of the countries represented. On the Indian
views elephants and pagodas abound, and the oriental
views are equally striking. These latter views were
taken from " Travels in Mesopotamia," printed about
1828. (See list of English Views.)
There are thousands of pieces of Staffordshire ware
in this country, literally of no value except as family
heirlooms, printed in all colours and diversified by
fancy titles, such as " Ivy," " Myrtle," etc. Even
Wedgwood made a little fine pattern which he called
" Jassamine," and which I have found in a whole tea-
set. It is clearly and beautifully printed in brown,
the pattern fulfilling the laws of design, and even to
the lettering on the back showing that attention to
detail for which this potter was remarkable. These
latter pieces are not useful even for decoration, and
would better occupy a back shelf in a pantry closet.
From about 1830 to 1850, a potter named Clementson
had the Sydenham potteries. He made "iron-stone"
and signed it " Sydenham, J. Clementson." The colour
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 59
was often a pale blue ; the subjects are what our
grandmothers would have called in " classical style,"
and they have little beauty and small merit.
Riley is another name which the china hunter often
runs across, and comes to connect with a splendid
shade of blue, decorated with fruits and flowers.
Many eighteen-inch platters have come to my notice
signed by this firm, " J. & R. Riley," all of which make
a fine spot of colour, but lack the historic interest
which we are apt to demand. They made the univer-
sal willow-pattern in their ware, and at least contrive
to give it an artistic touch and some approach to
grace. The name Riley is impressed, or the lettering
is " Riley semi-china." (See list of English Views.)
This " willow.pattern," which most china collectors
devoutly wish had never been invented, was first
introduced on English wares at the Caughley Pottery,
which became known as the Salopian works. It was
first put on porcelain ware about 1780, and became so
popular that it was freely copied at almost all other
works and was put on stone-ware, pottery and por-
celain indiscriminately. That all people do not feel
an antipathy to the willow-pattern is shown from a
letter which lies before me. In it a gentleman tells
me that he has a country place called " The Willows,"
and in it are three thousand pieces of willow-pattern
china, some of which, in peculiar shapes, he had made
in England ! Besides all these reproductions he had
carpets made in the same design, " wall-papers, bed-
spreads, furniture covering, and draperies, in cotton,
silk and linen." Surely there may be too much of a
good thing.
Why the really handsome " blue dragon " patten;
6o THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
did not suceed in winning popularity and the willow
did, will forever remain a mystery to the china col-
lector. Pieces of this dragon pattern may be found
occasionally tucked away in dusty " butteries," and it
may have an edge showing traces of having been
richly gilded. The specimens are not always marked,
but the letter "S" in blue under glaze, sometimes
having a small cross in addition, a butterfly, or a pair
of crossed swords, like the familiar Dresden mark,
were all used at Caughley. Such pieces are desirable
and should be secured if possible. The oblong plat-
ters with circular centers are worthy a place in any
collection.
Fig. 55. RHODE ISLAND. T. Mayer.
Fig. 56, PENNSYLVANIA. T. Mayer.
Fig. 57. NEW YORK. T. .Uay,
Fig. 58. DELAWARE. T. Afaye^.
CHAPTER IV.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, CONTINUED.
About the year 1829 the Dale Hall works at
Burslem again changed hands. They were bought
from Joseph Stubbs by the Mayer brothers, who be-
came successful potters. Just at what time Thomas
made his ornamental set of the Arms of the States is
not known, but they are merely marked with the
name T. Mayer. His mark is very conspicuous, and
is found on the plates and platters on which these
seals are usually found. There is an impressed mark
of " T. Mayer, Warranted," and " Stone Staffordshire,"
with an eagle. In addition there is also an impressed
eagle in blue, with a ribbon in his mouth, with the
well-known words " E Pluribus Unum " on it. He
bears a branch in one talon, and bolts in another, and
has, as a background, thirteen stars. The border is
alike on all the pieces, vine leaves and trumpet flowers.
The marginal borders are overlapping scales brokea
at equal distances by wheels. Inside there is a lac©
like border surrounding the arms themselves. These
are by no means easy pieces to find. Pennsylvania
(shown in FiG 56), is taken from an eighteen-inch
platter, which is valued at over one hundred dollars.
At a recent sale in New York City only two were
offered, both badly cracked, one an eight-and-three-
quarters-inch plate and one a ten-inch plate, and yet
62 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
each brought in the neighbourhood of fifteen dollars.
A perfect plate, with the Rhode Island Arms, eight
and three quarters inches in size, cannot be had for
less than twenty-five dollars. Just why these Arms
should command more than the New York Seal it is
hard to say. Perhaps less were made. At any rate
the fact remains that it is so.
Recently an artist wrote to ask if the New York
Arms had any value. He was gratified to be assured
that it was worth a round sum. In the early days of
" rummage sales," three or four years ago, there were
great opportunities to pick up old china, which had
lain neglected scores of years, and which house-
keepers were glad to clear out. It was in such cir-
cumstances that the Queen's ware pitcher (shown in
Fig. 3), was secured for six cents. But these Arms
plates and platters, when one does find them, are
usually in very fine condition, not scratched or greased.
Perhaps it was their unfamiliar look which saved them,
as a feeling of reverence seems to have saved the
scriptural pieces.
In Fig. 58 is shown Delaware, one of the hand-
somest of the series, though that of South Carolina,
with its palmetto tree, comes next to Pennsylvania,
which is undoubtedly the most ornamental and best
coloured of them all. The whole thirteen would be a
noble decoration for a hall or dining-room and an
interesting study as well, for some changes have been
made from the original designs. For instance in the
Arms of New York the figures now stand beside the
shield instead of being seated. Delaware preserves
hers quite as it was originally. Rhode Island still
uses an anchor and the word Hope, but in different
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued.
63
arrangement, while South Carolina has abandoned
her characteristic tree and uses two ovals in a circle,
less agreeable in every way.
I made an interesting discovery the other day in
looking over some sugar bowls and teapots of old
blue, all decorated with the tomb design. One
had the design showing Washington's Tomb (so
marked). The design was exactly like the one on
Wood's pieces; but the border, which was somewhat
indistinct, was of other flowers than those which Wood
uses. But the seated figure, the setting sun, the
temple in the distance were identical. Yet the
piece was plainly marked with the impressed stamp
" T. Mayer, Stone, Staffordshire, Warranted," all in
the familiar circle with eagle in the center. Of course
Mayer did not make sugar bowls alone. There must
have been other pieces to go with the sugar bowls, and
the former may very easily have been overlooked, or
classed as belonging to other makers, as the sugar bowl
is usually the only piece marked in these tea sets.
All these years Mayer has been credited with making
the Arms only, and now the tomb piece has appeared,
and there may be other patterns yet awaiting identi-
fication (Fig. 59).
Lowell says, " I stand by the old thought, the old
thing, the old place and the old friend." We do not
give anything time to grow old, to get that dignity
which a hundred years bestows. We are too anxious
to renew, rebuild, pull down and put up something
larger, I think that one of the reasons why this old
china is so eagerly sought is because it stands for a
measure of antiquity ; it has the hall mark of age, and
we love to have it to sober down our newness of
64 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
yesterday. There are some people who are harbouring
these angels unawares. I have a letter from one
enthusiast in the West, who discovered that she had
in the attic a perfect vegetable dish of the " Landing of
Lafayette." She says, "I read your description
carefully, and then flew up to the attic and got down
that old blue dish which had lain there ever since I
could remember. When it was dusted and I saw the
pattern and lettering, a weird, holy, sentimental thrill
crept down my spine, and I had to write and let you
know I had it."
William Adams &f Sons.
The Adams family, first the father, William, then the
two sons whom he associated with himself, had potter-
ies in seven different places. The original works were
at Stoke, were opened early in 1800, and were operated
until the sons were taken into business, about 1830.
Some years later works were built at Tunstall and
Greenfield, where much printed ware was made, the
old blue being superseded by other colours.
The only American design in dark blue which the
elder Adams produced was a picture of the old china
warehouse of Mitchell and Freeman, which stood on
the corner of Chatham street, Boston (FiG. 60). It
has the handsome foliage border with which we are
familiar on the English views, with the ever-present
pine tree on the left side, to distinguish it from the
Fig. 59. WASHINGTON'S TOMB. T. iMayer.
Fig. 60. rillNA W'AKKHOUSE,
BOSTON. Adams.
Fig. 6-,. .COLUMBUS AND
INDIANS.' A Jaws.
Fig. 62. ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL, REGENT STREET, LONDON.
A da HIS.
Fig.-63: BR'ANXHOUM CASTLE.
, ' K .Ada:ns,
Fig. 64. JOHN HANCOCK HOUSE.
Jackson.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 65
foliage borders by the other makers. On some of the
small-sized plates this tree is omitted. When the
firm removed to Tunstall they made a number of
American designs, all of them interesting from the
careful manner in which they were printed and from
their choice and artistic borders.
The Columbus series consists of eight views of
highly imaginary scenes in the adventures of Colum-
bus after landing on our shores. FiG. 61 gives one of
them from a private collection in New Jersey. The
borders are irregular medallions, with different ani-
mals, and in the spaces between are pretty bunches of
roses. These views are printed in red, mulberry, black,
etc., and while not held at high prices — a perfect ten-
inch plate brings about five dollars, — are both orna-
mental and interesting. Adams had a predilection for
medallion borders, for there is a single view of New
York City, most humourous in design, with three large
medallions of a sailor boy and a ship, filling almost
the whole border.
Another series, with roses and scroll-work border,
has ten or fifteen designs, printed in red, black, etc.,
of such scenes as Conway, N. H., Harper's Ferry, etc.
As in the other series all the designs are very pictorial
and pleasing, the printing is good and clear, and the
shape of the plate pretty.
But our chief interest in Adams's ware lies in the no-
tably fine English views, of which they issued such a
number, presumably before the sets dealing with Amer-
ican subjects, as the use of different colours for printing
succeeded the use of the dark blue. In the foliage
series which was mentioned before, is shown a splen-
did fifteen-inch platter, with the picture of St.
66 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
George's chapel, Regent Street London, on it (FiG.
62). The mark on the back is a printed blue eagle
with extended wings, and grasping a twig in one claw,
and four arrows or darts in the other. Below him is
a ribbon festooned, and on it is printed the name of
the view. There are many views in Regent's Park,
London, almost as many as in the Wood's series. In
the series with the border of bluebells and other
flowers, which has been used by Clews as well as
Adams (see FiG. 34), the stamp, with the name of
the view in a scroll, with flowers, is identical with the
mark used by Clews, except that Adams's name
appears also. There are eighteen or twenty of these
views already identified, and Branxholm Castle, Rox-
burghshire, one of them, is shown in FiG. 63.
It is so unusual to find any mention of the Stafford-
shire potters in English works, that the scrap of
information contained in Downman's " English Pot-
tery and Porcelain " is welcome. It says that William
Adams was Wedgwood's favourite pupil, and that he
was initiated into all the mysteries of Etruria. That
it was his experiments which led to improvements in
the blue jasper body by adding gold filings to its
chief ingredient, the sulphate of baryta. "After
Josiah's death Adams settled at Tunstall and pro-
duced many fine specimens of ornamental jasper and
basalt ware." It goes on to say, what has already
been mentioned, that most of Adams's manufacture
was marked with his name, impressed, or " by a peculiar
border ornament of interlaced circles." Of course
there is no mention of either the American or Eng-
lish printed blue ware.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 67
J, &' J, Jackson.
The firm of J. & J. Jackson, which occupied a
position of importance among the minor Staffordshire
potters, made many designs particularly for our mar-
ket, in various shades of red, mulberry and brown, and
also in light blue and black. They had works at Bur-
slem, England, and, as they made no dark blue ware,
it is probable that they came on the scene rather late.
No record is found of them after 1845, so that the
numerous specimens of their ware which abound
over here, were made prior to that time. The best
known piece by them is the Hancock House, Boston
(shown in FiG. 64). I have seen it in eight-inch plates
alone. It is most often found in red or brown, and
makes an ornamental piece of colour, particularly in the
red, which is a rich shade. Although these plates
are not in the much-desired blue, they command very
high prices, a perfect one, even in its small size, bring-
ing between fifteen and twenty dollars, and one with
a crack holding its own for twelve dollars. It is
pleasant to think that it is the historic interest that
makes it valuable.
Before John Hancock came into the possession of
this stately house he passed through many stirring
times. In ante-Revolutionary days living was stren-
uous, and many and secret were the meetings in out-
of-the-way taverns in the suburbs of Boston, when
companies of rangers and minute men were organized.
Mr. Hancock was a brilliant figure in these days, six-
feet tall, broad-shouldered and dressed in the tip of the
mode. He appeared one night at one of these secret
68 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
meetings dressed in an apple-green cloth coat, with
knee breeches of silver net tied at the knees with pea-
green ribbon. He wore white silk stockings and pumps
with large silver buckles, and displayed much fine lace
at wrist and throat. His hair was rolled and pow-
dered and tied in a queue. No wonder such a figure
took the fancy of Dorothy Q., when, in 1775, Hancock
and Adams, who were excepted from a general pardon,
were taking refuge in the house of the Rev. Mr. Clarke
at Lexington. She was staying in the same house
under the care of an aunt, and Dorothy and her
gallant lover whiled away the tedious hours in court-
ship, while the graver Mr. Adams discussed theology
and politics with their reverend host.
The Hancock mansion was built in 1737 by Thomas
Hancock, and came by inheritance to his nephew,
John Hancock. The site of the new State House
was Hancock's pasture, and orchards surrounded this
princely mansion. The building was of stone, a low
stone wall protected the grounds from the street, and
a paved walk and a dozen steps conducted to the
mansion. A wooden hall, sixty feet long, was at-
tached to the north wing, and here Hancock received
D'Estaing in 1778, Lafayette in 1781, Washington in
1789, and in later times Lords Stanley and Wortley,
Labouchere and Bougainville. Governor Hancock
was a generous host, and during the stay of D'Estaing
forty of his officers dined every day at the governor's
table. It is a pity that the efforts to retain this nota-
ble mansion were not successful. As late as 1863 it
remained intact and filled with the original relics,
pictures and furniture. But it was pulled down, and
with it disappeared the only monument to a notable
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 69
figure, until one was recently erected in the Granary
burying ground.
Rogers,
Between 1810 and 1836 or 1840, there were several
firms of Staffordshire potters that made one, two, or
half a dozen American designs, sometimes in dark
blue, sometimes in various colours, and generally of
some merit. The Rogers brothers, and afterwards the
Rogerses, father and son, were such a firm, and they
chose for their subject the Boston State House, of
which they made three views. One of these, the one
that has cows in the foreground, is almost identical
with the view made by Stubbs, but the border of roses
and forget-me-nots makes the identification simple.
In Fig. 65 is presented a pitcher with this design.
On the other side is a view of the City Hall, New
York. The pitcher is five and one-half inches high,
and sold at auction in Boston for twenty-eight dollars,
in November, 1901. It was in proof condition and of
a very rich shade of blue. Doctor Holmes says, in his
" Autocrat at the Breakfast Table : " " Boston State
House is the hub of the solar system, you couldn't
pry that out of a Boston man if you had the tire of all
creation straightened out for a crowbar." While
Rogers made his views many years before this was
written, he seems to have appreciated the feeling. He
also made a series of designs of no particular interest
or merit, not in dark blue, of such subjects as " The
Adopted Child," " Love in a Villac^e," etc.
70 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Thomas Godwin,
It would be a matter of interest to know why-
Thomas Godwin, in marking his pottery, did not put
the word " Wharf " below his name, or separate the two
in some way. It has caused collectors much annoy-
ance to find no mention of T. Godwin Wharf in any
book, while they owned interesting American views
marked in this way. Thomas Godwin had his works
at Burslem Wharf, but left out Burslem and added
Wharf to his name.
The views are in the usual colours, other than dark
blue, some of them being printed in a fine shade of
green. The border is a stiff arrangement of morning
glories and nasturtiums.
Godwin confined himself chiefly to views of cities,
Baltimore, Utica, etc. His eighteen-inch platters are
eight-sided and quite decorative, being well and clearly
printed. They bring from fifteen to twenty dollars
each, which seems a very high price for ware which
can never be esteemed as highly as the dark blue.
S, Tarns &f Co.
Tarns &f Anderson,
TamSy Anderson &f Tarns,
The view of the United States Hotel, Philadelphia,
with the impressed mark, S. Tams & Co., has long
been known to collectors. FiG. 66 shows it. The
piece is handsome, fine in colour, with one of the foli-
age borders which are so soft and ornamental, and
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 71
variations of which were used by Wood, and also by
Adams on some of their Staffordshire ware. It is
only within a short time that new pieces have come to
light with the same border as is shown in FiG. 66, and
marked variously S. Tams & Co. ; Tarns ; Tams & An-
derson ; Tams, Anderson & Tams, proving that these
designs issued from the same works under different
firm names. None of these names is found in books
on English potters, but this is the rule with regard to
the Staffordshire men, rather than the exception.
There are two American views which have been identi-
fied, and five, possibly six, English scenes, with which
is included the post ofifice at Dublin, Ireland. The
American pieces have the mark " S. Tams & Co.," im-
pressed. The English views have a blue stamp, very
large and heavy, bearing in it the name of the view
and the words " semi-china."
The Crown works, London, belonged to the Tamses,
and about 1840, John Tams, who had probably suc-
ceeded to the Crown works, as it is known that he
potted in London, made for a wealthy Philadelphia
merchant two sets of plates in a medium blue, dec-
orated with portraits of General Harrison on one set
and of Henry Clay on the other. The borders were
undecorated save by two lines of blue. At the same
time, and in honour of the same campaign, were
struck off many pieces of glass, bottles, cup-plates, etc.,
bearing portraits and various devices. Some of these
relics are still in the possession of descendants of Gen-
eral W. H. Harrison, as well as much interesting
furniture, brass, silver and pewter which have be-
longed to the family in various generations since early
colonial days
72 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
yoseph Heath &f Co.
{J. H. &f Co.)
(See Fig. 6y)
Joseph Heath & Co. must have run a large and pros,
parous pottery at Tunstall. The mark "J. H. & Co."
is abundantly familiar to china collectors on many
pieces of the ever-present willow-pattern^ and the
more tiresome " flow blue." There are also pieces
which have a moderate interest, the Ontario Lake
view for instance, which must have been left to the
fancy of the English potter, who made the lake a
river and ornamented its shores with towers and
castles and gaily dressed ladies.
The most interesting design made by this firm is
the one which shows the residence of Richard Jordan,
an eminent Quaker preacher. The border is very hand-
some, with flowers and scrolls, and the view is printed
in half-a-dozen different colours, the best being a fine
shade of red and mulberry. The plates have the
wavy margin found in many plates of this period, and
the ware has more than the usual lightness that is
characteristic of the semi-china.
Charles Meigh,
The grandfather of Charles Meigh had pottery
works at Hanley as early as 1770. These potteries
have always been esteemed for the class of work put
out by them, the high standard being kept up by the
Fig. 65. STATE HOt'SE, BOSTON,
Kogers.
Fig. 66. U. S. HOTEL, PHILA-
DELPHIA. S. Tarns &^ Co.
Fig. 67. RICHARD lORDAN'S RESIDENXE. H^aU.
Fig. t,S. LiJUISV
Fig. 69. SAXDUSKV, OHIO. Maker unknown.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 73
father of Charles, and afterwards by the latter him-
self.
When various colours had succeeded old blue,
Charles Meigh made a small set of American views.
He called them "American Cities and Scenery."
The border is of small flowers and is known as the
" chickweed " border, but is not very pretty or artistic.
He made, however, the only view of Yale College
which has yet appeared. Indeed he potted down to
such very recent times (1861), and the output from the
old Hall works was so varied and, in general, of so high
character, that he is distinguished by quite extended
notices in the works on pottery by Englishmen.
Perhaps what gave him his greatest reputation were
the pieces he made in Parian ware, like the beautiful
Minster jug which is shown in FiG. 139.
His printed ware was good, but does not begin
to show the artistic excellence of this beautifully
modelled jug.
T/iomas Green,
Thomas Green had a pottery at Fenton in the
middle of the nineteenth century, and worked until
almost the beginning of our Civil War. His ware
is not good ; it is made in various colours ; and the
subject, William Penn's Treaty with the Indians, is set
forth in grotesque fashion. There are half-a-dozen or
more variations of this theme, in which Penn himself,
Indians in oriental dress and surroundings, tropical
fruit and other eccentricities are duly pictured. The
border is very ornate, of geometric figures, giving a
somewhat pointed effect.
74 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
J. m r. Edwards.
Among the latest of these Staffordshire potters
were the Edwards brothers, who had works at Bur-
slem. They did not work here long, and one of the
brothers, James, bought the Rogers works, also at
Burslem, about 1842, and made some marine designs,
called the " Boston Mails " series, showing the cab-
ins of a steamboat. They were made in various
colours, as all this later and less interesting ware was.
Me I lory V enables &f Co,
These potters, whose works were at Burslem, made,
at about the same period as the Edwardses, some half
dozen or more designs to please the American market.
Although printed in light blue, red, mulberry, etc.,
the pieces are rather pleasing, and have strong enough
colour to be decorative. The border is in medallion
style with coats of arms, festooned with wreaths, and
between them bunches of small flowers. The pieces
are named, but it seems as if the designs were made
by an English artist, and were totally imaginary.
"J. Br "F. Mr and Thomas Ford.
Each made a single design of small merit. "The
Texan Campaign " is signed J. B. " The American
Marine " is by F. M. , and Thomas Ford made
" America."
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 75
" Unknown Makers T
Designs in dark blue.
(See Fig. 68)
Under this heading is found some of the best pieces
of old, dark-blue china known. Whether it was that
some of the English potters preferred not to sign the
ware intended for us, content to gain only the spoils,
one cannot say. Yet much china was sent over with
borders which render it easy of identification, and an
occasional marked piece has been a guide to much
more. The plan of grouping by borders, started by
Mr. Barber, and of such use to all collectors, is abso-
lutely necessary here.
There is a large number of pieces, chiefly views of
cities, with similar borders, of large flowers and scrolls,
one of which is given in FiG. 69. This is an eighteen-
inch platter, with a view of the city of Sandusky, Ohio.
This particular platter is now owned in the South.
It was recently discovered in New Jersey in an attic,
covered with dust, and treated with scant care by the
lady to whom it belonged. She regarded it as such an
"ugly old thing" that she was unwilling to have it
about. However, as it had been in the family for
many years, she offered it to some relatives. They
agreed with her as to its lack of interest and beauty,
and would not take it as a gift ; so it returned to its
resting place of a half a century, the attic. But old
china, like murder, cannot remain hid, and somehow
two collectors living in the same town got wind of the
treasure and started out to secure it. One was so
sure of his ability to bear away the prize that he took
76 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
a basket to carry it home in. He went away empty-
handed. The other, having better luck, got the plat-
ter, the owner taking five dollars less than she was
offered, she was so sure the platter was not worth it.
Our collector's luck still stood by him, and he sold his
platter for fifty dollars and a ten-inch States plate in
proof condition. I know of only five of these platters,
and have recently received a letter from a lady who was
born in Sandusky, and wishes a platter as a memento
of her early home. Often a small beginning will start
a collection, and if she secures her platter it will not
be long before a mate to it is wanted, and lo ! the
madness is on.
Fig. 70 is another view in the same set, and shows
a view of Albany, N. Y. They were delightfully
primitive in Albany in those days, and the ferry seems
equally open to man or beast.
The small plate in FiG. 26 shows another one of
this series. It is a view near Fishkill-on-the-Hud-
son. In the teapot given in FiG. 71 is another piece
which is also labelled "unknown.'' It is a fine speci-
men, of a splendid blue, and, as you see it, restored to
its original proportions. When it " blew in," on a
third of July a year or two ago, it had no knob to
the cover, and the spout was quite half gone. The
farmer who brought it wrapped in the usual bit of
newspaper, thought " a dollar a'naf would be about
right." He went off with his money, well satisfied.
Perhaps he enjoyed his Fourth as well as the collec-
tor, but I doubt it.
There is another set of views which is always pro-
vocative of much discussion among collectors. Till
recently the three views, one of the ship Cadmus^
Fig. 70. ALBANY, N Y. Maker unkn
Fig. 71. BALTIMORE ALMSHOUSE. Maker unknown.
Fig. 72. FULTON STEAMBOAT. Maker unknoi
Tift. .73.- EULOGY V'L'VIE.
, . -M<\ki:r unknown
Fig 74 b PICA INSC RIPTION
PLA 1 E. Maker unknozvn.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 77
one of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the third
of the " Fulton Steamboat," as it is called (FiG. 72),
have always been classed among American views.
Many collectors have been at much time and expense
to get these pieces, and they are all handsome, of a
rich blue colour, and with a clear and handsome bor-
der. The first view, the Cadmus, is unmarked in any
way. It shows a ship dressed with flags, but in this
view, as well as in FiG. 72, no American flag is shown.
The English potters, in making ware for our market,
regarded our flag as particularly appealing to us,
and inserted it in many scenes and on many ships
that could not possibly have been American. So its
absence on this occasion does not seem significant.
The theory is advanced that the building on the shore
is not all American ; but on the other hand, a small
detail like this did not stand in the way of the Eng-
lish potter.
Very recently two cases of views wrongly marked
were brought to my notice. The well-known view of
Lake George, with shell border, by Wood, was mark-
ed " The Battery " on the back, and the view of
" Newburg on Hudson," by Clews, has been found
marked " Hudson City, on Hudson." Of course as
the views were equally unfamiliar to the potters, we
can see how easily they might be confused.
There is still another set of " Unknown Makers"
views, which are quite as ornamental as those shown.
The border is fine bunches of fruits and flowers, and
so far there are but four pieces identified with it, two
views in Baltimore and two in Philadelphia. In addi-
tion to these series there are quite a number of other
views with various borders, which have, so far, not
78 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
been identified with regard to the pottery from which
they were issued. They are all good, some are hard
to find, and most of them command quite as high
prices as the pieces marked with maker's stamp. Then,
too, there are a few pieces which come under the head
of "Inscription Pieces."
The best known of these is commonly called the
" Eulogy Plate." It was struck off to commemorate
the opening of the " big ditch." It is given in FiG.
73. The inscription can easily be read on the plate
itself, and it sometimes varies as to one word. Some
of the plates read " Late Governor," and in some,
ours among the number, the " late " is omitted and
its place filled by a scroll. This plate is of ten-inch
size, has two bad cracks which are even visible in the
photograph, and yet sold for twenty-five dollars.
To us with our " flyers" and lightning expresses,
to say nothing of motor cars, the canal seems a most
poky and tame affair. Turning over the leaves of an
old diary I came across this note : " Commended my
soul to God, and asking his defence from danger, I
stepped aboard the canal-boat and was soon flying to-
ward Utica." No doubt one of the boats shown on
the margin of the plate was the famous packet,
" Redbird." The writer of the diary quoted, men-
tions the excitement when the " Redbird " raced with
a rival boat. There were people who adhered to the
stage coach rather than brave the perils of the raging
canal, but for bridal trips this packet was "the thing."
In Fig. 74 we show the eight-inch Utica inscription
plate, which reads as follows, " Utica, a village in the
State of New York, thirty years since a wilderness,
now (1824) inferior to none in the western section of
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 79
the state, in population, wealth, commercial enter-
prise, active industry and civil improvements."
These plates are made evidently by the same firm
that made the Eulogy ones, as the borders plainly
show. They are very rare, and are held at fifty dol-
lars each, and over. Happy the collector who is able
to " pick one up."
These inscriptions are sometimes found on pitchers
as well as plates. The other two inscription plates are
not in dark blue, but are of a somewhat later period.
The next in point of interest is the Lovejoy plate, as
it is called (FiG. 75). This pattern is found on both
dinner-sets and tea-sets in medium blue, and also in
mulberry. The border is composed of four medallions
with inscriptions, alternating with eagles and shields.
The background of the border is dotted with stars.
In the center is the following : " Congress shall make
no laws respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof ; or abridging
the free exercise of speech, or of the press, or the right
of people peaceably to assemble and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances. Constitution
United States."
On many pieces, ours among them, are found in the
top medallion the word, " Lovejoy, the first martyr to
American Liberty. Alton, November 7th, 1837."
This china is believed to be the gift of English anti-
slavery believers to the American Abolitionists. It is
unfortunate that this fine old piece was selected for
forgery. Any person who is used to handling this old
ware gets to detect differences by mere touch that
would escape the casual observer. Not only were the
forged plates heavier, but they were thicker, and colder
8o THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
to the hand. This unprincipled act has reduced the
price of these plates about one half, and collectors are
warned to examine specimens carefully before buying
them. The cup-plates of this pattern have escaped
the general suspicion and are selling for as high prices
as ever.
The fourth plate in this group is the one known as
the "Millenium," by Meakin. It is very rarely found
in a dark shade of medium blue, but the usual colour
is pink, black or brown. It has on the top, in the
border, an eye. In the center is a group, the lion and
the lamb, etc., and the motto, " Peace on Earth."
Fruits and flowers, with grain, make up the rest of the
border. There are quantities of these plates all over
the country. In fact such numbers of them were
offered for sale last year, in several sizes of plates,
that suspicion was aroused. The marks of the stilts
used in firing should be carefully looked for, and the
quality of the china tested, before purchase. These
coloured pieces, or the medium blue, are easier to forge
than the rich dark blue. The darkest pieces are practi-
cally safe.
The other inscription plates are all of less interest
and value. Perhaps I should except a single example,
that of a large square panel with the inscription " Thou
God, see'st me," in the center, in a wreath. The bor-
der of this panel is quite ornate, and is covered by the
handsome pink-spotted Sunderland lustre.
Half a dozen other Scriptural phrases and the
Lord's Prayer may be found also. There is in addi-
tion a verse printed in black, with a border of raised
figures, animals and children, which should be included
here : —
Fig. 76. BURNING OF MEki il.vA lo i.XLllANGE, NEW YORK.
Alaker unknown.
Fig. 77. MEDALLION PITCHER, WASHINGTON, JEFFERSON, LAFAYETTE;
AND CLINTON. ROCHESTER AQUEDUCT BRIDGE, ENTRANCE
OF CANAL AT ALBANY. R. S. & IV.
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Conlinued. 8i
" Jesus, my all, to Heaven is gone.
He whom I fixed my hope upon;
His track I see & I'll pursue
The narrow way till him I view."
While the value of the various coloured crockery is
always less than that of the dark blue, whether hy
known or unknown makers, there are quite numerous
designs which collectors are glad to secure, as they are
decorative and the prices comparatively low. The
borders are generally different ; but, in FiG. "jG, we
show one of three designs, with what is called the
" Phoenix and engine border." The mark on the back
of the plate is very showy and comprises a large eagle
with extended wings, and in front, concealing his legs,
a panel containing the words, " Exchange, New York."
Above the panel are the words " Stone Ware," and
over the eagle's head the letter " D." These pieces
were made after 1833, when the great fire occurred
which destroyed so many buildings. The "docu-
ment " which this plate stands for is most interesting.
In the first place it shows the quaint fashions of the
times, and of deeper interest still the inadequate means
there were for battling with a great fire. The par-
ticular plate figured is a soup plate, printed in muU
berry, and was found in a small village in New York
State, In its present aspect it is a triumph of the re-
storer's art. On its outer edge, the first time I saw it,
there were eighteen nicks, showing the hard service
to which it had been subjected, in the chicken house,
if I remember rightly, before it was rescued and re-
stored. The other two designs in this series are
equally interesting. One is the ruins of the Exchange
82 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
after the fire, and the third piece is the " Burning of
Coenties Slip, New York."
Of all these plates the latter would appeal most
strongly to the relic hunter and antiquarian, for Coen-
ties Slip is a name that has still survived, though the
arm of water it once stood for has been crowded back
into the river, and in its place is the one green spot in
all that busy neighbourhood. At the head of what
was once Coenties Slip is still a tiny lane not much
more than fifty feet long, and on this lane (leading off
from Pearl street), was built, in 1642, the first City
Hall — " Stadt Huis," Governor William Kieft called
it. The site of this old City Hall may still be found,
as a tablet to its memory has been fastened to the
business building which stands where it once did.
Any of this old crockery, " old dishes," as it is
sometimes contemptuously called by people who do
not care for it, is nice to own as heirlooms, or for
decoration. But the ware of this secondary period
has not the value of the rich dark blue. The English
potters were so anxious to capture our market that
every species of device which they thought would be
popular was eagerly seized upon. Many of Franklin's
sayings were printed on cheap white ware with em-
bossed borders, or the alphabet on the edge, chiefly
for the use of children, on small plates and cups.
The plates come not only circular but octagonal as
well, and the motto, or maxim, is often illustrated by
rude figures, printed in black and touched with colour.
No list is given of these pieces as they speak for them-
selves; and the collector is averse to buying many of
them, as quite a number of the patterns have been re-
produced in modern ware. Their only interest is their
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 83
quaint character ; for they have absolutely no beauty,
and a collection of them is decidedly monotonous.
Scriptural designs, besides those made by Wood,
were also made by Stevenson, Mason, Jackson, Adams,
Ridgway, Meakin and Dillon. They explain them-
selves so easily that we have not listed them. There
are, perhaps, about fifty designs in all, by different
makers, and occasionally a new one comes to light.
Such a one is a nine-inch, flat red plate, by Adams,
marked " Cyrene." It has a different border from the
more common Palestine designs, and is better printed
than those in two colours.
About the time of the Centennial Exposition in
Philadelphia, numerous designs were made for our
market by English potters which possess a certain de-
gree of merit. They are not listed, however, for the
time has not yet arrived when they possess any de-
gree of interest or value. They are all very plainly
marked with the views they are intended to represent,
and he who runs may read their story.
Within the last few years there has been a very
large number of American scenes made in England
for our market, and printed in a shade of dark blue.
The best ones are made by Wedgwood at Etruria, and
by Minton. They can be purchased both in Boston
and Philadelphia from the firms that have copyrighted
and imported them. This winter I have also seen
large quantities of blue china, with American views,
for sale at department stores all over the country.
They are not intended to deceive, but are frankly
sold at small prices as modern ware. None of the
old views or border patterns are copied, and no
one who has any interest in old china can for a
84 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
moment regard them as anything but the newest of
the new.
Quite different, however, are a series of intentional
forgeries which have been put out within the last year
by one or more unscrupulous dealers to deceive pur-
chasers. So secure were collectors that the rich old
blue could not be copied that they bought freely of
these forgeries, suspicion only arising at last from the
large number of certain pieces, all of the same size,
that appeared on the market. The Lovejoy plate,
of which we have already spoken, was the first of these.
Then appeared one of the rare Syntax plates, " Doc-
tor Syntax painting a portrait," and so successful was
the forger that many of these plates were sold. If
you compare a forgery with an original old plate the
differences are very marked. The colour is a little
different, the ware is heavier, and there are no marks
of spurs on either back or face, an almost unfailing
test of an old piece.
I have seen several of Ridgway's New York City
Hall plates, of ten-inch size, of which I am very doubt-
ful. They are very suspiciously new looking, are
without the spur marks, and were offered for sale this
last year in such numbers, and sold for such small
prices, comparatively, that suspicion was at first
aroused.
The portraits of Lafayette and Washington, printed
in other colours than blue, are supposed to have been
counterfeited, and some collectors believe "The Land-
ing of Lafayette " has been copied by some unscrupu-
lous dealers. It will generally be the novice who will
be deceived by these reproductions. A collector who
studies his specimens learns to distinguish very easily,
STAFFORDSHIRE WARES, Continued. 85
and a buyer should always insist on seeing his pur-
chase before closing his bargain. A seller who has
nothing to conceal will be willing to send his wares
on approbation. If any decline to do this it would
be just as well to have no further negotiations with
them. It is both difficult and unsafe to attempt to
buy by photograph, for defects do not often show,
and you are not able to handle the china, which is so
important in detecting frauds. Although many old
specimens come to hand in an almost perfect condi-
tion, without any mar or blemish, or even knife
scratches, they are easily told by the colour of the
crockery, the cockspur marks, and the remarkable
lightness of the pieces. A Richard Jordan eight-inch
plate will weigh just about one-half of what a modern
eight-inch stone china plate will tip the scales at.
There are few dealers who will imperil their reputations
by selling this spurious ware. If you buy from
people who have but a piece or two to dispose of the
risk is still further lessened, and it is generally easy to
trace the history of " farmhouse spoils." No collec-
tor would, presumably, pass off an imitation in trade
or exchange, and the open market seems to be the
place where the most caution must be displayed.
CHAPTER V.
PORTRAIT PIECES.
A VERY large proportion of the pieces of this inter,
esting Staffordshire has on it portraits of patriots and
heroes who laboured, and in many cases died, for the
welfare of their country. Washington, Franklin, and
that brave Frenchman, Lafayette, to whom we owe so
much, lead in the number and variety of china made
in their honour, and no collection is complete without
at least one or two of these portraits.
It seems peculiarly fitting that Washington's mem-
ory should be perpetuated in this way, for he was a
genuine china enthusiast himself, and was constantly
adding to his stores of such goods by importation
from England, and by purchase in this country. As
early as 1759 ^^^ wrote to England for ornamental
china, " images" and busts, though not for table ware,
and after the Revolution was over and he could give
his attention to his private affairs, he set about remod-
elling Mt. Vernon and adding to its household goods.
There are letters still extant containing directions for
goods to be purchased for him, dated 1785. But it
was not till some years later that lavish orders were
sent over. Virginian wealth was not to be counted
till crops were harvested and got to market. The
current price of tobacco might leave you with or
without a balance to your credit in London — your
PORTRAITPIECES. 87
only clearing house, as it chanced. Your purchases
must be made through agents or factors, and both
what you bought and what you sold must take the
hazards of a sea voyage, was at the mercy of sea cap-
tains and the chances of a foreign market. At one
time you must be farmer and merchant, and manage
your own negroes and overseers as well. You must
conduct a correspondence with your over-sea agents,
know current prices, how rates of exchange varied,
and how to meet these changes in markets and mer-
chants, while an ocean rolled between you. All this
required an alertness, an attention to detail, a sagacity
in farming and a shrewdness in judging of your mar-
ket which was impossible to idle or inefficient men.
But Washington took pains to succeed. He had a
zest for business. The practical nature of his genius
grew in him from boy to man. His factors in London,
Messrs Gary & Co., must have known his letters at a
glance from their bulky size. No details escaped him,
and to keep his lucrative patronage they must be as
punctilious as he was. It did not take him long to
learn how to make the best tobacco in Virginia, and
to get it recognized as such. Barrels of flour marked
" George Washington, Mt. Vernon," were passed by
the inspectors without examination. It is the face of
this man which looks so gravely out from so many of
these choice portrait plates, and makes one such
piece the central ornament of a collection.
Not lacking interest are the curious advertisements
which appeared in the papers at this time, setting forth
the goods brought home from Ghina, teas, porcelain,
" best Nankin blue and white stone china; with bowls,
mugs, guglets and sneakers, basons and water jugs."
88 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Then, too, at these public vendues were sold silks and
painted gauzes, opium and arrack, rhubarb and gam-
boge. Umbrellas, or " umbrilloes " as they were then
called, were first used in Boston in 1768, and in this
same sale, 1785, are advertised silk umbrellas of all
sizes, showing that they had now come into general
use.
Of the pottery and porcelain that bears the name,
and what is supposed to be the portrait, of Washing-
ton, by far the largest part is found in Liverpool ware,
chiefly in pitchers. These are treated by themselves,
as the portraits considered in this chapter are those in
the blue Staffordshire.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a large col.
lection of Washington portraits on every kind of
ceramic ware, from copies of the well-known portraits
by Stuart, Peale, Trumble and Savage, to the concep-
tion of the " father of his country " by the almond-
eyed Celestial. The Staffordshire portrait pieces,
many of which have come to light within the last
few years only, are extremely valuable. They com-
mand such very high prices that we hesitate to give
them here, and content ourselves with saying that all
ten-inch plates with these portraits command fifty
dollars each and over.
Of the pitcher shown in FiG. JJ too much cannot
be said. Only two examples of it are known so far,
the one shown measuring seven inches in height and
twenty-three inches around the center. This pitcher
is unmarked. The other one is six inches high and
has the mark " R. Stevenson & Williams." The hand-
some border is not the one with which we are familiar
on Stevenson's American views, but a special one, the
PORTRAIT PIECES, 89
flowers showing at the top of the pitcher, inside and
out, and the scrolls at the base. Plates are found
having the portraits of Washington and Lafayette in
the center with this same border, and also having the
name ** R. Stevenson & Williams, Cobridge, Stafford-
shire." Like the pitcher these plates are very hand-
some, the printing being very clear and well defined
and the colour rich. On the front of the pitcher are
the four portraits, Jefferson, Washington, Lafayette
and Clinton, with which we have become familiar on
the various medallion plates and platters. On the
sides are the Rochester Aqueduct, so popular with
English potters, and used in connection with so many
different views, both English and American. On the
other side is a view called " Entrance of the canal into
the Hudson at Albany," and shows a different view
from that which we find on Wood's plates with this
scene. It is, however, quite identical with the small
views of this scene found on the acorn-bordered pieces
which have long been such a topic of interested dis-
cussion to collectors, now, as we have previously
mentioned, happily set at rest by some pieces with
this border, and the mark " R. S. & W.," and also
" Stevenson " impressedo
In Fig. 78, " St. Paul's Chapel, New York City,"
many of the collectors agree that the handsomest one
of these medallions is found. It comes on six-inch
plates and i.3 a wondertuUy fine bit of colour and
prmtm^^ The portrait of Clinton is clear and good,
the oak leaf and acorn border as ever admirable, and
St. Paul's Chapel, one of the most interesting bits
of old New York left standing. Every time I see
this plate I wonder why just this combination of
90 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
scenes and portraits was chosen, for in most cases the
central view was selected on account of its shape or
size being suited to the place it was necessary to fill,
and St. Paul's steeple is shorn of half its glory. This
church was built in 1776, far up Broadway, as it was
then regarded, overlooking the " fields or old cow
pastures." It faced the river, and the chancel was
placed on the eastern side of the chapel in accordance
with the ritual, and this caused much grave debate.
Still the builders persisted, and the church has ever
turned its back on busy, bustling Broadway. St.
Paul stands in his niche over the portico, sword in
hand, and rarely a passer-by turns to glance up at him,
though thousands pass there every day. How many
of these thousands know that George Washington
used to attend services in this church, and that his
pew has been preserved as he used it? Just above it
on the walls is the coat-of-arms of New York. The
chapel narrowly escaped burning in 1776, when the in-
vading British fired the city. To this same quaint old
church Washington came on the day he was inaugu-
rated, and he sat in the pew which you may see to-day.
In his diary, for all the time he was in the city, occurs
this note for every Sunday, "Went to St. Paul's
Chapel in the forenoon." Over the pulpit is an odd
sounding-board, and on the top of it is the coat-of-
arms of the Prince of Wales. This board escaped in
some way the ardour of those patriots who, in Revolu-
tionary days, rushed through the city and destroyed
everything which in the least suggested our allegiance
to England. So this old pre-Revolutionary relic stands
in its original place.
This chapel and its graveyard are a volume of our
Fig. 79- PORTRAIT I'LATTEK— WINDSOR CASTLE, Rt*LliK.>lER AQUEDUCT
AT BOTTOM. PORTRAITS OF JEFFERSON, WASHINGTON.
LAFAYETTE, CLINTON. Ji. S. iV.
Fig. 80. JEFFERSON AND CLINTON. BOSTON HOSPITAL.
R. S. &= \V
Fig. 81. LAFAYETTE. Clews.
FAULKBOURN HALL. 4 medallions.
A. Stevenson,
PORTRAITPIECES. 9I
early history. The Indian wars seem remote, yet here
beside the western wall is the bust of John Wells, a
well-known lawyer, who died in 1823. He was the
sole survivor of a large family, every member of which,
except himself, was killed by the Indians at the massa-
cre of Cherry Valley. This is just the beginning of
the history which may be found in a six-inch plate,
provided the owner has an interest in it apart from its
face value.
In a four-medallion platter, with portraits of Wash-
ington, Lafayette, Jefferson and Clinton, the central
view is Windsor Castle, England, and the Rochester
Aqueduct is depicted at the bottom (FiG. 79). It is
one of ** R. S. W.'s " pieces, also with the acorn bor-
der, and while a very valuable and showy piece, has
not a tithe of the real interest bound up in our little
six-inch St. Paul's. The view of Windsor Castle is
fine, the Round Tower is standing up above the sur-
rounding buildings, and the whole scene not markedly
different from what it is to-day.
Faulkbourne Hall (spelled Faulkstone on the pot-
tery) is another English view used, and Harewood
House. On these English views our Republican
heroes are all kept in countenance by the Rochester
Aqueduct at the bottom. In our day, when the canal
is a mere water-way for freight, we do not realize what
it meant to the country in 1825. DeWitt Clinton
always had the honour of carrying this project through
to a successful conclusion, as indeed he did ; but the
name of the real conceiver of the enterprise, Christo-
pher Colles, is almost forgotten. For years he spoke
and gave lectures on the subject, but he did not live
to see his ideas carried out, for he died in 1821. He
92 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
lies buried in St. Paul's churchyard, New York, and on
the little plate of FiG. 78 you can see the part of the
yard where he lies buried, and below this picture,
curiously enough, is a view of the canal, his pet
project.
There is always a chance for a discussion on old
blue, because the history of its potters and potteries
are wrapped in so much obscurity. After it had been
comfortably settled for years that A. Stevenson sold
his business to James Clews in 1819, the discovery of
these portrait plates with his stamp on them has set
the collector adrift once more. Of course, these plates,
made to celebrate an event which occurred in 1825
(opening of Erie Canal), must have been made after
that date. Indeed, the great bulk of this dark blue
was made between 1820 and 1840, and the English
views are as late as the American. It is thought by
some collectors that Ralph Stevenson used the stamp
" A. Stevenson " at his own works, which were operated
till 1834. From this date until 1840 they were worked
under the firm name of Ralph Stevenson & Sons. But
why should R. Stevenson have got possession of A.
Stevenson's stamps and designs when the works were
sold to James Clews, probably with the dies and
stamps? To my mind it seems more likely that Clews
used these properties, for Clews did not part with the
Cobridge works until 1829, and all the events com-
memorated by these pieces took place some years
before that.
Fig. 80 presents a two-portrait medallion plate, with
Jefferson and Clinton. The central view is Boston
Hospital, with chaise in the foreground, and the
Rochester Aqueduct at the base. The plate, like
PORTRAITPIECES. 93
most of these, has the name of the central view on the
back in dark blue.
For a single-portrait piece I have chosen the Lafay-
ette plate, with the bust in blue on a white ground,
with a raised border, and the margin in blue. About
the portrait is inscribed the words, " Welcome Lafay-
ette, the Nation's Guest and our Country's Glory."
This plate was made by Clews, and is extremely desir-
able. Fig. 8i gives it. This particular plate was
picked up some years ago in ordinary fashion for a
few dollars, but I know of another which fairly dropped
like a ripe plum.
St. Justa and St. Rufina are, according to Mrs.
Jameson, the patron saints of potters. She neglects
to state what particular saints watch over the fortunes
of china collectors. That some collectors have such
genii assisting them I am very sure, else other poor
mortals would have similar luck. For instance, one of
these favoured individuals told me that within a few
days she had received a lot of eighteen old-blue,
historic plates from the " Cumberland Ridge." The
sender had named his own price, five dollars. " He
didn't care about the old stuff anyway." The second
Lafayette plate came to hand as follows. An expert
collector had penetrated to the buttery of an old-
fashioned farmhouse, and the owner put before her a
pile of four old plates, saying, " Take any or all of
them, I sha'n't ever use the old things agin." A
glance at the top plate showed the collector it was
worthless, and she was about turning away when some
impulse decided her to lift it up. Below lay the
Lafayette plate, greasy and dusty, but otherwise per-
fect. To use her own words, she " almost swooned,"
94 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
but asked as calmly as possible, " How much do you
want for this ? " " Nothing ; take it, I give it to you,"
the housewife persisted, but finally accepted twenty-
five cents, saying to the departing collector, "You've
given me just twenty-five cents more than it is worth."
The market price for this plate is just forty dollars.
During Lafayette's triumphal tour through the
United States, in 1824, there were many articles worn
by men, women and children, that bore his portrait,
or had welcoming or laudatory sentiments printed or
worked on them. I have seen a kid glove, yellow with
age, and of the single-button variety which was fash-
ionable at the time, that was worn by a young woman
when Rochester, N. Y., was visited by Lafayette in
1824. She was young and a beauty, and the gallant
general not only pressed the little gloved hand, but,
as the story goes, kissed the glove with his image
upon it. The fair enthusiast tore off the glove, de-
claring she would keep it as long as she lived, and so
she did and her descendants after her. The glove for
the left hand was not so honoured and its fate is
unknown.
In Fig. 82, one of the latest discoveries in the four
portraits, the head of Lafayette is much better look-
ing than on the single portrait plate. It is taken from
a more youthful portrait, and though his uniform is
the same as in the Clews platter, the presentment is
more pleasing.
This plate with the handsome floral border is another
piece which causes the dust of argument to fly. It bears
on the back the impressed mark of Stevenson, and, in
blue, an urn with the name " Niagara," the same view
is found on nine-inch and ten-inch plates without the
Fig. 82. NIAGARA. 4 PORTRAITS. A. Sievefison.
Fig. 83. FRANKLIN
MIRROR KNOB.
Fig. 84. COMMODORI5
O. H; I'ERRY. ; : '
Fig, 86, BUTCHER\S ARMS PIKUHK. REVERSE SIDE.
PORTRAITPIECES. 95
medallions. I have seen two of these plates with the
medallions, both were ten inch, and in the one shown
the medallions are just about half the size of those on
the other plate. In FiG. 82 it is possible to see the
Falls on the left of the picture beyond the house,
while on the other plate the portrait of Jefferson
completely obscures them. The house closely resem-
bles one which stands on the Canadian side to-day,
and the coloured man in the foreground, shearing sheep,
is not at all un-American. The border is the same as
that used on a series of English views, and not on any
other American view. Yet these medallion plates
were manufactured among the last of the dark blue
pieces, were, no doubt, expensive, as they required so
many printings, and few were made. It was probably
the highest expression of old blue. This particular
plate took the collector who now owns it many a long
day to acquire. The woman who had it had some
knowledge of old china, and had learned that she har-
boured something of value. Dollar by dollar the col-
lector rose in her bids, always haunted by the fear
that the plate would be snapped up by some "hun-
ter," and she only secured it when she had offered
one hundred times its original value. When the news
of this sale got abroad, every other woman in the
town where the Niagara plate was found hunted up
her " old blue delft," as it is so often called, and hur-
ried with it to our collector, eager to get a sum which
would exceed the profits on butter money for a whole
year.
While Franklin was not included in any of these
medallion portraits he had more ceramic honours than
even Washington himself. No doubt his long resi-
96 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
dence abroad was one reason for this, because very large
numbers of these portraits were made by both Eng-
lish and French potters. The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York, and the Trumble-Prime collection
at Princeton, New Jersey, have many of these exam-
ples. They were made not only in crockery, but clay
medallions were struck of various sizes, some even
small enough to be set in rings, and others of the
right size to be set in patch-boxes and snufl-boxes-
Many of these had the fur cap with which we are
familiar from engravings. Even Wedgwood tried his
hand on these rugged features and made medallion
portraits in basaltes as well as jasper. There were
many statuettes, ranging from seven to thirteen inches
in height, and varied busts, some even in Dresden
china. Punch bowls and pitchers are also found, and
the following inscription is taken from a bowl with the
fur-cap portrait: " Benjn Franklin, Esq, LL.D. and
F.R.S. the brave defender of the country against the
oppression of taxation without representation — author
of the greatest discovery in natural philosophy since
those of Sir Isaac Newton, viz., that lightning is the
same with electric fire."
The portrait of Franklin shown in FiG. 83 is on one
of those choice and rare ceramic treasures, a mirror-
knob. These are examples, in most cases, of transfer
printing ; some are merely in outline ; and some have
the outline, filled in with tint. They came into use
before Revolutionary days — " looking-glass nobs " they
called them then — and were often in rosette shape,
mounted on the end of a spike, and screwed into the
wall about two feet apart, leaving the knobs standing
out from the wall about two inches. On these screws
PORTRAIT PIECES. 97
the lower edge of mirror or picture rested. The opal
glass ones were also used to fasten back window cur-
tains upon them, and a variety of them was used as
knobs to bureau drawers. The one that is shown here
is a delicate piece of printing mounted in a brass frame
and on a long brass screw. In the same set are por-
traits of Washington, Franklin, Perry and Lafayette.
None of the portraits presents Franklin in any other
aspect than that of old age. The rather short, stout
figure, and the heavy features are those selected for re-
production. Curiously enough Franklin seems some-
what proud of the number and variety of portraits
made of him. Rewrites from France to his daughter,
Mrs Bache, in 1779, as follows: "A variety of others
(clay medallions) have been made since of various
sizes, and the number sold are incredible. These
with the pictures and prints, upon which copies and
copies are spread everywhere, have made your father's
face as well known as that of the moon, so that he
durst not do anything that would oblige him to run
away as his phiz would discover him wherever he
should venture to show it. It is said by learned
etymologists that the name of doll, for the image
children play with, is derived from the word idol.
From the number of dolls now made of him he may
be truly said, in that sense^ to be idolized in that
country."
In one collector's house a pair of these knobs, bear-
ing the head of Lafayette, have been screwed into the
wall, and on them rests a letter from him, written in
a quaint copperplate hand and signed with a flourish,
and one of the delicately tinted, old engraved portraits,
framed together. In addition to all the portraits of
98 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
those whom we may call our great heroes, there are
many pieces devoted to the rank and file of minor
heroes, who did good and often great service for their
country. Such a portrait is shown in FiG. 84. It is
also on a mirror-knob and is of Commodore O. H.
Perry, who was sometimes called " Hero of the Lake."
He had numerous plates and pitchers struck off in
his honour, with not only busts but full-length por-
traits, and with mottoes in addition, such as, " We
have met the enemy, and they are ours." Jackson
and Bainbridge, with " Avast boys, she's struck,"
and Pike, with " Be always ready to die for your
country," were also honoured in this way. All of
these pieces, while of secondary interest and value, are
good to have and add to the historic value of any collec-
tion, if not to its beauty. The list of these portraits on
Staffordshire is constantly being added to, as these
pieces are drawn from cupboards and closets and from
beneath the attic eaves.
Of all these old English wares the printed blue
Staffordshire is the most absorbing to an American.
One cannot fail to get interested in the scenes it rep-
resents, even more than in the composition of the
paste and the amount of feldspar, borax, flint or bone
which enters into it. Still it is necessary to learn
enough about the qualities and peculiarities of wares
to be able to stand alone and not take the judgment
of dealers. In many cases unmarked wares so closely
resemble each other that even expert collectors
classify them in a half a dozen different ways, and
you have to make up your own mind by study, com-
parison, and handling. Staffordshire ware had a coarse
body, and the stone ware was but little better, and all
PORTRAIT PIECES. 99
the early efforts of the Staffordshire potters were put
forth to improve this table ware, and the deep rich
blue assisted to cover imperfections.
The interest which led to the collecting of old blue
stimulates further study, and with the china hunter
every piece gathered leads farther along those flowery
fields ridden over by every happy possessor of a
hobby.
CHAPTER VI.
LIVERPOOL AND OTHER PRINTED WARES.
Liverpool, city of docks and smoke, and the
largest sea-port in the world, has had time to give
to arts and crafts and the skilled workmen to in-
vent printing on china and to carry on the peace-
ful art of potting. Some factories existed as early as
1600, and among the first wares made was what was
known as Liverpool delft. This was an imitation of
the Dutch ware, had a coarse body and was smeared
on the face with a fine white clay, on which the design
was drawn in blue. The collector in this country has
small interest in this ware, as it is seldom found here
except in tiles, which are occasionally taken from old
houses. They are very crude in drawing, and have,
usually, scriptural designs with chapter and verse
placed below to help out the picture. I have seen a
set which was taken from an old house at Sag Har-
bour, Long Island, and so ruthlessly treated that, of
the twenty or thirty which framed the fireplace, I was
able to rescue but two perfect ones.
The most interesting names connected with the
Liverpool potteries are those of Sadler and Green, for
to John Sadler, an engraver, the world is indebted
for the invention of transfer-printing on pottery and
porcelain and the subsequent cheapening of produc-
tion. This discovery was due to an accident, as early
as 1752, and for many years Sadler and his partner,
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. lo.
Guy Green, were able to keep the process a secret.
Tlie art of transfer-printing was first applied to tiles,
but the process was soon found to be applicable to
table ware and other goods. Sadler and Green labour-
ed hard to perfect their work, and their black prints on
a cream-coloured body have an unusually fine style of
workmanship. In fact it was so superior to what
other potters were able to do that Wedgwood him-
self was one of their customers and sent his goods by
carrier and cart, or even in panniers on pack-horses
while it was still in the biscuit state, and, after print-
ing, had it returned by the same precarious method
and fired in the home kilns.
The work was very cheaply done, the charge for
printing a table and tea-service for the actoi, Dav'd
Garrick, in 1783, was ;^8 6s Jd, about $41.50. This
was done on order from Wedgwood, and it would be
interesting to know how much he charged Garrick for
the set completed.
" Landskips " were always in demand, sometimes as
many as thirty views going on a single service. The
usual rule was a fresh design for every dozen plates of
a dinner service, and distinct ones for each dish,
tureen and center piece. Wedgwood furnished his
own patterns, and his patrons and friends supplied
him with charming prints, coloured and otherwise, of
flowers, shells, fruit, birds, butterflies and country
scenes.
At the close of August, 1768, Sadler, it appears, had
dropped printing in all other colours than black and
red. In May, 1770, Wedgwood wrote to Bently con-
cerning Sadler's printing: " I have had a good deal of
talk with Mr. Sadler and find him willing to do any-
I02 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
thing to improve his patterns. He has just completed
a set of landskips for the inside of dishes, etc., with
childish scrawling sprigs of flowers for the rims, all of
which he thinks very clever, but they will not do for
us. He is trying the purple and thinks he will manage
it, and is willing to have a sett of the red chalk stile,
or mezotint flowers, but thinks they can do them at
Liverpool best. I am afraid of trusting too much to
their taste, but they have promised to off-trace and
coppy any prints I shall send them. I have promised
to send him the red chalk plates and a few prints of
flowers immediately, and beg you will send him the
plates, and pick out some prints of different size
flowers to send' along with them to Liverpool."
' About 1772, John Sadler retired from business, and
Guy Green, who was a much younger man, became
head of the firm. From this time on improvement
became manifest, the patterns were better and more
colours were used ; so that, by the end of 1776, many
of the patterns hitherto enameled were printed in
outline and then filled in by hand. Young girls did
this latter work, and one of the favourite patterns was
shells and sea-weeds. After a little more time crests
and coats of arms were attempted and were inost
successful, and this was a great saving of expense to
Wedgwood, who had long complained at the great
cost of enamelling these. Even after Wedgwood
began to print his own wares — and it is curious how
long it was before he did this (1784) — Green still
printed many of the old patterns, such as the green
shell, green flower and red landscape. After 1787 the
very finest borders were made by printing ; even
tendrils and tiny leaves and all such parts as were out-
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. 103
lined were filled in either in Liverpool or Etruria, as
the case might be.
Dinner and dessert services, which had come into
fashion as early as 1769, increased in favour still more,
and in one cargo sent to Amsterdam were fifty
" splendid dinner and dessert services chiefly pierced
and gilt."
For the benefit of collectors we give the following
list of borders popular in 1774, printed by Green, by
Wedgwood's order. Some were printed only ; others
combined the two processes of printing and painting;
and some were exquisitely enamelled :
Printed bird pattern, feather Marine pattern, purple edge.
edge. Calico pattern and spriggs.
Oat border. Laurel border.
Arrow pattern. Green feather-edge and flower.
Green flowers. Super purple flowers.
Green husks. Green oat-leaf border.
Strawberry leaf. Brown antique border.
Black flowers. Black antique border.
Blue shell-edge. Shaded figures, purple grounds.
Green shell-edge. Queen's pencilled.
Ivy border with spriggs. Calico pattern.
Purple arrow heads. Parsley leaf.
Purple antique. Grape leaf.
By 1787 Wedgwood was doing a part of his own
printing, and the list of patterns popular then are
given among Wedgwood's own wares.
The printed pieces made for Wedgwood and marked
with his name, with pieces made by and marked Sadler
and Green, are now so rare as practically to be con-
fined to museum specimens. Sadler and Green's
marked tiles are sometimes found in England and are
I04 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
remarkable for the beauty and clearness of the
printing.
Richard Chaffers was another Liverpool potter who
went to work as early as 1752 and did much to im-
prove the character of his ware. He is credited with
sending wares to America ; but I have never seen a
marked piece, apd the pepper-pots, which are supposed
to be thick as blackberries among us, seem to have
lived only in the mind of an enthusiastic china collec-
tor. Chaffers made not only earthenware but hard
paste porcelain as well. His punch-bowls had a great
reputation and were large affairs, often twenty and one
half inches in diameter and nine inches high. Among
other small pieces made as early as this were labels
for different liquors, lettered " Cyder" and " Brandy"
or " Rum," as well as " Peppermint " and " Worm-
wood." They do not often turn up ; they are made
of the coarse clay body, faced with finer clay and
glazed, exactly like the tiles. They have a hole in
the upper portion through which a string may be
passed to tie the label about the bottle's neck. Chaf-
fers died about 1770.
What grew to be the largest and most successful
pottery at Liverpool was founded in the year 1790 by
Richard Abbey. He had been employed by John
Sadler, had learned his secrets, and produced many ef-
fective groups for mugs, jugs and bowls, the most
usual utensils found in the cream-coloured Liverpool
ware. Tea-sets there are and an occasional plate, but
the former pieces are the most common.
It was while in the employ of Sadler that Abbey
made his most famous productions, the various " Arms "
jugs. The designs of these arms are both pretty and
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. 105
witty. Jewitt describes the Farmer's Arms at some
length and says there is a teapot with this design in
the Museum of Practical Geology in London. On the
reverse side are the verses which speak of the joys of
a farmer's life :
" May the mighty and great
Roll in splendour and state ;
I envy them not, I declare it ;
I eat my own lamb
My chicken and ham
I shear my own sheep and I wear it.
I have lawns, I have bowers,
I have fruits, I have flowers.
The lark is my morning alarmer ;
So you jolly dogs now
Here's to ' God bless the Plow '
Long Life and Content to the Farmer."
In addition to the Farmer's Arms, which is the only
one mentioned by Jewitt, there is the Blacksmith's
Arms, with the motto, " By Hammer and Hand all
Arts do stand," and the Buck's Arms with stags and
hunting emblems and the motto, " Freedom with In-
nocence"; the Baker's Arms, which has for motto
" Praise God for all," and the Hatter's Arms with the
legend, " We assist Each other in Time of Need."
The only one I have seen in this country is given in
Fig. 85. It is the Butcher's Arms and is a very hand-
some jug, clearly and beautifully printed and with a
pretty English scene on the reverse side. The initials
*' W. W." are under the lip, and it was sold by the grand-
son of the man for whom it was made in England. I
have heard of, but never seen, another, the" Ironwork.
io6 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
er's Arms," which bears the motto, " Benevolence and
Union go hand in hand."
These " arms " jugs were made for the members of
the various guilds, which have always played a more
or less important part in London's history, their great-
est strength dating from the time of Edward III, when
enactments were passed which made membership in a
guild necessary to the privilege of freedom of the city.
At one time the guilds numbered over one hundred.
At present there are but seventy-six, and some of
these which are left represent trades which are extinct,
a delightful instance of England's conservatism. The
twelve so called "Great Guildri" claim precedence
over the others, and though the Fishmongers' and
Grocers', as well as the Salters' and Vintners' are
among the twelve, the Butchers' is found in the less
privileged classes.
Nobody seems to have made these jugs but this
Richard Abbey while with Sadler and Green, so they
were all made prior to 1 790, when he went into busi-
ness for himself, taking as a partner a man named Gra-
ham. In 1796 Worthington, Humble and Holland
bought the pottery from Abbey and Graham, and
called it the Herculaneum Pottery. The works were
kept up, under one firm and another, until 1841, when
they were dismantled and the site used for the Hercu-
laneum Dock. Richard Abbey died in 1801 while
leading the singing in a church choir. He was eighty-
one years of age at the time.
The period between 1796 and 1800 at the Herculan-
eum Pottery does not seem to have been distinguished
by any particular marks, but after that time, that is
from 1800 to 1 841, there are three periods easily dis-
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. 107
tinguishable by the different marks. From 1800 to
1822 the word Herculaneum was printed in a half
circle around a crown, or printed on a strap which en-
tirely surrounded a crown. The second period, from
1822 to 1833, had the words " Herculaneum Pottery " in
a straight line, and the third period had the figure of
a bird, the liver or lever, which was the crest of the
Arms of Liverpool. Some pieces found over here,
and apparently made for the American market, have,
in addition, an eagle. An example of the porcelain is
shown in another chapter.
In Fig. 87 is shown a part of a tea-set, which we
will place under the general head of Liverpool. The
ware is beautifully creamy, the printing fine and clear
and the twisted edge prettily gilded. The oblong
plate shows its irregularity even in the photograph,
but the cup has a handle which the earliest ones were
without.
Nearly all the great potteries which we have already
considered made printed ware of varying degrees of
beauty and clearness; but it was generally unmarked,
and, after this lapse of time, has all come to be classed
under the generic head of Liverpool. The most inter-
esting pieces of this ware are found in pitchers, cream
coloured and black, printed, and capable of holding a
gallon each. Such a one is shown in FiG. 88 and, as is
the case with so many of these Liverpool jugs, is in hon-
our of Washington. This particular one is called the
" Apotheosis" jug, as you may see on its face. There
is a tomb in the oval picture with Liberty and an In-
dian (strange companions in view of later day devel-
opments), seated side by side. Father Time is raising
Washington, clothed in a shroud, from the tomb,
io8 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
while an angel holds Washington's hand and points
upward. On the tomb is the inscription, "Sacred to
the memory of Washington ob. 17 Dec. A. D. 1799
Ae. 68." A semicircle of cherubs' heads forms a
border to the medallion, and in the midst are various
insignia which belonged to Washington. This pitcher
bears under its lip the name of the man for whom it
was made ; but many copies of it, instead of the name,
have a motto, something like this, "A man without
example, a patriot without reproach." On the reverse
side is a ship in full sail. This pitcher is ten inches
high and was bought within the year for the unusually
small sum of $12.50.
In Fig. 89 is shown another of these Washington
jugs, which, on account of its rarity, brought $56,
though it is but eight inches high. The side shown
in the picture is a medallion of Washington with the
figure of Liberty seated beside it. An eagle, with
branch and bolts, fills the upper part of the oval, which
is surrounded by a chain of fifteen links, each link
bearing the name of a state, and in the center of it a
star. Below the portrait is an inscription which reads
" Washington crowned with laurels by Liberty."
The reverse side of this pitcher is quite as interest-
ing. It shows Washington and Franklin inspecting a
map of the United States, which is almost as much
of a curiosity as the famous old " Mappa Mundi."
Liberty has Washington in charge while History takes
care of Franklin, and in the upper part of the picture
a very frisky Fame blows a trumpet. Louisiana goes
under the name of the Country of Mines and extends
as far north as Lake Superior. This pitcher, while
classed as Liverpool, is really Staffordshire, as it is
Fig. 87. BLACK-l'RIXTED LIVERPOOL WARE.
Fig. SS. APOTHEOSIS JUG.
\vash5nO''>\x map jug.
Fig. go. WASHINGTON JUG. Fig. 91. MONUMENT JUG.
Fig. 92. V.'ASHLSjGTON JUG. Fig. 93. MASONIC JUG.
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. 109
marked " F. Morris, Shelton." I have seen one with
these designs on it marked 1796 on the front, showing
that they were made before the death of Washington.
While Fig. 89 is unusually small for this style of
pitcher, the common size runs from ten to twelve
inches, making a pitcher capable of holding several
quarts. No such innocent beverage as milk or water
filled those generous jugs ; but cider, which almost
might be called the national drink, and some of the
varieties of spiced decoctions then so popular were
liquids which poured from these fine large lips.
It is quite remarkable to run back and see how early
apple orchards were planted and began to bear freely.
New England led off in the quantity of cider made,
and in the potency and manufacture of rum, which
was known throughout the colonies as " Killdevil."
As early as 172 1 one Massachusetts village, boasting
but forty families, made from its own apples three
thousand barrels of cider. At Oyster Bay, one of the
oldest settlements on Long Island, in 1726, Henry
Townson leaves by will to his father, " one hundred
bushels of good, sound apples out of my orchard
yearly, and also a load of hay during his life." By
1740 so many orchards had matured that cider was the
common drink among the people. At three shillings
the barrel even the poorest need hardly be without their
winter supply, and so general was its use that members
of the clergy often stored forty barrels or more for win-
ter use. In summer, diluted with water, sweetened,
and spiced with nutmeg, it made a refreshing drink,
when it had been cooled in a spring or cellar.
Fig. 90 is a twelve-inch Washington jug with a more
than usually swelling shape. There is a small portrait
no THEOLDCHINABOOK.
on the pedestal, and the words " First in War, First in
Peace, First in Fame and First in Victory." A naval
officer and Fame stand on either side of the shaft, and
the picture is surrounded with scallops showing the
names of thirteen states. Notwithstanding the pedes-
tal or obelisk, I should place this jug as made prior to
1800, from the use of but thirteen states in the border.
On the reverse side is a full-rigged ship with the
American flag in colours, and on the front in a wreath
the inscription "A present to Capt. Nath'l Gunnison."
It is in perfect condition and sold for sixty dollars.
Ten years ago fifteen dollars was thouglit a good
price to pay for such a pitcher. Recently I saw four
of these Liverpool pitchers with Washington designs
on them, and varying in size from nine to twelve
inches, which were bought in a lot two or three years
ago at seven dollars each. They have been sold with-
in the last few months at forty dollars apiece. In the
Rooms of the Antiquarian Society at Concord, Mass.,
there are several of these jugs, of large size and in
good condition. FiG. 91 shows one such with unusual
lustre decoration about the top. It is ten inches high,
and is generally known as the " Monument Pitcher."
It comes in twelve-inch pitchers also. On the top of
the picture is the legend, " Washington in Glory," and
below it on a band, " America in tears." An eagle
and a female figure, both very drooping, are on either
side of the monument, and on the reverse side are
Liberty and two negro boys with portraits.
The EngHsh potters amused themselves, or, perhaps,
suited the tastes of their patrons by varying the pat-
terns on different pitchers. I have seen this monument
pitcher with the map of America, previously spoken
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. in
of, on the reverse side, and also with a full-rigged ship.
Sometimes these pitchers are known as Masonic pitch,
ers, and every Mason liked to own one with the pic-
ture of the greatest Mason of all on it. If the purchaser
was a seafaring man, of course he chose a ship for the
second side, to take home to an appreciative family.
These pitchers were turned by hand, as may be seen
by the slight variations in shape and by the wavy
lines in the bottom. Another stout one is figured in
Fig. 92.
A fairly good portrait of Washington within a laurel
wreath occupies the center of the medallion, with Jus-
tice and Liberty at right and left and Cupid above hold-
ing a glory of stars. A very singular combination truly.
The oval is surrounded by an entwined scalloped bor-
der with the names of fifteen states and fifteen stars,
making a more decorative picture than is usual with this
class of pitchers. This design I have seen on two sizes of
pitchers only, nine inches and seven and one half inches,
and it is extremely rare. On the other side is a four-
line verse, with liberty cap and other emblems. On
two seven and a half-inch pitchers, which have passed
under my notice, were, on the reverse side, two differ-
ent designs. On the first were Peace, Plenty and Inde-
pendence in an oval, surmounted by cannon, American
flags and a screaming eagle. On the second one was
this inscription, " By virtue and valour we have freed
our country, extended our commerce and laid the
foundation of a great empire." Washington stands
with one foot on the neck of the British lion, and there
are grouped about four soldiers and a ship in full sail,
with flags, cannon, etc., and below " Success to Amer-
ica." It seems almost incredible that these sentiments
112 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
and devices were made by Englishmen for the very
country which had asserted its independence.
Fig. 93 shows a Masonic jug which was long in the
possession of Mr. John Haigh of Somerville, Mass., a
Mason of the thirty-third degree. It has many Ma-
sonic devices, as may be seen, and in front has square
and compass with " G" in a triangle. It also has the
inscription " Samuel Fowler, Salisbury, 1795," which,
of course, adds to its value. It is in perfect condition,
nine inches high, and worth between twenty-five and
thirty dollars.
The verses on these jugs are generally doggerel of
the worst order. A very common verse ran as fol-
lows:
" The world is in pain
Our secret to gain,
But still let them wonder and gaze on.
For they ne'er can divine
The word nor the sign
Of a free and accepted Mason."
Even rarer than the Masonic pitchers are a few that
one occasionally runs across, like that shown in FiG.
94. It is the death of General Wolfe. On the reverse
is a picture of a naval battle. This pitcher is always
beautifully printed and seems to come in but one size,
ten and one half inches. The pitcher made in com.
memoration of Commodore Preble is given in FiG. 95,
His portrait is in the oval, and above is a figure oi
Fame with wreath and trumpet. An Indian maiden
with a scroll and a flag and shield fills the base of
the picture. On the reverse side is shown the Com.
modore's squadron attacking the City of Tripoli,
August 3, 1804. This pitcher is but nine inches high,
Fig.
DEATH OF WOLFE. Fig. q?. COMMODORE PREBLE.
Fig. 96. SUNDERLAND JUGS.
Fig. 97. PRINTED TEA-SKT.
'Fig. 98;. BO\V PICKLE-LEAF AND CREAMER.
: „ ; •• '. ' Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. 113
while the pitcher made to celebrate Perry's victory
comes as small as seven and one half inches.
The Herculaneum Pottery contributed pitchers
depicting the death of Montgomery and the death of
Warren. There is also one with a print called " The
gallant defence of Stonington, August 9, 18 14," show-
ing the famous scene when, with one gun, the inhabi-
tants successfully resisted an attack of the British and
drove off her ships, sinking one. Under this picture
is the legend " Stonington is free whilst her heroes
have one gun left." On the reverse side are a ship
and a ribbon wreath enclosing some patriotic verses.
More generally interesting than the Masonic jugs
were the sailor pitchers. I have seen numbers of
them in the interior towns as well as on the sea-coast.
They are generally classed as Liverpool ware, though
I believe most of them were made elsewhere. For
instance J. Phillips at North Hylton made many of
these printed sailor jugs, of the same creamy ware,
and similar in shape. His pieces also are seldom
marked, but he has certain verses which are almost as
distinctive as the Staffordshire borders. They occur
over and over again, and when you find a pitcher with
the following verse on it you may set it down to
North Hylton;
'• REST IN HEAVEN."
" There is an hour of peaceful rest
To mourning wanderers given ;
There's a tear for souls distrest,
A balm for every wounded breast—
'Tis found above, in Heaven."
Jack Tar is nothing if not sentimental when about
to set sail on a cruise, and on the opposite side to that
114 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
showing the pious verse above quoted is a ship in full
sail, a sailor and his lass in the agonies of parting and
the words, "Jack on a cruise. Avast there. Back
your maintopsail."
On another Hylton ship pitcher I find this verse;
"Glide on, my bark, the summer's tide
Is gently flowing by the side ;
Around thy prow the waters bright.
In circling rounds of broken light
Are glittering as if ocean gave
Her countless gems to deck the wave."
In Fig. 96 is shown an unusually interesting group
of Sunderland pitchers, all of them of that rare and
interesting pink-spotted lustre characteristic of these
potteries. The largest one of all, gallon size, was
found in Maine within the year, and bought for six
dollars — simply nothing for such a jug in perfect con-
dition. On the side shown is a view of Twymouth
Haven with ships in the distance. It is printed in
black and touched by hand in colours. On the reverse
side is a ship, flanked on either side by a sailor and a
female figure, also touched in colours, and the verse: —
" The sailor tossed on stormy seas,
Though far his bark may roam,
Still hears a voice in every breeze
That wakens thoughts of home ;
He thinks upon his distant friends,
His wife, his humble cot ;
And from his inmost heart ascends
The prayer, ' Forget me not." "
The next smaller pitcher has the picture showing
the parting between a sailor and his wife and child,
and a verse called the "Sailor's Farewell." It runs:
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. ns
" Sweet, oh, sweet, is that sensation,
Where two hearts in union meet.
But the pain of separation
Mingles bitter with the sweet."
This pathetic verse seems exclusively the property
of the Sunderland potteries. Punch-bowls of this
ware have it as well as pitchers.
The little jug in the center is one of those interesting
pieces which were cast in an old silver mould and then
lustred. It is made of coarse pottery, as a chip on one
foot shows, and came into the present owner's posses-
sion for the small amount of twenty-five cents.
Sunderland and Newcastle are always classed to-
gether in descriptions of their pot works, of which the
earliest were established between 1730 and 1740. At
Sunderland, beside the jugs pictured with the joys and
sorrows of maritime life, favourite patterns were
Nelson's victories and the famous bridge over the
Wear, commenced in 1793 and finished in 1796. New-
castle made the same style of ware as Sunderland,
earthenware, and what was called " cream-coloured
fayence." It was crudely printed and painted, and
some was made like the Leeds ware, pierced and em-
bossed. The well-known " frog mugs " were made at
Newcastle, and in them a frog is represented as
climbing up the side of the mug, gradually being re-
vealed as the drinker sups the liquor. The outside of
the mugs are ornamented with the verses of the day.
None of these pieces is marked, and I have never
seen one that was ; but the marks of these potteries,
when used, were impressed in the clay, or stamped in
transfer.
It was not alone the jugs which bore inscriptions,
ii6 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
but even teapots were used for showing popular senti»
ments. For instance a black printed one has this
motto :
" Let love abide
Till death divide."
It almost seems as if such a piece must have been
used as a love token or a marriage gift.
Even as early as 1742 these inscriptions began to be
popular, and it pictures a very unusual state of subjec-
tion when we read on a plate :
" But if his wife do frown
All merriment goes down."
Punch-bowls bore inscriptions which their size and
the potency of the liquid they carried did not seem to
bear out:
" With gratitude receive ;
With temperance enjoy."
When one reflects that the ingredients that went to
make up punch were arrack, tea, sugar, water and
lemons, with personal touches, by individual mixers, of
rum, French brandy, cider royal, etc., and that the
bowls held many gallons, one does not wonder that
such words as " cocky, fuddled, groggy, jagged,
screwed and hazed " were necessary to express the
condition of convivial souls after meetings at club or
ta'vern.
It is on a small jugr that the sentiment,
A heart that conceals,
But a tongue that never reveals '
is found.
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. 117
" From rocks and sands and barren lands,
Good fortune set me free.
And from great guns and women's tongues
Good Lord deliver me "
IS on one side of a mug, with ship and nautical em-
blems on the other.
Many hunting pieces also have mottoes on them.
One has a brown decoration on a cream body, and a
picture of a hare in full flight.
" The fearful Hare does run apace
Because the hounds are on their chace
The country he is forst to fly
Whilst they are out with Hue and Cry
Nature hath taught him in this strife
To seek for to preserve his life
Which he by running doth obtain
And the Hounds returne againe
The Huntsman seeing that doth cry
Let him goe his meat is dry
I'll to my landlady with speed
For I of her have greater need."
One is allowed to punctuate this at pleasure, and
the date on the jug is 1804.
Occasionally we may come across one of those curi-
ous jugs or mugs dealing with English royalty and
containing verses eulogistic or very much otherwise.
Perhaps the Georges came in for most of the " other-
wise ' verse, and here is one :
" George the First was always reckon'd
Vile, but viler George the second ;
And what mortal ever heard
Any good of George the Third ?
When from earth the fourth descended
Praise the Lord, the Georges ended."
ii8 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
This was made after 1830, when George IV died.
It was his action with regard to Caroline, his queen,
which divided all England, and the strong feeling
which raged both for and against her found its way
even on crockery :
" Long live Caroline, Queen of England,
As for the green bag crew
Justice will have its due,
God save the Queen !
Confound their politicks.
Frustrate their knavish tricks.
On her our hopes we fix
God save the Queen ! "
A recent book on the melancholy life of this un-
crowned queen does much to throw light on a career
which is quite unexampled for the cruelty of treat-
ment and humiliation undergone by a woman of royal
blood.
On a very handsome gallon jug, which must have
taken a very steady hand to manage, I find this verse:
*• Come, my old friend, and take a pot,
But mark me what I say ;
Whilst thou drink'st thy neighbour's health,
Drink not thy own away.
For it too often is the case.
Whilst we sit o'er a pot,
And while we drink our neighbour's health.
Our own is quite forgot."
This one on a mug goes right to the point:
"Call freely.
Drink merrily.
Pay honestly.
Part quietly."
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. 119
The New Hall works at Shelton, Staffordshire, be-
gan about 18 10 to make the paste with a large admix-
ture of bone, giving up the porcelain body which they
had manufactured from 1777 to 1810. They made
quantities of printed ware of excellent quality. The
earliest mark was the letter " N " in script, the later
mark the words "New Hall" enclosed in a double
circle, the whole mark in red. The works ceased to
operate in 1825; so all china with this mark is previous
to that date.
In addition to all this printed ware, which is called
Liverpool, though made at several different places,
there is a large amount belonging to what may be
called the " debased period " in china. That is to say,
between 1840 and 1850. Even while it is not compar-
able to the dark blue, with either English or Ameri-
can views, to my mind there is much of it deserving a
place in a collector's cabinet and of both ornamental
and intrinsic value. In this class I put many pieces
printed in red, green, or brown, or in combinations of
these colours. I know of a tea-set which has been got
together after years of patient waiting that is a cheer-
ing sight every time it appears on the table. The
teapot is one of those graceful and quaint shapes
copied from old silver ware, and the paste is a lovely
creamy tint. On it are printed in red and green really
charming scenes, which come under the head of " Con-
tinental Views," with spires and towers, water in the
foreground, and boats, etc. These are pretty compo-
sitions which engender delightful speculation, every
time that one of them is seen, as to just what part of
which continent was in the potter's mind when this
teapot was made. Accompanying it, but not mated
I20 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
with it, is a squatty little creamer, printed in red, on
four sturdy legs, and decorated with a view illustrative
of Thompson's " Seasons." There is a haying-field
with loaded wain in the foreground, and peace and
plenty in rich orchards and fertile fields compose the
background. A female figure raking hay gives human
interest to complete the scene, and, although illustra-
ting an English scene, yet it might well stand for the
fair Virginia landscape, whence this little creamer wan-
dered north.
No doubt the lady in the picture is that Sophron-
isba, the iteration of whose name caused so much
ridicule to be heaped on poor " Jemmy Thompson," as
he was called by friend and foe alike. The scene on
this creamer illustrates those four linesnvhich smack
so strongly of the sentiment no poet of the eighteenth
century was without :
" An elegant sufficiency, content,
Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books,
Ease and alternate labour, useful life.
Progressive virtue, and approving Heaven ! "
The cups which go with this set stimulate reflection
as well as the larger pieces. The first one is in brown,
and is from a scene by Turner, that singular man with
the fingers and faculties of an ideal artist, and with
the degraded appetite of a tramp. It is a scene from
one of his Italian sketches, and I fancy it was one of
those he made during the second tour in 1828, when
Ruskin had so advanced his reputation by judicious
pufifing that his work was in demand on every side,
and for many purposes. The scene on this cup is very
lovely, and clearly and beautifully printed. Like all
the other pieces in this little group, it is unmarked.
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. 121
The Japanese have a proverb that " Even the worst
tea is sweet when first made from the new leaf," which
could be paraphrased to read, " Even the worst tea is
sweet when sipped from so dainty a cup," for surely
half the delight of a meal is derived from its pretty
appointments. In FiG, 97 is shown a little set of var-
ious kinds of printed wares. One of the charms of
such a set is these variations. It is like sets of books.
How much greater individuality they have when each
one is differently bound, than when clothed all alike
in dull uniformity, the only means of identification
being numbers.
In inventories of estates, in notices of auction and
other sales in newspapers, and in old wills do we come
across the lists of the household goods of our ances-
tors, and learn their scant number and the value
placed upon them. The care with which minor house-
hold articles are specified forms one of the curious
features of these family bequests, and the lack of
articles of pottery and earthenware is extremely
noticeable, particularly in those documents dating
from 1700 to 1776.
Feather beds and slaves were the objects that
seemed to be in the greatest abundance. In fact,
hardly a will is without a specific mention of the
former, and after the slaves, either Indian or African,
comes the family Bible. Silver cups, some with "two
ears," are mentioned, and in one family of wealth the
four daughters each got one silver spoon, which was
an uncommonly large supply for those days.
The earliest mention of earthenware to be found
among old wills is in 1711. Evert Van Hoole speci-
fies that his wife shall have " a new cupboard and
122 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
three great and twelve small earthen cups that stand
on top of said cupboard, and six varnished chairs, her
looking-glass, Dutch Bible, and a brass kettle and a tea-
kettle and a bed, with all thereunto belonging." As
the earthen cups come first in the list, we may judge
of the estimation in which they were held. Appar-
ently they were more for show than for use, and as they
belonged to a Dutchman we can guess they must have
been delft. Some years later a Hempstead, Long
Island, farmer leaves to his daughter " one featherbed,
an iron pot, six plates, three platters, two basons, one
drinking pot, one cupboard worth three pounds, six
chairs and six sheep." While the good man was writ-
ing this list we could wish that he had specified as to
the material of said plates, platters and " basons." I
fancy they were pewter.
The little set shown in FiG. 97 is printed ware, show-
ing one of these same cups and saucers with Turner's
designs. One can see what a dainty picture it makes.
The teapot is black printed Liverpool, quite uncom-
monly charming, with pretty scenes on the sides, of a
garden with ladies in it, and of a very populous beehive.
The border around the top of the pot and also on the
cover is scrolls and a wreath of flowers. On the scrolls
are such moral maxims as " Flee the vicious," " Be
industrious," and "Sorrow's best antidote is employ-
ment." There is a motto for every day of the week
and several extra for Sundays and holidays. The
shape of this pot is very agreeable, with its four stout
legs, its fluted sides, and a nicely turned spout.
The creamer is also a waif and stray, with black
printed view and a little leafy decoration in pink lustre.
When in use the set stands upon one of those fine old
LIVERPOOL PRINTED WARES. 123
trays of inlaid satin wood which Wedgwood kept on
sale, and on which he showed off his dainty boudoir
and breakfast sets. He knew well how attractively
the china was reflected in the polished wood, and how
conveniently all the necessary articles could be carried
from pantry to dining parlour. The old George III
silver spoon, with its straight handle and little bowl,
seems to fit better with such a set than the more
modern and more weighty curved handled spoon.
If one can come across anywhere a spoon with a
"rat-tail," that is a slender rib of silver running down
the back from handle to bowl, it may be chosen as a
fitting companion to this old china, particularly as you
will probably be able to find, impressed on it some-
where, a letter showing the date of its manufacture,
and a design showing its nationality.
CHAPTER VII.
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY.
In studying the beginnings of most of the porcelain
and pottery works of England, it is found that generally
all of them began with imitating Delft decoration in
deep blue. A chapter might well be written headed
" The Colour Blue " and dealing exclusively with its
use on china. This colour, least common of all the
colours given by nature to bird, insect or blossom, has
been selected by the Oriental potter for many of his
most exquisite achievements and copied from him by
other nations to whom a brush-stroke or a colour does
not have the significance that it has for the Chinese
worker. In the sixteenth century cobalt was intro-
duced, either by Jesuits or Mohammedans, into China
and used more or less freely under the name of " Mos
lem Blue." This shade was brighter and more vivid
than the restful grayish shade used for centuries pre.
viously and on china made for palace use only, the
colour of which was known as " blue seen through a
rift in the clouds after rain."
The shade of blue is subject to infinite variations,
due to the presence of certain ores — manganese, iron,
etc. — and may become almost a violet tone, or take a
reddish shade, or vary again from the delicate tint of
the robin's egg, through mazarine and sapphire, to pea-
cock blue. To the original users of this colour, blue
meant much ; it had a religious and mythological, as
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 125
well as an historical significance, which was lost in its
transit across seas, and blue was chosen in the Occi-
dent for its durability and cheapness, and because the
Chinese models were the best obtainable.
Hard glaze porcelain was made at Plymouth, Bristol
and Liverpool. Soft glaze porcelain was made at Bow,
Chelsea, Derby, Pinxton, Rockingham, Swansea,
Nantgarw, Liverpool and Worcester.
The very early Staffordshire potters commenced
with what must be called " English Delft," though
properly that term should only be given to such ware
as was made in England in direct imitation of the
Dutch ware and covered with tin glaze. However
the term " Delft " was applied long after tin glaze had
been superseded by translucent glaze, and was broad
enough to cover the painting of birds and flowers
in the Chinese style which was so popular with the
Dutch china painters and imitated from them by the
English.
"Old Delft," properly speaking, is that faience
made in Holland during the seventeenth and eight-
eenth centuries, covered with a heavy opaque glaze
of tin, which, like salt glaze, has many tiny holes in its
surface. It is very friable, and chips and scales easily,
as nearly all pieces of genuine old Delft will testify.
English Delft with tin glaze was made in Bristol and
Liverpool, as well as in Staffordshire and Lambeth.
The approximate dates for porcelain manufactures
in England were Bow, about 1730, Chelsea, 1745,
Derby, 1756, Worcester, 175 1, Caughley, 175 1, and
Lowestoft, 1756, Plymouth, 1760, Bristol, 1768.
126 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Bow,
Bow, or Stratford-le-Bow, is the "Stratford atte
Bowe " which Chaucer writes of in the " Canterbury
Tales " :
" Ful wel she sange the service devine,
Entuned in hire nose ful swetely,
And French she spake ful fayre and fetisly,
After the scole of Stratford atte bowe,
For French of Paris was to hire unknowe."
It has long since been absorbed in London town. It
is, or rather was, a little town on the bank of the
river Lea, and is in Middlesex, the smallest county in
England, but with the largest population, since the City
of London is in it and overflows into four or five
other counties beside.
Bow is not far from the famous Tower of London,
and you may ride out there on the top of a 'bus, but
you will not find any china there, and but rarely a
bit among the London second-hand shops. It is all
snapped up by eager collectors or their agents.
As early as 1730, at Stratford-le-Bow, was made the
first soft paste porcelain known in England. In 1744,
Thomas Frye and Edward Heylin took out a patent
for making ware " equal to imported china or porce-
lain." It is not usually suggested that Bow sent out
any but painted wares ; yet in a curious old account
book of the goods furnished during a part of the year
1756, are, among many others, these three entries:
" One pint printed mug."
" One half pint do."
" One sett compleat of the second printed teas."
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 127
Many pieces of china classed as Chelsea belong to
Bow. Among the most notable of these is a pair of
china figures of Kitty Clive the actress and Wood-
ward the actor, exquisitely modelled and finished and
bearing, stamped in the clay, the date 1758. A pair
is known which came direct from the factory to the
family whose descendants still own them. These fig-
ures have now become the rarest specimens of Bow
manufacture. The lovely Kitty Clive, that famous
English actress who took the town by storm early in
1700, created as one of her most famous parts that of
Lady Riot in " Lethe." So popular were both actress
and part that these exquisite little figures were issued.
Kitty is shown in a monstrous petticoat with laces and
furbelows. The companion figure, Woodward, who
plays the fine gentleman, struts gaily in cocked hat
and ruffles, both figures being most delicately modelled.
Good specimens easily bring $150 each. In FiG. 98
are given two charming examples of Bow. What
could be more dainty than the pickle leaf laid across
the basket work, and coloured to nature with veining
and stems? The butterflies and bees are brilliant in
colouring also, and are repeated again and again on
the little creamer, which shows a pretty ribbed effect,
with three plain medallions which have bunches of
flowers, birds and insects. This same ribbed effect is
also seen on other wares than Bow, and was popular
no doubt, for everything that met the fancy of the
day was seized upon and copied. The pickle dish
has a tiny anchor in red, one of the numerous Bow
marks.
The goat jugs, with or without the modelled bee,
were always attributed to Bow; but they were made
128 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
at Chelsea as well and are found marked with the
Chelsea triangle. In the same old account book pre-
viously spoken of, and which makes such interesting
reading, we learn of many articles made at the facto-
ries of which the collector would otherwise be unaware.
For instance, in this year, 1756, there is the record of
the making of "two dozen crimson buttons." They
made also many harlequin figures and swans. Among
many other articles there were sent to a Mr. Fogg
** twelve dragon breakfast cups and saucers of a good
deep colour, a milk pot, same pattern, and a vine-leaf
milk pot."
In May the Duchess of Leeds ordered a " blue
dolphin pickle stand." An order reads, " Goats, swans,
and every other sort of toys to be sent in Baxter's
order." There were also knife-handles, candlesticks,
animals of every description, salt-cellars on shell, coral
or rock-work stands, pastoral, garden and hunting
scenes, and exquisite vases and jars with raised deco-
rations, coloured like nature.
The paste of Bow porcelain varies much in hardness,
the earlier specimens, made with American clay as
early as 1744, being harder than the subsequent pro-
ductions, which were soft paste. These latter are
heavy, with a firm compact paste. The glaze is thick
and somewhat milky in colour and blots out the finer
lines in relief work. The decorations are in delicate
colours, cleverly arranged, and consist of birds, butter-
flies, insects, etc. The flowers on dresses of the fig-
ures were generally in yellow or crimson, with gold
leaves. Embossed wares in pure white were made in
large quantities, with the flat surfaces decorated
with paintings of insects and flowers. The hawthorn
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 129
sprig was a favourite at this factory. The ware was
first finished in a biscuit state and the blue decorations
laid on before being glazed. After being dipped in
the glaze, which consisted of half a dozen ingredients,
the articles were put in cases and burned with wood
until the surface was clear and shining. The decora-
tions in colour and the gilding were done over glaze
and fired in a muffle kiln.
The marks employed at this factory are open to
much discussion. There was no regular factory mark,
and daggers, arrow-heads and anchors were scratched
and painted on different pieces, while the triangle, for-
merly assigned to Chelsea, is now assigned to both
factories. Mrs Bury Palliser and Prime, who follows
largely in her wake, give nineteen possible marks for
this factory. An authentic Bow creamer, with the
goats and bee in relief, has sold at auction in London
for £2$ los, another for £'^ 5s, and for various
intermediate sums. They are sometimes found in
this country for much smaller prices, and, whether
Bow or Chelsea, are much esteemed in all collections.
In 1776 Mr. Duesbury of Derby bought the works
and moved them to Derby, as he had previously
bought the works at Chelsea.
Chelsea.
Chelsea town, like Stratford-le-Bow, has become an
integral part of the great city of London. It had,
nevertheless, an interesting history of its own, and
its manor was given by the much-married Henry VIII
to Catherine Parr.
130 THEOLDCHINABOOK,
During the eighteenth century, and while the china
works were in operation, " the village of Chelsea," as
it was called, was the home of many famous men.
Swift, Steele, Smollett and Sir Horace Walpole were
among them. The gay Ranelagh was frequented by
the " smart set " of those days, and these grounds
were in Chelsea. So were the Cremorne Gardens
which still flourish as a place of popular entertainment.
More in our day was Cheyne Walk, where the Car-
lyles dragged out an embittered existence, he dis-
traught over his neighbours' roosters and she waging
warfare over the " blacks," as those huge roaches are
called in London.
Greatest of all Chelsea's monuments is the famous
old hospital for invalid soldiers, begun in 1682 by
Sir Christopher Wren. Even as late as 1801 Chelsea
was thought very suburban — a quiet country retreat.
The beginnings of Chelsea china are meagrely told
and obscure. Large quantities of ware were brought
into England from Holland, and the best workmen
in this branch of the art, Dutch workmen, were in-
duced to come to England and settle there, and Chelsea
was one of the towns where they worked. By 1745
the Chelsea works had been several years in existence
and had gained celebrity both at home and abroad
for the wares made and decorated there. From 1750
to 1765 were the years of Chelsea's greatest popu-
larity, and enough ware could not be made to supply
the demand.
George H did much to encourage these works and
also procured material and workmen, so that this
factory might successfully compete with those of
Saxony and France. Horace Walpole wrote in 1763
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 131
that he had seen a magnificent service of Chelsea
china "which the King and Queen are sending to the
Duke of Mecklenberg. There are dishes and plates
without number, in short, it is complete, and cost
;^i20o." The varieties of products turned out from
the Chelsea factory were immense. Vases, flat ware
and tea services, candelabra, statuettes and groups, as
well as quantities of pieceswhich come under the head
of " toys," consisting of snuff-boxes, patch-boxes, trin-
kets for watch-charms, smelling-bottles, etc. As early
as 1754 auction sales were begun as a good and quick
method of disposing of the wares. Some of the smel-
ling-bottles, seen now only in collections, are charm-
ing, being modelled in the forms of children and birds.
From about 1760 to 1763 the famous coloured
grounds of Sevres were copied very successfully, the
most popular being the claret colour, and next in
favour coming turquoise, apple-green, deep blue and
crimson.
The body of Chelsea is very uneven, as if poorly
mixed, and so soft and susceptible to heat that it
would bear but one firing ; so all decoration was done
at one time. By holding a specimen, like a plate, up
to the light it will be found to contain spots " the
unmistakable Chelsea spots, — moonlike discs scat-
tered about the piece irregularly and more translu-
cent than the rest of the material." Most pieces of
Chelsea china have the stilt marks with which we are
so familiar in Staffordshire wares. The earliest speci-
mens are blue and white, as was to be expected, and
the glaze was thick and unevenly laid on.
After the Dutch style came copies of Oriental
patterns, chiefly on cups and saucers, and after that
133 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Sevres and Dresden were used as models and success-
fully rivalled both in colour, form and execution. The
charming groups of figures which are the highest
exponents of Chelsea work were now produced in the
greatest perfection, the most eminent workmen in
these lines being employed to make them. FiG. 99
shows a dainty one of these, called the " Music
Lesson" and dated 1770. The perfection of this
group, one hundred and thirty-two years old, is quite
remarkable, since, as may be seen, the apple blossoms
which form the background are quite unbroken and
look fresh enough to smell. The shepherdess with
her lambs and the shepherd with dog and pipe are
just as gay and debonair as when they left the pot-
ter's hand so long ago. Not even a finger is missing
or the strap by which she holds her lamb. After
seeing such a group as this the term " as dainty as
Chelsea china " seems not to come amiss. The beauty
of the dresses should be noted and the careful model-
ling of all the parts. The most important figures
made by this factory are well known, and among
them are Britannia seated on a lion and holding a
medallion portrait of George II.
Shakespeare and Milton are a companion pair, and
on the former is the inscription :
" The cloud cap't towers and gorgeous palaces.
The solemn temples, the great globe itself.
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And like the baseless fabrick of a vision,
Leave not a wreck behind."
This figure of Shakespeare is modelled from the
monument in Westminster Abbey. This same figure
has been reproduced in porcelain or pottery by nearly
Fig. Q9. CHELSEA. THE MUSIC LESSON.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
. ; ;Fig*, lop". ^CROWN-DERBY. FALSTAFF.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 133
all the noted English potteries. There were also
figures of Falstaff, Minerva, Neptune, Diana, Fame,
Justice, etc. An exceedingly rare piece is a dove-cote,
richly decorated with raised flowers, and at the base
a pointer and partridges.
On the flat ware were painted the daintiest little
sprigs, dropped on as it seems, so realistic are they,
and attracting by their true colour and beauty, gay
insects, butterflies, bees and moths. The birds, also,
which formed little groups, were carefully modelled
and well painted. At the famous Strawberry Hill
sale of Horace Walpole's china, a pair of cups of the
famous claret colour brought twenty-five guineas. In
the British Museum are specimens of this ware, pre-
sented in 1763.
Derby,
With the travelling about of workmen from one pot-
tery to another yes — even their travelling from one
country to another — with set styles of workmanship
and decoration at their command, most of these early
unmarked pieces may often belong to one factory and
yet be classed with another. It seems a pity that so
beautiful a product as came from the Chelsea works
should have been so soon merged with another and
finally absorbed, and that the absorber, by overproduc-
tion of inferior goods, should decline and at last
cease production.
The Mr. Duesbury who bought the Chelsea works
in 1770 was one of the original firm who started the
works at Derby in 1756. Their chief china maker
134 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
was a Frenchman, named Planche, who had learned
the secret of china making in Saxony, where, on the
death of his father, a French refugee, he had lived.
Mr. Duesbury was the business manager of the firm
and built up a profitable business, selling many cases
of his china in London as early as 1763.
The finest work sent out, however, is generally cred-
ited as belonging to the Chelsea-Derby period, from
1770-1775. As was common at the time, the work from
the factories was disposed of at auction, but from
1773 there was a London warehouse where the porce-
lains were put on sale and a large business was
done. The example of Derby shown in FiG. 100 is
the famous little image of Falstaff, which was so
popular at this date. The mock heroic figure is most
amusing and shows the careful modelling which was
seen in nearly all the wares of this period. The colour-
ing is brilliant, and the marks are very clear, showing
the number of the pattern which was incised thus:
" No. 291." The period is made clear as Crown-Derby,
1785-1796, as the letter "D" is painted below a
crown, all in red. There is also the number "34,"
probably the decorator's number.
From 1785 till 1796, the date of Mr. Duesbury's
death, his son was associated with him, and both fa-
ther and son applied themselves to the improvement
of their designs and to the spreading of their popu-
larity among the nobility and those who could afford
to pay well for superior work. To this period belong
those services distinguished for the medallion decora-
tion of landscapes, and I'or many of the portrait pieces,
which were painted by a man named Kean, sometime
a partner in the firm. This is the Crown-Derby
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 13S
period, but the get-rich-quick-policy did not permit
the keepirig up of a high standard of merit, and the
works declined.
The porcelain of Derby was a beautiful shade of
pure white soft paste, and the decorations were in
great variety and good taste. Vases of a wide-mouthed
pattern were a favourite product of these works, decor-
ated with birds, flowers, landscapes and figures in
medallions, with a background of deep rich blue and
much gold decoration. They made a specialty also
of beautifully decorated porcelain thimbles. Their
best flower painter, named Billingsley, worked at this
factory twenty years and more, and he was only one
of many who were equally successful in painting
flowers, birds, or Oriental subjects and figures. Rib-
bed or fluted cups and saucers handsomely gilded
were made before the Chelsea works were finally
closed.
In the Crown-Derby period were made many beau-
tiful patterns, and the porcelain of the highest class
was always costly. Dr. Johnson, in 1777, complained
that the porcelain cost as much as silver, and to-day
one of the choice patterns is worth almost its weight
in gold.
The marks varied with the successive periods, the
first being a capital " D " or the word " Derby." Then
there were " Derby " surmounted by a crown, the word
" Derby" with an anchor on printed ware, and of the
last period, " Bloor-Derby " on an oval or round strap.
There is little difficulty in making out these marks,
for " D " or " Derby " is included in them all and be-
longs exclusively to these works. These works did not
exist for quite an entire century, and the whole time
136 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
may be covered by six periods, as follows : Duesbury,
1751-1769; Chelsea-Derby, 1 769-1 775 ; Bow-Chelsea-
Derby, 1775-1786; Crown-Derby, 1786-1796; Dues-
bury and Kean, 1 796-1 815 ; Bloor-Derby, 1815-1848J
Towards the end of 1700 white Derby china was sold
to be painted by amateurs, which explains the care-
lessly decorated pieces sometimes met with, and
which present such a problem to the collector.
Bristol,
Whether one turns to pottery or porcelain, that
made at Bristol seems especially desirable, but elusive.
Bristol was one of the centres where hard paste
porcelain was regularly made, and a book has been
written, called " Two Centuries of Ceramic Art in
Bristol," which covers both the pottery and porcelain
products. It was not until 1735 that flat ware, bowls,
etc., were made here, and the most interesting period
dates only from 1768-1778, when Champion made
hard paste porcelain.
Specimens of Bristol pottery are to be found as
early as 1703. Queen Charlotte had a pair of high-
heeled shoes or choppines, very dainty affairs with a
big buckle, made at this pottery and dated 1 705.
Just here it may not be amiss to say that about 1800
there was a pottery at Burton-upon-Trent, where the
only product made was the ordinary Staffordshire
ware, and the only designs used were boots, shoes and
slippers, and the celebrated Wellington boots. The
works potted only four years and belonged to a Dr.
Nadin. This Staffordshire foot-wear is occasionally
found, but is not so valuable or interesting as that
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 137
made at Bristol. Some of these Bristol shoes are
found dated as late as 1722. Of course this early
"delft "was blue and white, and there are blue and
white specimens, in flat ware chiefly, as late as 1760.
The later Bristol colours are generally a grayish blue,
with small quantities of green and yellow, and the
enamel is hard and durable, not chipping off as is usual
with pottery.
While Bristol was prominent early in the manufac-
ture of pottery, she was later than several other
cities in making porcelain. The first mention of it
was 1766, when it was made by Champion, who, in 1773,
bouglit Cookworthy's patent and works. Champion
made his goods from models from Dresden, following
in the wake of other English makers and copying
freely popular subjects. He also imitated Chinese
ware in colour and design, and in general such pieces
have no mark, or only the cross on them.
In 1778 the works at Bristol were closed, and the
patent right was sold, in 1781, by Champion to a com-
pany of Staffordshire potters who had works at New
Hall. Every piece of true Bristol ware, owing to the
short time the works were in operation, is rare and of
value. Everybody has heard of the Smith set, pre-
sented by Edmund Burke to his friends Mr. and Mrs.
Smith of Bristol, which is extolled as the "best the
manufactory could produce." Many extremely beau-
tiful vases were made, brilliantly painted, as well as
plaques of crests, flowers, wreaths, etc., in biscuit.
Figures were made also, some of the best known being
the " Four Seasons " and the " Four Elements" (also
made at Derby), and many shepherds, milkmaids and
other figures. See FiG. lOi.
138 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
The paste is not fine but is disfigured by fire-cracks
and warpings ; the glaze is marred by bubbles and
pin-holes. The frequent practice of baking paste and
glaze at one firing is, no doubt, responsible for these
defects. There was a inferior ware, called " Cottage
China," decorated with festoons and flowers and
sprigs scattered at random over it ; ribbons in bows
and knots are also sometimes found on this as well as
on the more expensive Bristol porcelain.
The marks on Bristol are various, but perhaps the
most characteristic one is the X-like cross, impressed
or painted in blue or brown and generally accom-
panied by a numeral, from l to 24, but never above
che latter figure. These figures referred to the work-
men, each of whom was known by a number. Occa-
sionally there is a dot with a cross and numeral, and
when Dresden patterns were used the Dresden crossed
swords were used as a mark, often with a dot between
the handles. In FiG. 102 is given a group of charac-
teristic Bristol pottery. The two mugs are unmarked ;
the pitcher is marked with a cross in brown ; the sugar-
bowl with the handles is marked with the cross and nu-
meral " 6," and the other sugar-bowl is Leeds, showing
how easily Leeds may be mistaken for Bristol, though
the colour of the glaze is different. The sugar-bowl
we call Leeds is marked with a " G" in brown. This
is one of the regular Leeds marks. This photograph
is taken from specimens in the Antiquarian Rooms at
Concord, Massachusetts.
It is only the rarity of these pieces which gives
them their value, as a comparison with the figurines in
Chelsea and Derby shows the greater excellence of the
latter two. Within a few months a Bristol porcelain
^^K ^^^1
V^ ^. > ^1
■ i ' "^^
^H_> ■'IIV
■r'^>:4 V4T^-4^^
Fig. tot. BRISTOL. FLORA.
Fig. IU2. BRISTOL POTTERV.
Figr. lo-,. LEEDS WARE.
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 139
tea-set, painted with flowers in their natural colours,
consisting of teapot, creamer, sugar-box and eight cups
and saucers, brought $210 in London, while the vases
decorated with "exotic birds" bring $1,500 and
over.
The city of Bristol to-day one can imagine to be
little changed from what it was when the factory for
china was in full operation. There is not a scrap of
the porcelain to be picked up anywhere and but a few
pieces shown in the Museum there, which is famous
for its portrait of Oliver Cromwell. There is in use
a two-wheeled cart, a sort of chariot affair which
seems a survival of Roman days, and the city is
quaintness exemplified ; but London, or even our own
country, seems better hunting ground for Bristol china
than its birthplace.
Leeds.
In 1760 the Leeds Old Pottery was founded by two
brothers named Green. Fifteen years later Humble
and Green made cream ware there, and in 1786 the
firm was Hartley and Green. At first " Leeds Ware "
meant the product from this pottery alone, but later
it has come to include the ware made in the County of
York, where Leeds is situated, and where there were
many potteries in operation late in 1700 and early in
1800. The best of this ware was that made at the Leeds
Old Pottery, but as the mass of this ware was quite
unmarked it is often difificult to distinguish between the
different factories.
Leeds ware, whether cream or white, has peculiari-
140 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
ties which, once known, make it easy to identify. In
the first place the paste is very light and frail, and, most
characteristic of all, the glaze is a most pronounced
green in shade, which colour shows plainly around
knobs and handles, under the rims of saucers and
plates, and in any place where the glaze is not thinly
spread. The decorations are in a variety of styles,
either under or over glaze painting, printed ware and
raised work, ranging from highly finished products to
crude and slovenly work on the ordinary pieces. The
best cream-coloured Leeds ware, without decoration in
colour, is both artistic and beautiful, and is worthy of
more attention than is given to it by collectors. There
are exceedingly fine candlesticks to be found occasion-
ally, and parts of dinner-sets (owing to the frail char-
acter of the ware these do not survive entire), the
tureens, pitchers and dishes having a certain kind of
twisted handle which is very pretty. I have heard
recently of two tureens in different parts of the country,
one of them coming in way of trade and both being
of similar size and decoration. They have the pretty
twisted handles and a sort of raised leaf decoration
about the body, as well as a graceful shape and a
cover with a large and fine knob.
There are basket-work dishes, plates and fruit bas-
kets (though I have seen this same style of pieces with
the impressed name, an anchor of Davenport, and also
from Herculaneum Pottery). These pieces are cut
out and modelled in the paste, not cast in a mould.
There is a fine fruit dish of this style in a very creamy
tint in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The usual
Leeds ware found here now, though quantities were
sent over, is the more ordinary white earthenware or of
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 141
a very pale cream tint. The bulk of it is decorated in
colours or with gold, and much of the decoration, on
the pitchers particularly, is quite crude. Lustre dec-
oration, copper, silver and a purplish pink are much
used in bands and little leaf patterns and, more rarely,
as a background with the cream ware showing as a pat-
tern. A group of these lustred decorations is shown
on the top row of FiG. 103 in the group of Leeds
ware, the pitcher on the left side of the lower row
being silver lustre with pattern left white — " resist " —
and the others copper and purplish pink decoration.
Pepper-pots are not unusual with uneven bands of
blue or green, and the swan-knob pieces are not alone
confined to Leeds ware, for I have seen them on
marked Bristol as well. The fluted teapots with swan-
knobs are less common, and I have been offered a fine
cup and saucer of fluted ware, decorated prettily in
colours, for one dollar, a modest price for a perfect
specimen. Very ornamental tea caddies, gaily decor-
ated, come in Leeds ware, and were, no doubt, made
for the fashionable tea gardens of the period, when each
table was furnished with its little tea caddy, and cus-
tomers were expected to make their own infusion.
The lustre ware of Leeds make, marked or unmistak-
able, is perhaps the rarest of all.
About 1800 black ware was made here, and up to
1813 between ninety and one hundred different patterns
of teapots in black ware were made at Leeds alone.
The shapes are veiy varied in form, size and style of
ornamentation. They were round, octagonal, oval or
twelve-sided, and I have seen one capable of holding
four quarts. The knobs were the familiar seated fig-
ure, lions, swan, a flower, etc. Enguie-turned mugs
142 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
and jugs were made at this pottery as early as 1782,
and much of this black ware is quite inferior, the
handles not being neatly joined, the covers not fitting.
While Wedgwood's designs were copied at this pot-
tery in cream ware, they are easily distinguished by
the green glaze. This tint was produced by the use
of arsenic, which crippled the workmen so that they
were not able to follow the trade for more than four or
five years. By far the larger quantity of the articles
was made for Russia and Germany.
The marks " C " or " G," or both letters together,
in brown, are the earliest marks. There will be found,
also : " Hartley and Green, Leeds Pottery," or " Leeds
Pottery " only. A collection of Leeds pottery is inter-
esting from the variety of shapes and decorations one
may find in it, and a cabinet or corner cupboard filled
with it is an ornament to any room. As yet it is not
difficult to find at moderate prices, and a quart pitcher,
with animals and leaves in lustre and colours, may
often be had for a couple of dollars.
Worcester*
There is no china that has had so much written
about it as Old Worcester. The objects for which
certain cities were famous seem to have run in threes.
Chelsea was noted for its china, buns and hospital ;
Derby for its stockings, cotton mills and china; and
Worcester for its gloves, china and sauce. It is only
at the last-named city that the manufacture of its
group of three things still keeps on, and to-day you
may buy modern china fresh from the factory, gloves
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 143
made from almost everything from elephant to mouse-
skin — to measure at that — and sauce, the odours of
whose manufacture float agreeably over the city.
Worcester was only in its infancy, so far as china
was concerned, when Derby, Chelsea and Bow had
already achieved name and fame. The Worcester
Porcelain Company was formed in 175 1 for the manu-
facture of china ware, and, of course, turned its atten-
tion first to blue and white, endeavoring to imitate
Chinese porcelain in both form and colour. Some-
what later it diverged into the briUiant pigments
of the Japanese, and then was led off to more elabo-
rate productions of its own. Who has not seen and
handled with delight the beautiful old Worcester,
in " Japan Taste "? Many tea-sets of this ware were
brought to this country in the fine old ships that took
out goods to England and brought back the luxuries
with which many a fine mansion was adorned.
The famous Worcester Old Works date from 175 1
to 1847, ^"<^ they passed through many hands. The
earliest Worcester china was made of a " frit " body
for the finer kinds of china, but an inferior paste was
formed for commoner ware. The frit paste may be
told by its density and by its green tint when seen
with transmitted light. It was formed of sand, gyp-
sum, soda, salt and nitre, melted together in a mass,
then broken and pulverized. A light shade of blue
was popular for decorations, as well as much more
ornate patterns, with landscapes, birds, insects and
flowers on them, with much gilding. Worcester was
famous for its blues— cobalt, turquoise and enamel
blue — and tea and dessert services of every description,
compotieres, pierced baskets, cider-mugs, punch-bowls,
144 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
jugs, butter-boats, pickle-dishes, etc., were some of the
articles made. Figures and groups were not made.
Transfer-printing was early in use, in 1/57, and Wor-
cester has always disputed with Liverpool in claiming
the invention of this branch of the trade. Richard
Holdship and Robert Hancock are two names con-
nected with the early history of Worcester, and much
controversy is rife as to which the monogram, " R. H.,"
so often found on Worcester porcelain, belongs. As
has been said, china painters and workmen went from
one factory to another, carrying their own styles of
work with them, and we have Worcester china " in
Chelsea style," as well as in their own. Some of the
most famous patterns in Worcester transfer-prints are:
George J I, with trophy and ship, by Holdship; Queen
Charlotte ; George HI when young, with Fame and
Britannia ; Marquis of Granby ; William Pitt ; Shake-
speare between Tragedy and Comedy ; milkmaids, and
other pastoral scenes, from copper-plates engraved by
Robert Hancock, these being very rare ; tea parties
and Chinese landscapes and figures, printed in red, and
signed " R. H. fecit " ; ruins ; fishing and haymaking
parties ; fortune tellers, and hunting scenes.
Printing from engraved plates was succeeded by
what is known as " bat-printing," which is described
thus: "The plate was stippled with a fine point by
London artists, after choice designs. The copper-
plate was then carefully cleaned ; a thin coating of
linseed oil was then laid upon it, and removed by the
palm of the hand from the surface, leaving the oil in
the engraved lines. Instead of paper, bats of glue
were used to take impressions from the plate, and laid
on the china so as to deliver the oil marks on to its
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. i45
surface. It was then dusted with the colour required,
the superfluous colour being removed with cotton
wool, and then placed in the kiln."
Worcester porcelain, undecorated, was sold to be
decorated by amateur or professional artists. The
marks during Wall's ownership were so many and
various it is impossible to enumerate them all. The
earliest was a script " W." Then there were crosses
and crescents, the Dresden swords, imitation Chinese
characters, anchors and lines.
The periods into which Worcester porcelain may be
divided are as follows: J. Wall, 1751-1783 ; Flight,
1783-1793; Flight and Barr, 1807-1813; Flight, Barr
and Barr, 181 3. In 1786 two brothers named Cham-
berlain, employees of the Old Works, started a rival
establishment, and, in 1840, under the title of Cham-
berlain & Co., the Old Works and their factory were
united. By 1847 the Old Works practically ceased,
and the New Works and the Royal Porcelain works
are the present successors.
In 1783 John Flight, who had been agent for the
Worcester works in London, bought the concern.
Though he and his sons put in energy and capital
and did a large business'so far as quantity was con-
cerned, the standard of work never rose to that artistic
height which made it famous under Wall's manage-
ment. In the first place the paste they used was in-
ferior and never attained the clearness and trans-
parency of Old Worcester, or, for that matter, of
Chamberlain's body either.
The patterns used by Flight were simple painted or
printed flowers, and one style, called " royal lily," was
a favourite with the nobility. Decorations in " Japan
146 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Taste," a relic of the Old Works, were also a product
of this time, as well as full armorial bearings on whole
services. From 1783 to 1840 the marks were the name
" Flight," or " B," or " B. F. B.," " F. B. B.," with or
without a crown. FiG. 104 shows a cup and saucer
daintily fluted, and painted in colours, and FiG. 105,
an equally charming plate. The pieces are marked
with the crescent in blue, which places them as ex-
tremely early specimens, for the crescent was used
shortly after 1751, when the factory was opened by
Dr. Wall.
The Chamberlain concern started in 1786 for decor-
ating only, and the white ware was furnished from
the Caughley works. The business increased, and, in
1796, a great impetus was given when the Prince of
Orange visited the works and ordered a dessert service.
From this time on dinner and dessert sets, elaborate
and costly, were produced for royalty and nobility.
Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton ordered, on their
visit in 1802, a breakfast-service, a dinner-service and a
pair of vases. One of the latter was to have a portrait
of Nelson supported by a figure of Fame, and the other
a likeness of Lady Hamilton. Nelson's death before
anything but the breakfast set was finished and the
countermanding of the rest of the order was a blow
to the Chamberlains. Specimens of this breakfast
service are occasionally met with. They are decor-
ated with a baron's as well as a duke's coronet and the
order of San Joseph in a panel, with an Oriental pat-
tern in colours and gold. The services made for the
Prince Regent in 181 1, in Japan style, and for the
Princess Charlotte, in old Sevres style, were their
most costly efforts.
Fig. 104, OLD WORCESTER CUP AND SAUCER.
Fig. 105. OLD WORCESTER PLATE,
r. 106. PLYMOUTH. HARLEQUIN.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. i47
The paste used by Chamberlain is very different
from that used by either Wall, or Flight and his suc-
cessors. It is lighter, more translucent, and made
from Wall's original recipe, but improved by the use
of better materials discovered since his time. It is
pure in colour, and the " Regent's Body " has a close-
ness of texture that leaves little to be desired. Most
of Chamberlain's products are plainly marked with
his name, and thus easily identified. The Grainger
Works, started in 1801, have been, after a century of
operation, absorbed by "The Royal Porcelain Works."
It is at these works that " Royal Worcester" is made.
Plymouth,
The originator of Plymouth porcelain, like the first
of European porcelain makers, Bottcher, was a chem-
ist's apprentice. The Plymouth maker was William
Cookworthy, who had learned his business in London,
and, as early as 1745, wrote to a friend concerning the
importation of kaolin and petunse, both necessary
ingredients of porcelain, from Virginia. Presumably
the difficulty of procuring these ingredients from so
great a distance caused Cookworthy to search for
them at home, and he was successful, for he discovered
at Cornwall both a white plastic clay and a species of
granite which gave the vitreous material required.
In 1768 Cookworthy took out a patent for the manu-
facture of " a kind of porcelain, newly invented by me,
composed of moorstone, or growan, and growan clay."
This was the first English porcelain made from native
ingredients. The earliest examples were, as with the
other works, blue and white ; but the blue was a dull,
148 THEOLDCHiNABOOK.
dark shade, which, under much experimenting by
Cookworthy gradually became clearer and better.
His knowledge of chemistry was of great assistance
to this potter, and he was the first to produce cobalt
blue directly from the ore. It is a pity that Cook-
worthy's experiments took so many years ; for when
success was at last obtained he was an old man, he
had spent a large sum of money pursuing his experi-
ments, and six years after the taking out of his patent,
that is in 1774, he sold it out to a relative, Richard
Champion of Bristol, already mentioned, and retired
from manufacture.
The white porcelain of Plymouth is one of its nota-
ble features. The paste is hard with a fine glaze
resembling polished ivory, except that the colour is
milky white instead of yellow. One of these choice
white figures is given in FiG. 106. It is of a harlequin
and shows admirable modelling and is full of spirit.
The quaint dress comes out well in the snowy paste,
and it bears the incised mark of a four. This was
really a chemical sign, but it resembles "4" more than
anything else.
Cookworthy had a great fancy for marine objects,
and shells, limpets and cockles were favourites with
him, arranged in tiers and groups. He also used coral
forms, exquisitely modelled from Nature ; all his
pieces are very beautiful and delicate, and, generally,
unmarked. The earliest pieces were salt-cellars,
pickle-cups and toilet pieces, and are hardly found
outside of collections. In white were also made fig-
ures, singly and in groups, birds and animals. Among
the best known figures were those of Europe and Asia.
The Plymouth tea and coffee pots are very hand-
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 149
some, many of them being tall in shape, with a pat-
tern modelled in the clay, with colour decoration
besides. On mugs, jugs, cups and saucers, and vases,
birds and flowers are found, exquisitely painted.
These were done by a Frenchman, named Soqui,
who came from the Sevres factory. A man named
Bone, a native of Plymouth, who had been trained by
Cookworthy himself, was the one who excelled in
blue and white decorations.
The marks on Plymouth are various, a sign, some-
what like the figure 4, and Cookworthy's name being
those most in use, Plymouth porcelain is seldom
met with in New York State by the china hunter; but
it is not so scarce in New England, and, I do not
doubt, much is hoarded away in the rich pantries of
Salem town, where collections are the rule not the ex-
ception.
Lowestoft.
What our great-grandmothers used for their best
" chaynie," was this very ornamental porcelain, which
may be found to-day all through New England, al-
though like all other wares, except Staffordshire, it is
not so common in the interior towns.
While luxury was not characteristic of the early
New England homes, yet there were those whose
household goods would have seemed rich and elegant
to-day, when pretty and tasteful china, glass and silver
come within the reach of so many. Mr. Elias H.
Derby, who died in 1805, was accounted one of New
England's wealthiest men. His estate was estimated
ISO THEOLDCHINABOOK.
at $200,000, and the inventory is long and interesting.
Among crowds of other household " stuff " are men-
tioned two complete sets of china, one valued at $230,
and the other at $371. Yet, with all this luxury of
china, he owned but eight silver spoons !
It was in the ships belonging to this same Elias H.
Derby that crates and rolls of china were brought to
Salem. From New Haven went many a staunch
vessel, bearing hoards from the friends and neighbours
of the captain, and coming home laden with china and
stuffs, drugs and rock candy, which were distributed
by means of florid advertisements in the papers, or by
the milliners or fancy goods merchants, who made little
ventures in other lines of business than their own. Af-
ter the Revolution the merchant marine of Salem in-
creased very fast, and they brought goods from every
land. In 1786 the "Grand Turk " was the first New
England ship to double the Cape for Canton. In 1805
Salem had forty-eight vessels that sailed around the
Cape ; so no wonder the " notable housekeepers " had
cupboards full of china.
Lowestoft, while still plentiful in many New Eng-
land towns, as well as in the South, showing what large
quantities of it came to this country, has the most
baffling history of any ware made within two centuries.
On the question of this porcelain all china collectors
may be said to be ranged in two camps : those who
believe that Lowestoft was Oriental porcelain, deco-
rated in England at the town of that name, and those
who believe that the decoration as well as the porcelain
was made in China.
To fully understand the differences of opinion it is
well to begin with the geographical position of the
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 151
town of Lowestoft. It is situated in Suffolk on the
east coast of England, ten miles south of Yarmouth.
Just opposite, across the North Sea, is Rotterdam, in
Holland, a great port of entry for Dutch merchantmen
trading from the East from as early as 1600. There
was a tax, to be sure, on undecorated ware brought
into England from China between the years 1775 and
1800, yet it can be seen how easily china could have
been shipped in from Rotterdam, there being no em-
bargo between England and that country.
If such large quantities of undecorated china were
carried to England it is strange that there is scarcely
a piece to be found unpainted. I know of but one
such piece in this country, a helmet creamer, which is
held in a private collection in Newark, N. J.
It is admitted on all sides that as early as 1756, and
until 1762, soft paste pottery was made at Lowestoft in
imitation of Delft ware, and decorated in blue and
white. Pieces dated and signed are held in and about
Lowestoft and in several museums in England. Mr.
Jewitt, who has unearthed what facts are known about
Lowestoft, says, " the collector will be able to distin-
guish immediately between those examples painted at
Lowestoft on Oriental body, and those which were
potted and painted there."
The porcelain which we call Lowestoft is of a fine
pearly tint, the usual colour of Chinese porcelain.
The decoration has certain characteristics which are
all soon learned, and then each collector must make
up his own mind as to the position he wishes to take
in regard to this much disputed question.
The styles of decoration were various, but the most
(amiliar are those with dark blue bands, or dots, or
IS2 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
other figures heavily overlaid with gold, usually with
coats of arms ; or decorations in one colour, showing
landscapes, figures, flowers and sprigs ; and, most
familiar of all, flowers and sprigs in natural colours,
with delicate borders in colour and gold.
The richest collection it has been my good fortune
to examine gathered under one roof is at the Anti-
quarian Society, in the historic town of Concord,
Massachusetts. Not only is the amount of porcelain
very large, but it is of the greatest variety, embracing
all the familiar patterns. The pieces are not under
glass, but advantageously placed in corner cupboards
and on tables and stands, so that the china hunter is at
liberty to study at his leisure, and even to handle, if
he bears in mind Emerson's injunction, " That the
best things in this world are generally a little cracked."
See Fig. 107.
The kindly custodian seems to know at a glance
the true lovers who may be trusted, and goes about
his business, leaving one to touch reverently, compare
pastes and patterns and bask in a china lovers' para-
dise.
To give some idea of how much of this china came
to America, it is asserted that all the scores of pieces
shown here were collected in the neighbourhood of
Concord. It must be remembered, however, that
Boston and Salem were ports of entry, and that the
early settled and nearby towns had opportunities for
purchasing china not granted to more remote places.
In Fig. 108 are shown some of the rose pattern
Lowestoft to be found at the Concord Antiquarian
Society. One notices the Oriental-looking teapot,
with its quaint and prim little English sprigs, the
CORXER CL'PIU
Antiquarian Soc
ARD OF LO\V?:sTOF-
ety. Concord.
Fig. io8. ROSE-SPRIGGED LOWESTOFT.
Fi^ loo BLUE- BANDED LOWESTOFT.
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 153
rough nut on top just touched with gold, and the
familiar twisted handle. The tall graceful jug is a
shape not shown before, and may have been used
either for flip or hot water, its use being regulated by
the temperance proclivities of its owner. This, too,
has the rose for decoration, larger bunches being
shown on the sides and little sprigs being scattered
about. There are also jugs of this same shape, with
covers, but much smaller, from five to six inches high,
evidently for hot milk, as they come with the tea-sets.
The cup and saucer are also adorned with the rose
pattern, and on the inside of the cup is a charming
design in several colours. The shapes of all these
pieces of pearly tinted Lowestoft are very Oriental in
character, the tea caddies, with the rough nut on top,
generally coloured or gilded, and the flat twisted han-
dles, have always been characteristic of Chinese porce-
lain. So were the tiny cups without handles, and the
little dog, which is often used for a knob on covers, is
Celestial in every line.
But when we approach the decoration it is a different
matter. Those pieces with a rose in the decoration are
thought to point conclusively to English decoration
for two reasons. The first is that one of the chief dec-
orators at Lowestoft was an Englishman named Rose,
who used this graceful method of signing his pieces,
and the second is that the arms of the borough were the
Tudor or full-blown rose. A rose like this is never
found on avowedly Chinese porcelain, and these flowers
all look as if painted at one place, possibly by one
hand.
They tell at Concord an amusing story about this
same Lowestoft. The original collector of all the
154 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
interesting and valuable relics gathered here had a
small stock of china lore. He began to gather what
was old long before many of us recognized its beauty.
In the early days of these Colonial Rooms — before the
founder's death — he used to show his collection himself.
A visitor one day, on looking at the china, remarked,
" I see you have some Lowestoft here." The old man
thought she called his china " low stuff," and promptly
ejected her for running down his collection. He re-
lated the incident, some days later, to a lady who lived
in Concord, and she upheld the delinquent and said
it was " very fine Lowestoft." He was convinced, but
against his will, and there is still to be seen a slip of
paper in his handwriting which says, " Mrs. says
this china is low stuff." He shuffled the responsibility
for its name off his own shoulders at any rate.
In Fig. 109 is shown a group of the blue and gold
decoration. As you see it standing on the quaint
fluted tea-table, so it may have stood a hundred years
ago, presided over by the mistress of the house in bro-
cade gown and embroidered kerchief. The straight-
nosed tea pot and the tea caddy with the little dog
atop have been seen before. The decoration this time
is different. A pair of birds, each with a twig in its
mouth, face each other, surrounded by a circle of rich
blue starred with gold, and outside that a delicate
wreath of gold. The teapot has a similar bird, but a
heavier blue circle and without the wreath, showing a
simple variation of a popular pattern which could
easily be made, free hand, in a factory where English
decorators were allowed freedom in executing their
designs, but highly impossible to an Oriental decora-
tor, who slavishly followed the pattern before iiim.
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 15s
The beautiful helmet jug, which shows, even in the
picture, the irregularity of its surface, and the teacup
and saucer belonged to the same set.
To judge of their unsurpassed elegance one should
hold them in the hand, note the splendid blue of the
border, overlaid with a pattern in gold, and then study
the almost classic form of the vase which forms their
decoration, its severity mitigated by the delicate sprays
of gold surrounding it. The blue border is broken by
small medallions, and the contrast of the blue and gold
with the pearly tint of the china is very satisfying to
the eye.
The other cup is of an unusual shape, has on it a
solitary bird surrounded by a wreath, and above it
a blue and gold border. The tea caddy stands in a
pretty tray, though usually they have parted company
years ago. To-day, in shops where they sell Oriental
china, you will find caddies of this identical shape,
even the little dog on top being cousin to the one on
the caddy shown. But, for decoration, blue and white
Chinese patterns only.
In the Metropolitan Museum of Art there is a col-
lection of over thirty pieces of Lowestoft, with the
blue and gold decoration. It is placed in cases with
specimens of other old English china, and is conspicu-
ously labelled Lowestoft many times, showing that the
authorities here do not regard it as Oriental. There is
the well-known blue border starred with gold, not so
rich a pattern as on the cup and saucer and creamer in
Fig. 109 but still very handsome. There is a shield
with entwined initials in gold, and on some of the
pieces the two characteristic birds.
The early history, the entire history of china manu-
156 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
facture at Lowestoft, whether hard or soft paste, is
very indefinite. The original proprietor of the works
was a Mr. Hewlin Luson. Mr. Robert Browne, who
bought the works from him, died in 1771, and was
succeeded by his son, also Robert Browne, who made
great improvements in the body. In fact the china
made was so satisfactory that, in 1770, the year before
the elder Browne died, they put their china on sale in
London, as the following advertisement duly sets
forth :
" Clark Durnford,
Lowestoft China Warehouse.
No. 4 Great St. Thomas the Apostle,
Queen St., Cheapside, London,
Where merchants and shopkeepers may be supplied
with any quantity of said ware at the usual prices.
N. B. Allowance of twenty per cent for ready money."
There is also in existence the original account madt
by a man sent out by Wedgwood to buy pieces of all
well-known wares. This was so that the enterprising
Wedgwood might learn of all improvements in paste
made by his contemporaries, for the benefit of his own
wares. Among other articles of china purchased may
be found the following: " May 12, 1775, One Leastoff
slop basin." Mention is made in the same account of
pieces of Bristol and Chelsea wares, showing that
Lowestoft was thought of enough importance to chal-
lenge the notice of Wedgwood, the foremost potter of
his day.
In Fig. no are found three pieces of Lowestoft soft
paste porcelain, with a thick glaze and characteristic
rose. The tint of the body is creamy, not the pearly
tint of the other hard paste porcelains. They were
Fig. no. CERTIFIED LOWESTOFT.
Boston Museum of Fine .'\rts.
Fig. III. SPODE.
Fig. 112. MASON'S STONE.
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 157
given to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts by a col-
lector of china living in the Isle of Wight. They are
labelled " Lowestoft, certified to have been made in
England." One of the most unfortunate things about
Lowestoft is that it is all entirely unmarked. Only
the early blue and white specimens bear any mark
whatever.
The pieces shown in FiG. no are less delicate than
those of the hard paste porcelain. The bands around
the saucer are red with yellow dots, and the flowers
are in their natural colours. The creamer does not
belong to the same set, but the lattice work decora-
tion in deep rose is sometimes seen on the hard porce-
lain and is not in the least an Eastern pattern, and
the shape of the jug is not familiar in the hard paste
pieces. I have seen, in the hard porcelain, the tray to
a very beautiful fruit basket. It has a rich heraldic
device in the centre, enclosed by festoons of flowers,
while the rim is in pierced work, each square being
decorated by a few dots of enamel. There are the re-
mains of the whole of this set, which was a dinner-
service, and even the salt cellars are richly decorated
both inside and out.
The end of the manufacture, or, at least, decoration
of this china, is quite as mysterious as the rest of its
history. It ceased between 1803 and 1804, "owing, it
is said, partly to the severe competition of the Staf-
fordshire potters, partly to trade losses, one of which
was the seizure by Napoleon, in Holland, of several
thousand pounds' worth of their merchandise in that
country." There are no traces of a factory left, and
no fragments of china have ever been dug up.
»58 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Spode,
In general china ware takes the name of the place
where it is made. In this case it takes the name of the
maker, Josiah Spode, who established a factory at
Stoke-upon-Trent as early as 1770. He had all the
training necessary to make a good potter, for he was
apprenticed to Thomas Whieldon, who made, among
many other ceramic products, the beautiful tortoise^
shell ware. Spode was nearly forty years old when he
started out on his own account, and he was succeeded
by his son who commenced the manufacture of porce-
lain in addition to pottery about 1800. William Cope-
land became a partner of Spode in 1779, and the
business is carried to the present day by descendants
of the original Copeland.
The first products of the factory were pottery, then
porcelain, and finally a superior kind of ironstone
china, which was almost porcelain, so superior was it.
This was invented by the younger Spode in 1805.
The body ot the porcelain was soft and white and the
glaze fine. A great improvement was made in the
body of the paste when bones were introduced, and
many ot the shapes of the articles are very beautiful.
The dinner and tea services of porcelain, which are not
uncommon in this country, are among the finest sets
ever sent over here, and even the ironstone has a
certain elegance ^bout it.
The first Spode died in 1797, and his son carried on
the business until 1827, when he died. There are
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 159
given the names of some of the patterns which made
the Spodes famous, with the date of manufacture -.
Castle, 1806. Tower, 18 14.
Roman, 1811. Peacock and New Temple, 1814.
Turk, 18 13. New Nankin, 1815.
Milkmaid, 1814. Italian, 1816.
New Japan, 181 5. Woodman, 1816.
India, 181 5. Oriental, 1820.
Dagger border, 1 8 14.
The Blue Imperial was introduced in 1826, one year
before the younger Spode died.
While any of this china and semi-china is good to
own, particularly if it be an heirloom, the Spode which
is really worth a place in a collection is that made by
Spode the elder, which would bring it prior to 1797.
All Spode the elder's work is marked, and his pot-
tery, decorated in gold and colours, commands and is
worth a high price. His black, and jasper wares in
any colour, marked, are rare. From 1784 to 1789 the
mark was simply Spode, in printed letters, impressed.
From 1800 to 1827 the mark consisted of the name
Spode in printed letters, impressed, and usually in
addition, the name of the pattern in blue, purple or
red. On the stoneware the mark was " Spode, Feldspar
Porcelain " or " Spode, Stone China." After this date,
if the name Spode was used, it appeared as " Late
Spode." While there are large quantities of this
china all over the country, it is one of the least familiar
to those who are not collectors. Not long since I had
a letter asking what a " Spode cup " was. The writer
had been reading one of the popular Colonial novels,
and the heroine was depicted as drinking tea from a
i6o THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Spode cup, and the query arose as to what sort of
material it was.
There are three other porcelain manufactories which
should be briefly mentioned in any category of Eng-
lish wares. They are " Swansea," Nantgarw and
Caughley.
Swansea.
As early as 1750 a pottery was established at Swan-
sea where ordinary wares were manufactured.
George Haynes was the original owner, and about
1800 he perfected a paste which he called "opaque
china." He made it for a little more than two years
only, and then, in 1802, sold the works to Lewis
Dilwyn, and the articles sent out during his holding
of the works were very beautiful. A painter named
Young decorated the china with exquisite birds, but-
terflies and flowers. All this choice work was put
upon the opaque china, for real translucent porcelain
was not made till 18 14 by Dilwyn. Four years only
was this choice product made — the best English porce-
lain made up to that date. It is very scarce now
and very highly prized. The body was soft paste,
beautiful in colour and glaze and exquisitely decor-
ated with flowers, birds, etc.
The marks are very plain, " Swansea," impressed or
stencilled in red, with occasionally a trident in red.
The history of Swansea, like that of so many other
pottery works, closed with its absorption by another
factory. In 1820 the works were bought by John
Rose, of Coalport, and incorporated with his factory
at that place.
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY, i6i
Nantgc
As with Swansea so with Nantgarw. This little
town, as one may learn from its name, was in Wales,
and from 1813 to 1820 the factory made porcelain
objects in a variety of lovely shapes — vases, plaques,
and dinner, tea and tete-a-tete services. They made
exquisite tinted grounds in many colours, and in
addition these were painted with flowers, birds and
insects in their natural colours. A very favourite
decoration was a sweetbriar rose, and a border of tre-
foil or clover leaves was very characteristic.
This factory was started by William Billingsley,
the flower painter. The career of this man is worthy
of note as showing why the decorations of different
factories so closely resemble each other. He first
appears at Derby as an apprentice, in 1774, and there
he stayed and worked for twenty years. In 1794 he
went to Pinxton in Derbyshire, where, with John
Coke, he established a small porcelain factory, in which
Billingsley managed the making of the paste, which
was a good soft paste porcelain, with, generally, a
decoration in blue and gold, known as the Chantilly
sprig.
He is next heard of at Mansfield, where he was
painting porcelain on his own account, then a little
later at Torksea, also painting. During 1808, on
account of some trouble, probably the divulging of
trade secrets, he went into hiding, but was soon heard
of at Worcester Works, where he remained decorating
porcelain till 1813. At this date, with his son-in-law,
a man named Walker, he opened the works at Nant-
garw, and managed the works at Swansea, until, in
i62 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
1820, both these works were bought by Mr. Rose
and transferred to Coalport, whither Billingsley went
also. Here he seems to have lived and worked until
his death in 1828, at the age of seventy. His handi-
work can be seen on porcelain from Derby, Worcester,
Swansea, Nantgarw and Coalport, and when he had
the opportunity he placed his mark, a " B," on the
pieces he decorated. Most proprietors, however, did
not allow this, preferring their wares to go out with
the factory mark only.
The pieces of this porcelain which are extant, when
not tinted, show a beautiful white ground. The mark
is *' Nantgarw," printed, or impressed.
Caughley.
The original pottery at Caughley, Shropshire, was es-
tablished as early as 175 1, but the works in which most
interest is felt were built in 1772, by Thomas Turner,
at which were made the Caughley or Salopian wares,
many of which were sent to this country. His pot-
tery and porcelain were of the best quality, for it was
Turner's policy to employ the best artisans. In 1780
he introduced the willow pattern, which was designed
by one of his decorators named Minton, from Oriental
models. Turner is said to have made the first com-
plete dinner service of printed ware in England.
The first Caughley ware, like the early output from
most of the other works, was blue and white. Force-
lain was made there and sold in an undecorated
state to other works. In 1788, when Robert Chamber-
lain started his works at Worcester, he bought his
ENGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 163
china at Caughley, and had it sent by barge down the
Severn to Worcester. This was also done at Grainger's
works at Worcester.
Printing on porcelain is one of the fields in which
Caughley did a large and successful business. Even
before this, as early as 1757, both Caughley and Wor-
cester made printed pottery, and Robert Hancock,
who has been spoken of in connection with the Wor-
cester works, engraved for Caughley as well, for his
name, signed in full, appears on some of their
patterns.
Coalport bought up Caughley about 1799, and ran
both factories until 1814. Swansea, Nantgarw and
Jackfield were bought in 1820, six years after Caughley
works had been closed. All the materials and moulds
were moved to Coalport, and in 182I the Caughley
works were pulled down, largely on account of the
lack of coal in that region. At Coalport many marks
were used which had hitherto belonged to separate
factories, so there is great confusion.
About 1800 some pieces were marked simply Coal-
port. Besides the confusion incident to so many
factories being purchased and run by one man, good
counterfeits of Dresden, Chelsea, Sevres and other
w^ares were made, in which the marks also were
counterfeited. The French grounds were used, and
the Sevres rose was a favourite pattern they copied.
These copies are called counterfeits because they were
made with the avowed purpose of deceiving would-be
purchasers. A fine object reproduced, with marks show-
ing when and where made, is quite legitimate; but
where wares are copied, marks and all, and sold as
genuine, then fraud is attempted and that article
i64 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
is a counterfeit. There is one country where this
rule does not prevail, and that is Japan. They feel
very differently with regard to the matter there, and
think a successful reproduction of a master's work,
marks and all, but a tribute to that master's ex-
cellence. It is therefore not permissible to deface it
by the mark of the copyist, who merges his identity
in the work of the original artist. This is freely
admitted by workers in Japan, and the code holds
good in many branches of art.
There is one potter whose claim to recognition rests
on the excellence of his work in that comparatively
humble branch of ceramic art, stone china.
Mason s Ironstone China,
At Lane Delph, in Staffordshire, was established, in
1797, a pottery by Miles Mason, whose name may be
found on specimens of early wares. It was his son,
Charles James Mason, who perfected and patented in
181 3 the ironstone china, which became so well known
and popular in this country. The paste was made by
mixing with the clay pulverized slag or the scoria of
ironstones. They also made soft paste porcelain in
small quantities, and did a large and flourishing busi-
ness. In their ironstone they made vases and pitchers
with relief ornaments decorated in colours. They
were quite celebrated for a rich shade in blue, com-
bined with red and a small amount of other colours,
which gave a very rich colouring. See FiG. 1 12. They
mingled printing and painting in a very effective man-
ner, and the designs were Chinese, with landscapes
FNGLISH PORCELAIN AND POTTERY. 165
and figures, or conventional patterns touched up with
gold. One of their famous patterns was called " Ban-
dana."
An early mark was the name " Miles Mason " in full.
Later it was simply " M. Mason," and, from i8i3to
1 85 1, when the business passed out of Mason's hands, it
was marked " Mason's Ironstone China." See FiG 1 13.
•• A Collector's Dream."
" A Dresden shepherdess was, one day.
Milking a small Delft cow,
When a Sevres marquis came along —
I saw him smile and bow;
' O lovely shepherdess, hear my song'
I think I heard him say,
' For thou hast captured my porcelain heart.
And by my sword I swear thou art,
A star in the milky wayl "
G. S. Hellman.
CHAPTER VIII.
BASALTES, LUSTRES, WHITE WARE, ETC.
For a collector with an eye to the beautiful, who
is looking about for something odd, rather difficult to
obtain but always satisfactory, I should recommend
the acquisition of a few choice specimens of black
ware or basaltes. There is one point in particular
which makes this ware valuable for the novice : it has
never been reproduced, and when you find a piece you
can be quite sure you have an antique. It is a fact,
to be sure, that by far the greater number of speci-
mens are unmarked, and that cotemporary potters
used one another's models and copied patterns freely.
You can learn quite easily to distinguish good work
from bad, and the fineness of finish, and delicacy of
cutting show for themselves.
Basaltes was one of the earliest products of the Eng-
lish potter's art — indeed its manufacture goes back to
Roman days, when it was one of their specialties, and
during the Middle Ages there was much black ware
used both in utensils and for tiling. The Elers were
among the first of the Staffordshire potters who
turned their attention to improving this ware. They
were said to use red clay and ironstone only. Wedg-
wood's ware was more complicated and vastly superior,
and his Egyptian black, ultimately called basaltes,
was made from native clay, ground ironstone, ochre
and oxide of manganese. The ochre was obtained
BASALTES, LUSTRES, WHITE WARE. 167
from the deposit of oxide of iron found in coal
mines.
Wedgwood calls his basaltes a porcelain, equal in
hardness to agate or porphyry and resisting the
attacks of an acid. No potter ever quite succeeded in
rivalling Wedgwood in the manufacture of this body,
but Palmer & Neale and Adams produced beautiful
ware.
This basaltes comes in two shades, so to speak : dull
and slightly shining. The fine polish was usually ob-
tained by use of the lathe, though some potters used
a varnish which was burned in at a red heat. The dead
black pieces belong to a later period than the shining
ones, and were more admired, Sir William Hamilton,
Lord Warwick and other connoisseurs of that time
giving their verdict in favour of the dull ware. Busts,
medallions, vases and the choicest service pieces were
unpolished, as was the body of those vases which were
decorated in colours.
From 1770 on this ware gained great favour, and
the demand was fairly larger than could be easily sup-
plied. The skilled workmen were given vases, statu-
ettes, busts, medallions and intaglios to model, while
the less skillful turned out tea-sets, lamps, tripods and
jugs in endless variety. They struggled to take ad-
vantage of a rising market, in a manner not very
different from that of the tradesmen of a hundred
years later. The figure pieces are extremely rare in
this country, but sometimes they were from twenty to
twenty-five inches high. Smaller groups were mod-
elled by special artists and designed with great care, as
were the vases, which were of elegance and beauty.
A vase is not often found out of a museum in this
i68 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
country, but I have seen a variety of teapots, cream-
ers, sugar-bowls and medallions, all found in the mid-
dle and southern states, some of which are illustrated
here. By far the larger part are unmarked, but I
know one small round teapot, marked " Birch," which
has its duplicate in the British Museum. Potters had
a curious fashion for marking the teapot only with
their name ; so that when the pieces were scattered, as
followed in due time, the creamers, sugar-boxes and
bowls were nameless. Of the Staffordshire ware it
was generally the sugar-boxes which were marked, a
curious vagary, surely, to mark one kind of ware one
way, and a second ware another way.
This teapot marked " Birch " was found in London
and bought for a very small sum by one of the brother-
hood, who was rummaging through a junk shop for
" finds," after the fashion of his kind.
Fig. 114 shows an interesting group. None of the
pieces is marked, but the middle pitcher was made by
Elijah Mayer, or E. Mayer and Sons, who were pot-
ters at Hanley from 1770 to 1830. On the side we
show is a portrait medallion of George, Prince of
Wales, when he was made Prince Regent in 181 1.
He succeeded to the throne of England, as George IV,
in 1820. The Prince's feather encircles the medal-
lion, and above it is a very handsome lace pattern,
while the handle is decorated with a beading. An
equally fine portrait of the Duke of York is on the
other side. The Elijah Mayer works made a great
deal of this black ware, which was notable for the
events it celebrated. The marked pieces all have a
high value.
Recently I saw a sugar-bowl of this basaltes, made
Fig. 113. HERCULAXEUM PORCELAIN. Second period.
Fig. 1.4. BLACK BASALTES.
Fig. 115. NELSON TEAPOT. Black basaltes.
F.g. ii6. QUEEN ANNE TEA-SET. Silver lustre.
BASALTES, LUSTRES, WHITE WARE. 169
by Mayer and having on one side a bust of Wellington
being crowned by Britannia, with Fame blowing a
trumpet. On the other side is the inscription : " India,
Portugal, Spain, Vittoria,2ist June, 1813." This bowl,
in perfect condition, with cover and handles, sold for
forty dollars.
The teapot and other creamer in FiG. 1 14 are notice-
able for the excellence of their decoration and the
beauty of their shape. They both— but the creamer in
particular — tend to that ovoid form which Wedgwood
declared was the most beautiful for this style of ob-
jects and for vases. The groups of figures are elegant,
and the photograph does not do justice to the cutting.
The side shown has a classic group, vestal virgins at
an altar preparing to sacrifice a lamb. On the reverse
side are maidens representing History and Fame
crowning the bust of Cicero with a laurel wreath. On
the base of the teapot is basket work ; on the creamer
an incised leaf-like pattern. The knob of the teapot
has the seated veiled figure used by so many potters,
but always agreeable.
The best class of this black basaltes was made by
applying the figures which were cast in moulds after
the body of the piece was formed. Then they were
fired and the outlines of the figures sharpened, all the
rough edges cut off, and every detail carefully at-
tended to. Of such workmanship were all the best
pieces, and the pieces shown in FiG. 114 come under
this head. The other method was to pour the basaltes
in the form of "slip" into a mould, and let it set.
These pieces are thinner than those made the other
way, less artistic and less regular in shape. Such a
piece is shown in FiG. 115, yet it is intrinsically more
170 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
valuable than the others. It is one of Mayer's pieces^
celebrating Nelson's victories. The center medallion
is a shell, and in the shell are three figures, one plac-
ing on a tomb a wreath marked " Nelson." On the
tomb is the word " Trafalgar." On the other side, in
a similar shell-shaped medallion, is the palace of St.
James, and in the distance the Pyramids, showing the
hero's progress and commemorating his prowess. Nel-
son died in 1805, so this piece was made after that
date, probably while the glorious victories were still in
everybody's mind. These historic black basaltes are
very rare, and always difificult to find. Only three
such pieces have come under my notice.
Tablets of basaltes, with exquisite designs, were set
in furniture, or inserted in chimney pieces. The first
produced were found to be too small to be effective
for use in this latter manner, but after much experi-
menting they were made as long as twenty-three by
nine and one-half inches. The early ones were in very
high relief, but as skill increased the relief was low-
ered, still maintaining the artistic elegance and deli-
cacy for which they were so noted.
Many small pieces for toilet articles, pots for oint-
ments, articles for writing tables and cabinet speci-
mens were made, and it is matter of record that some
of these were despatched to America. From the stout
nature of the ware they ought still to be in existence,
if one only knew where.
Names of some of the potters who made basaltes
before 1800 and after are :
E. Mayer & Son, Palmer & Neale, Thomas Wheil-
don, Lakin & Poole, Eastwood, John Turner, E, J.
Birch, Joseph Twyford, Charles Green, H. Palmer,
BASALTES, LUSTRES, WHITE WARE. 171
of Hanley, Josiah Spode, David Dunderdale of Castle-
ford.
Lustre Wares*
The term lustre, as collectors in this country gener-
ally apply it, refers to metallic-looking wares of Eng-
lish manufacture. Scarce as genuine pieces of this
pottery are becoming, and fine as much of it undoubt-
edly is, it holds no more comparison to the old Italian
and Spanish lustre wares than a tallow dip does to the
moon.
To the Saracens were the Italians indebted for the
freedom and luxury of the styles they copied, for the
use of colour without stint and for the beauty of the
lustre which they copied from the Eastern artists.
The most famous lustres emanating from Italy come
from the city of Gubbio. The master artist there was
Georgio Andreoli, and his fame rests on his ruby
lustre, brilliant and gleaming like a polished gem and
shading from ruby to claret ; on the silver, with the
effects of moonlight on water; on the gold and golden
shades and on the green, rarest and most jewel-like of
all. Georgio's signed works date from iSiQto IS37.
but he is supposed to have died in 1552.
From 1560 to 1570 the art of making lustre declined,
and disappeared. It has been sought in modern
times, with what success we all know.
The Hispano-Moresque pottery antedates that of
Gubbio, the beginning of this lustre ware being about
1320. Gold or copper with a paler yellow lustre
decorates the earlier specimens, while the deeper cop-
per lustres are assigned to the latter part of the four-
172 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
teenth century and from that time on until the begin-
ning of the seventeenth century. These ancient
lustred pieces were ornamented, not covered, with the
lustre as are the specimens of more modern times.
The characteristics of Hispano-Moresque are not
only the metallic lustre with which it is overlaid, but
the beauty of form of the objects, which has acquired
for them the name of " gilded works." This pottery was
sent to every quarter of the globe, and these lustres
had a large share in furnishing models for the dawning
industries of many lands. Barcelona and Valencia, as
early as 1546, were rivals in the manufacture of faience,
and the modern lustre ware of Barcelona in ruby tints
is very beautiful and decorative. Even now, occasion-
ally, pieces of this old ruby lustre come into the
market, after years of seclusion in collectors' cabinets,
and every bit is of almost priceless value. A dish sold
in London in June, 1902, for seventy-nine pounds six-
teen shillings, about four hundred dollars. In addition
to its beauty this dish was further noteworthy for hav-
ing been mentioned in Macaulay's " History of Eng-
land " as figuring at the dinner given to Lord Faver-
sham by the Bridges of Weston Zoyland, Bridgewater,
previous to Monmouth's defeat. It has always
remained in the family until the present sale.
Among the modern lustre the silver-tinted comes
first in point of rarity, though the rose-spotted Sun-
derland lustre, shown in FiG. 96, is a close second and
brings perhaps a larger price. There is a Sunderland
pitcher on sale, like the larger one in the picture, which
is valued at one hundred dollars. It is absolutely per-
fect and has the original owner's name painted on the
front.
BASALTES, LUSTRES, WHITE WARE. 173
Even in England, silver lustre, once so largely
manufactured, is now exceedingly scarce. It has been
superseded by a cheaper process giving more durable
results. Dealers and collectors hunt for choice speci-
mens in vain, while the prices paid for good pieces are
such that the original makers would be astounded.
See Fig. 116.
The body of this pottery is earthenware, either
brown or white, and is covered with a solution of plat-
inum. This mineral was discovered in 1741 and was
used by the Staffordshire potters and still more largely
at the pot-works at Preston Pans. Silver lustre
originally was but a cheap and glittering imitation of
silver, and the very early specimens were lustred
inside as well as out, to carry the deception to its
extreme limit. I have never seen any specimens so
treated except mugs and bowls and the tea-set shown.
After the ware became more common and nobody
was longer deceived, the potters confined its use to
the exterior of vessels and used it in decorations, in
patterns and bands, and occasionally in combination
with gold lustre.
The largest private collection of old silver lustre of
English make, which I know, is held in England, and
numbers one-hundred and thirty-eight specimens.
The nearest approach to figures made may be seen
in Fig. 133, Neptune modelled as a candlestick by
Wedgwood. Plain straight candlesticks, like the
shapes in brass, pewter and silver, are run across
occasionally and were no doubt cast in old silver
moulds, as they followed the sterling patterns exactly.
There are also found tea-pots and coffee-pots, hot-
water-jugs, cream-jugs and cider-jugs, sugar-boxes,
174 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
bowls, egg-cups, mugs, two-handled cups, mustard
pots, kettles and salt-cellars as well as vases and can-
dlesticks. Some of the jugs are very handsome in
shape and large enough to hold three pints. The
fluted or ribbed tea-sets in Queen Anne's style are
eagerly sought at large prices.
In 1838 electro plating was invented, and from this
time on the manufacture of silver lustre decreased and
finally ceased between 1850 and i860. In FiG. 116
is given one of the fluted Queen Anne sets already
mentioned. It is perfect, and the extra teapot be-
longed to a similar set of slightly different pattern.
It stands in one of the trays fashionable at that period
and belongs to the collection in the Concord Anti-
quarian Society.
Fig. 117 shows what must have been the last uses
to which silver lustre was put, for a china merchant
who has been long in the business tells me he sold
similar pieces about i860 and worked them off as
best he could, for they were " old stock." The cake
basket in the centre is very ornamental. It is nine
inches high and eleven inches across the top. The body
of the ware is grey pottery, and the lines on the base,
the leaves and the stem which wreathe the top are
of the lustre, and the pendent bunches of grapes are
covered with brown enamel. Exactly such a piece is
the choicest ornament of the English collection already
mentioned, and no doubt there are many tucked away
in cupboards here, which the owners would bring out
did they know how highly such pieces were esteemed.
The vases are of the same grey body, the ornamenta-
tion being in the lustre, and on each side is a charming
dancing figure modelled in low relief. These three
Fii: MT. SII.VKR irslKE( \KI' H \sKET AND VASKS.
Fig. ii8. GROUP OF LUSTRE JUGS.
FiK. II... LUSTRE MUG AND GOBLETS.
Fig. I20. GROUP OK LUSTRE JUGS.
BASALTES, LUSTRES, WHITE WARE. 175
pieces are absolutely perfect and were rescued not
long since from a hamlet many miles from the railroad,
but where enough china lore had penetrated to make
the owner know she had a " good thing " and demand
a stiff price. The handsomest piece of silver lustre
which ever came under my notice is the large jug
shown in FiG. 118. It will hold a couple of quarts, is
absolutely perfect, and after a more or less eventful
career is passing an honoured old age in the posses-
sion of a descendant of its original owner. He speaks
with great reverence of " Great Aunt Thankful's jug,"
and relates with unction how he finally became
possessed of it, arriving at the vendue where a less
reverent relative had put it up at auction, just too late
to bid it in, but at last got it away from its purchaser
upon the payment of ten dollars. It is beautiful in
everyway; the shape is nice, somewhat fluted, and the
lustre is flawless, rather unusual in so large a piece.
When so much lustre was made and despatched to us
it seems strange how it has disappeared in a compara-
tively short time. Most potters made lustre ware, and
if one had a list of those who at one time or another
put it on the market it would embrace almost every
well-known English potter's name.
While the silver lustre was originally made as a
sham, the sturdy copper and gold lustre stood on its
own feet from the first. It is claimed by the sup-
porters of Wedgwood that he first made the copper
and gold lustred wares in 1776, from a receipt given
him by Doctor Fothergill. The first idea was to ap-
ply it only to frames, but it proved so unexpectedly or-
namental that numberless beautiful articles were made.
The gold lustre was exceptionally fine, and honey
176 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
cups of simple but beautiful form became very popu-
lar. The lustre jugs come in every size, from the tiny
ones holding but a couple of spoonfuls — mere toys —
to the great ones, for tavern use, holding a gallon or
more. Those shown in the photograph with Great
Aunt Thankful's jug, are all of a deep copper shade
and were gathered from many different places, yet are
presumably of the same period; as the shapes of the
handles of all, save the smallest, are alike. None are
marked ; little of this ware is. They all have different
styles of decoration, and the choicest is the one with
the white star-like flower and the line of bead work on
the handle. They are all on dark pottery body, as is
common, but the oldest one I ever came across was a
child's toy of a deep cream-coloured pottery, with
lovely, rose lustred bands encircling the body. It be-
longed to an old lady, over eighty years of age, who
had taken it with her in all her various movings. It
was one of the few toys she had as a little girl in a
remote Vermont village, and was brought to this
country from England some years before she was
born. It has suffered somewhat but is carefully
mended and presents an unscarred front to the world.
The largest of these lustre pitchers were set down
in manufacterers' pattern books and in old inventor-
ies as cider-pitchers, and goblets came with them
similar in pattern to the pitchers. In FiG. 119 is
shown such a pair of goblets and a mug, the exact
counterpart of which, in colour, size and decoration, is
at Mount Vernon and is said to be the one Washing-
ton used daily for shaving. While numbers of these
" cyder jugs " were in use in private families, the
largest ones were used at the taverns, which occupied
BASALTES, LUSTRES, WHITE WARE. 177
a prominence in rural life that is quite done away with
to-day. Besides the transient guest, the single men of
the town took their meals at them, and certain locali-
ties were famous for certain mixtures which were gen-
erally compounded in these great jugs. At the
taverns where the stage coaches stopped there would
be dozens of these pitchers in use, and " calibogus,"
" mimbo," " spiced ale " and " flip " were some of the
savoury condiments served in them.
Flip, especially dear to Yankees' stomachs, was used
all over the country and was mixed in many ways,
but a favourite recipe ran as follows: " Mix together
a pint of cream, four eggs and four pounds of sugar.
This is to be kept on hand. To every quart of bitter
beer add four great spoonsful of the sugar and cream
compound and thrust in the red hot loggerhead."
This imparted the burnt taste so highly esteemed.
This recipe made a very temperate variety of the
drink. The usual receipt called for a gill of rum.
•' Metheglin " was made from the honey of the wild
bee, but this was a summer beverage. Rum, or " Kill-
devil " as it was known at the time, was the almost
universal drink. One old New Englander, however,
wrote from Philadelphia : " Whiskey is used here in-
stead of rum but I can not see but it is just as good."
Indeed, so potent were the drinks served in some of
these innocent looking jugs, that a statute was passed
in Massachusetts which forbade the selling of rum to
drunkards, and an official was on duty at the tavern to
determine when a man was drunk enough. It causes
a smile to read, that, in early colonial days, the sale of
strong water was forbidden to the Indians, but a later
generation decided " that it was not fitting to deprive
178 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
the Indians of any lawful comfort " and repealed the
statute.
Mulled cider was thought a not unhealthful drink
for children, and many men commenced the day by
drinking a quart of hard cider before breakfast, a sort
of eye-opener, as it were. It must have been an unusu-
ally temperate man who boasted, ** a sup of New
England's air is better than a whole draught of old
England's ale." Many people are collecting lustre
jugs, some fortunate ones with china luck getting
hold of thirty or forty pieces. The price is constantly
rising. A good jug five or six inches high is easily
worth five dollars, while a really fine one, with raised
flowers coloured from nature, is worth several dollars
more.
A fair enthusiast had a struggle with her conscience
and the desire for a lustre jug, which was keen while
it lasted. She was stranded for an hour or two by
some exigency of travel in a small town in New Eng-
land and, as the station was desolate and uncomfort-
able, betook herself to walk. Her travels led her to
the graveyard, which seemed to her youthful eyes un-
usually melancholy, and she was attracted to one
grave which had at least a semblance of care, and was
adorned by a bunch of flowers. The blossoms were
so fresh that our friend pushed aside some of the
spreading leaves, to see if they were in water, and then
beheld that the vessel containing them was a lustre
pitcher, in good condition, and with a band of pale blue
on which were bunches of flowers touched in by hand.
It seemed, so she confessed afterwards, that she must
have that pitcher, and, as fair exchange is sanctioned,
she removed the flowers, laid a silver dollar beside
BASALTES, LUSTRES, WHITE WARE. 179
them and started station-wards with her prize. She
got no farther than the gate of the graveyard ; for a
hand clutched her (only a metaphorical hand), and she
hurried back and replaced the pitcher, unable " to rob
a lonely grave." There was no time to find the own-
er of the pitcher then, and a lengthy correspondence,
conducted through the village postmaster, brought no
result. The " owner did not care to part with it ; it
was handy for flowers " — a rebuff which often meets
the collector who unexpectedly comes on a find. I
have in my own mind a copper lustre jug, six inches
high, with an ivy wreath on it in a lovely shade of
green. The owner is not a collector, does not care
for the jug, yet cannot be induced to sell or exchange
it, and there it is, at this moment, on a kitchen pantry
shelf, holding molasses, with a little saucer over the
top, subjected to the cook's unlover-like handling
when she is making gingerbread. The owner only
sees it when she makes periodical visits to the pantry,
and will not let it go because she " always remembers
that pitcher held molasses." Such people as these are
the despair of collectors. FiG. 120.
There are copper lustre jugs with bands of brilliant
yellow and figures or flowers on them in colours, either
printed or painted. Very beautiful pieces were made
at Longton by Thomas Barlow. Such as these are
marked with an impressed "B." Indeed Longton seems
to have been a great centre for lustre ware, both the
High-street works and Park works turning out silver
and copper pieces. Gold lustre was used for decora-
tive purpose at the Gold-street works, which were also
at Longton, and sometimes tea-sets of this gold shade,
looking very new, may be found in this country. One
i8o THEOLDCHINABOOK.
of the unpleasant things about all lustre, except silver
and rose spotted, is the fact that the old shapes and
designs have in many cases been reproduced. But
one who handles china can be almost sure to detect
the new. In the first place it is perfect, and shows no
marks of wear on the base, where, in old pieces, the
lustre is generally worn off. The shade is brighter
and has not the depth and richness of the old ware,
and it seems to have a glassy glaze which is not found
on the old. A search through the china houses of
New York and Boston failed to reveal a single bit of
modern lustre ware in any form whatever. The deal-
ers said there was no call for it, and they had ceased
importing it. Finally a piece was secured in Canada,
wliere it is said much may be obtained, and the dif-
ferences are quite marked between the old and new,
particularly in weight.
An extremely choice and valuable piece of old cop-
per lustre is shown in FiGS. 121 and 122. It is called
the Cornwallis jug and comes under the head of his-
toric. On one side is shown the surrender of Corn-
wallis, and though we have seen that the English pot-
ter was not very sensitive when he came to depicting
our victories, yet in this case he endeavored to smooth
matters over when he put on the inscription. It
reads, " Cornwallis resigning his sword at Yorktown,
Oct. 17, 1 78 1." Surrendering was an unpalatable word.
On the other side is a portrait of Lafayette with a
laurel crown held above his head by two figures, repre-
senting, no doubt, Victory and Fame.
All these Cornwallis jugs are fine and hard to get.
This one, in addition to the historical interest connected
with it, has a personal history which makes it doubly
Fig. 121. CORNWALLIS JUG.
lVJ&$
Fig. 122. L.AFAYETTE. Reverse side of Cornvvallisj'tg.
Fig. 123. CUPS AND SAUCERS, LUSTRE DECORATION.
Fig. 124. CASTLEFORD TEAPOT.
BASALTES, LUSTRES, WHITE WARE. i8i
valuable. It is one of a pair brought from England,
soon after the Revolutionary War by a Mr. Dangerfield
of Fredericksburg, Virginia, who was an ofificer in our
army. The pair of jugs remained in his family for three
generations and have just been sold ; the one shown
going to grace a collection of one hundred and forty
jugs held in Virginia, and the other one being given to
the Virginia room at Mt. Vernon as a present from
the school children of Virginia.
It is just as well to remember that on the occasion
pictured on the jug Lord Cornwallis was not present;
he feigned illness and caused General O'Hara to
deliver the sword to Washington, who deputed Gen-
eral Lincoln to receive it. In every way these jugs
are admirable — shape, proportion, colour and decora-
tion. They are far in advance, in a certain noble sim-
plicity, of many of the present day shapes, out of
which it is almost impossible to pour without spilling
the liquid. These old-time jugs, no matter what their
size, have the same large lip, and it is as noticeable in
the lustres as in the Liverpool jugs. FiG. 123.
Castleford.
Somewhere between the years 1770 and 1790 a pot-
tery was started at the town of Castleford, twelve
miles from Leeds, where white ware, known as Castle-
ford ware, black ware. Queen's ware and the choicer
kinds of pottery were made. The first potter whose
name is connected with these works was David Dun-
derdale, who came into possession of them about 1800.
These works were open, under various managements.
i82 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
until about 1820, when they were closed. Subse.
quently they came into the hands of some of the old
workmen, but the plain white paste for which they
were originally known seems to have been discon-
tinued.
The most familiar pieces in America are teapots.
The covers are sometimes attached with metal pins;
occasionally are sliding; but more often have the lift-
ing lid with which we are familiar. The Castleford
pieces are very much like the basaltes in everything
but colour, some of them being dead white, not unlike
parian, which was invented some years later ; and some
have a very slight gloss which was obtained, so it is
thought, by smearing the inside of the fire-clay box
where the pottery was fired with the ordinary china
glaze. This vaporized with the heat and deposited a
slight film on the objects being fired. Castleford
ware is translucent if held to the light, and is orna-
mented with groups of figures — some of the same
classical groups which have been seen in basaltes and
which were original with Flaxman or Lady Temple-
ton or some other of Wedgwood's artists — and the
models were bought or copied from Wedgwood's
pieces. This ware is seldom found with any colour
on it. At most it has only lines or bands of blue,
green or brown. They made a bid at these works for
American custom by making designs of Liberty, the
Arms of the United States, portraits of Washington
and Franklin, etc. ; but few of these specimens seem
to have survived, the general run being the classical
subjects referred to before. The same two methods
of procedure followed in the manufacture of basaltes
were lollowed in Castleford ware : — either the clay was
BASALTES, LUSTRES, WHITE WARE. 183
pressed into moulds — in which case the piece is quite
thick — or, in the form of " slip," poured into moulds,
under which treatment the teapot, or whatever it
might be, was considerably thinner. An occasional
piece of Castleford comes to hand with the pitted
surface which we ascribe to the method of salt glaz-
ing ; but this was caused by having tho inside of the
mould lined with tiny points which left corresponding
depressions in the surface.
In Fig. 124 is given a very beautiful specimen of
this ware. The teapot is not uncommon in style, but
the body of it shows the pitted background, and the
floral design is in very high relief and beautifully
finished. So also is the little border of ferns at the
base and about the cover. The knob is a daisy, a
flower much used in this ware. This piece has faint
bands of colour on the edge of the handle, at the base,
above the floral band and on the cover. The elegance
of such a tea-pot speaks for itself. It is generally
supposed that some of the pierced, printed or painted
ware which we call Leeds was made also at Castle,
ford. The so-called Castleford, however, is the white
ware. Very few pieces are marked, but when they are
it is with the letters " D. D. & Co. : Castleford." Two
long lines crossing each other in raised slip and the
number "22," impressed, were also said to be the
marks of this pottery, but by far the larger proportion
of pieces is left unmarked.
Two or three specimens of this white ware amid a
collection of basaltes make a very ornamental shelf in
a corner cupboard. Indeed a black basaltes tea-set or
a Castleford, if you can bring your mind to think
that your cabinet treasures are not too bright nor yet
i84 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
too good to hold human nature's daily food, is a very
elegant addition to that fast vanishing but delightful
meal, supper. With the addition of some choice old
cups and saucers, brilliant in colouring or choice in
design, either the black or the white ware looks un-
commonly fine, a thousand times more desirable in
every way than the gaudy silver which in our day is
the end-all and the be-all of every housekeeper.
CHAPTER IX.
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES.
The ceramic art of various countries— France, Italy,
Germany, China, and Spain — is classed in different
epochs or periods. In each epoch there were usually
one or two factories or potters whose work was so
admirable that it was difficult to award the palm
between them. In England it is different ; there is
one name which expresses the greatest heights which
English pottery has ever reached, and that is, Wedg-
wood. In no branch of art, learning or manufacture
is there a royal road. All paths which lead to the
heights of success are stony for some part of the way,
and it is only by the exercise of patience, energy and
perseverance that the goal is reached. It was by the
combination of these three qualities that Josiah Wedg-
wood accomplished the amount and quality of the
work he did, and built for himself, day by day, an
enduring fame. He came from a family whose mem-
bers had long been potters at Burslem, and was the
youngest of a family of thirteen children. He was
born in August, 1730.
His early education was fragmentary, no doubt, as
there was but one school in Burslem and that a poor
one, and two years after the death of his father,
when Josiah was but eleven years old, he was put to
work in the pot works, as a thrower. The will of his
father provided that when Josiah came of age he
i86 THEOLDCHINABOOKo
should have twenty pounds, not a very large capital
with which to start in business, surely. But Josiah
was to learn his trade, and that he did, being bound
as apprentice to his brother, for whom he worked till
he was sixteen years old. Then he contracted the
smallpox, " the dregs of which disease settling in his
leg," as Mr. Gladstone says, eventually necessitated its
amputation. What would have proved to most men
a terrible crippling was a weary trial at first, but in
the end one factor which tended to make him the
great man he was. No longer able to engage in the
arduous labour of throwing the clay, his mind was
forced to dwell on other branches of the business.
From the time he was sixteen till he reached the age
of thirty-four he was a constant sufferer from this leg.
Only after it was amputated did he recover a measure
of health. Wedgwood himself attributes much of his
success to the fact that he was frequently laid up
with his infirmity, these periods of inaction causing his
mind to be all the more active. Mrs. Wedgwood,
his mother, who seems to have been an estimable
woman, died when Josiah was not yet eighteen. The
family of brothers and sisters. continued to dwell in
the old house, and Josiah worked out his five years*
apprenticeship. Possibly he supposed after these
five years of faithful work he would be taken into
partnership with his brother, but this was not the case.
When he came to be twenty years of age he took his
small patrimony and started out in life for himself.
He went first to Stoke and there made knife handles
in mottled agate and tortoise shell ware, which he
supplied to the hardware manufacturers of Sheffield
and Birmingham.
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 187
In the year 1752, three years after his apprentice-
ship had expired, the young Josiah entered into
partnership with a man named John Harrison and
still continued to make the knife handles. Two years
later came the partnership with Thomas Wheildon,
the best known potter 01 his day, and this association
lasted for five years. Wheildon's reputation for his
wares was widespread, and most fortunate it was for
Wedgwood to be associated with so desirable a part,
ner. Oh Wheildon's side the benefit derived from
Wedgwood's taste and skill about balanced accounts.
There are interesting documents extant, covering
the period of this partnership and giving a variety of
curious details with regard to the custom of hiring
potters, and the prices at which some of the wares
were sold in 1754 and a little later. For instance,
potters were always hired from Martinmas to Martin-
mas, and into the agreements went many strange items.
One man had stockings furnished him, another a
shirt, at sixteen pence a yard, and one employee who
worked for two shillings threepence a week, had, as
further emolument, "an old pr. stockins, or some-
thing."
The great Josiah Spode, who came afterwards to be
so well and favourably known, worked for Wedgwood,
in 1749, for two shillings threepence a week, or "two
shillings sixpence if he deserves it." As for the tor-
toise shell and other wares, plates came as low as
eight shillings a dozen, and one dozen painted dishes
are set down as worth but two shillings. The wares
made by Wheildon and Wedgwood were excellent in
shape, of good quality and carefully made. It is
needless to say how scarce they are now and how
i88 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
desirable. There were, besides the tortoise shell, the
cauliflower ware, and salts, mustard pots, bread-and-
butter plates, coffee pots, teapots, sugar boxes, dishes,
mugs, etc. The famous green glaze which Wedgwood
invented the year of the partnership, 1754, and which
is described as a " new green earthenware, having the
smoothness and brilliant appearance of glass," had
much to do with the rising fortunes of the new firm.
The partnership expired in 1759, as it was drawn but
for five years, and Wedgwood returned immediately to
Burslem, intent on perfecting his experiments and
bringing them to a successful issue.
He was now twenty-nine years old, and, in the old
pot works which had been occupied by his brother, he
set to work not only to create new ideals but to rival
old ones. The old pot works did not prove satisfactory,
and he moved to those connected with the " Ivy
House," as it was called from the profusion of this
plant growing upon it, which, no doubt, furnished him
with models for the ivy pattern he was so fond of
introducing in his work. This house and works were
rented by Josiah from his relatives for the modest sum
of ten pounds yearly, and, having a house, his thoughts
ran naturally to filling it, so here he brought his bride.
Josiah Wedgwood, now somewhat over thirty, was
carrying on the old works — Churchyard Works, as they
were called — where he made common wares, and the
Ivy House Works where the choicer specimens were
made. He was suffering intensely with his leg, the
condition of which had become most distressing. Yet,
under all this stress, he personally superintended both
works — in fact every article may be said to have passed
through his hands — and he increased the product of
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 189
tortoise shell and marbled wares by making vases with
gilt or coloured foliage, jardinieres, white ware medal-
lions, the green glazed earthenware, different dishes to
represent different fruits — melons, pears, pineapples,
etc., — and all these had a ready and abundant sale.
With the success coming from his numerous inven-
tions and with the betterment of his health (his leg had
been amputated), he naturally sought to increase his
output and to do this was obliged to have more ex-
tensive works. It was at this time that Wedgwood
rented a third pot works, not far from Ivy House,
and co'ntinued to manage three distinct manufactories
in his native town. Besides being constantly on the
alert to improve his wares himself and to acquire any
new ideas which were being put forth by other potters,
he also found time entirely to re-organize the methods
of the workmen in his employ, bringing order out of
chaos and organizing a system by which he was left
comparatively free to experiment and perfect, while
still holding the reins of government. With these
three establishments under his control he had serious
difficulties to contend with. For instance, there were
but three modellers in his employ, and of these three
only one gave his entire time to Wedgwood. The
tools of the trade were still of the most primitive
order — a turning lathe, a potter's wheel and a few
knives. With ambitions for a higher type of work,
this redoubtable man had to set to work and invent
his own appliances — new tools, kilns, drying ovens, etc.,
and teach his workmen how to use them, and oversee
their efforts. Day and night he laboured, taking
hardly the necessary time for rest. He was early at
the bench with his workmen, and generally with his
190 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
own hands he taught them how to make the object he
wished them to form. He often said he did his think-
ing by night, so that he might be up and doing by day.
An infinity of small details crowded on his mind, and
it is interesting to see how he met, solved and settled
them. It had always been customary to call potters
to their work by sounding a horn, though in general
they came and went from the works pretty much as
they pleased. In the new works which were acquired
after the Ivy House Works, Wedgwood sought to
overcome this difficulty and had a small cupola built,
with a bell hung within it to sound working hours.
This gave to the factory the name of Bell House
Works. These works were rented by Wedgwood from
Mr. Bourne, their owner, till the removal to Etruria.
At the Bell House Works Wedgwood made his finest
pieces, and so admirable did they become that he soon
gained distinction both in England and on the Contin-
ent. In September, 1761, Wedgwood made and pre-
sented to Queen Charlotte, upon the birth of her first
child, a caudle and breakfast set of his cream-coloured
ware, which had by this time reached a high state of per-
fection. He had it still further embellished by his two
best painters, Daniell and Steele, and on the creamy
yellow ground were raised sprigs of jessamine and other
flowers, all coloured from Nature. The queen was
highly delighted and gave orders for a dinner service,
and, in token of his gratitude, Wedgwood called this
Queen's Ware. He received commands to call him-
self by the proud title of ** Potter to Her Majesty."
Of course both potter and his products became im-
mensely fashionable when the queen set the style, and
orders flowed in upon him. It is on record that at this
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 191
time these cream-ware plates, large size, brought
fifteen shillings a dozen and other pieces in propor-
tion. It is well to remember that the common type
of plate in this ware was of the trencher pattern, or
like the old wooden plates, with flat edge and without
a rim on the under side. So far only Wedgwood's
successes have been mentioned, but his losses were vast
and continuous. One disaster followed another, but
with that dogged perseverance which was one of his
characteristics he kept bravely on. Consider the feel-
ings of the potter who labours for months creating
and modelling, and, in a few hours, by a deficient kiln,
has all this work of brain and hand destroyed 1
After arriving at the point of perfection in the
Queen's Ware our potter did not reap the whole
benefit of his labours and trials. All the potters of
the region quickly took to making it and gained the
rewards without the losses. The distinctive quality of
Wedgwood's cream-coloured ware was the introduction
of Cornwall clay, and its superiority was due to im-
provements in the processes of its manufacture and its
glaze. This cream-coloured ware, so called, varies in
shade from an extremely light primrose to the deepest
saffron. The variation in the colour comes from the
clay, the dark tints being much rarer than the light,
and the objects made in them are always of the finest
quality and highly desirable. Some splendid speci-
mens of basket work — " twigged baskets " Wedgwood
called them — are found in this deep tint, as well as
centre pieces of various shapes. Vases were made in
cream ware of a thin paste, with highly vitrified glaze
and of small size. If left uncoloured they were plain,
tibbed, fluted or impressed with classical borders.
192 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Then followed serpent, goat's head and dolphin
handles and festoons. Inlaying was used and gilding,
as well as patterns in blue, red, black or brown. Then
the cream ware was sprinkled with colour. Vases
marbled with gold and others sprinkled with the sa;.x
are set down in an invoice of cream ware dated Octo-
ber T5, 1768, and the wholesale price was from eighteen
shillings to ten shillings sixpence each. FiG. 125.
Of the cream-ware services there are more specimens
to be found. In a catalogue of this ware it is noted
that a service of Queen's Ware, consisting of one hun.
dred and forty-six pieces, at wholesale cost three
pounds, seventeen shillings, about $19.25. There
were round and oval covered dishes, "* terrines ' lor
soup, pickle dishes, salt cellars, etc. There were also
to be had in addition to the pieces 01 the regular ser-
vice ; " Root dishes with pans to keep them hot. Cov-
ered dishes to stew or keep a dish of meat hot. Dishes
for water zootjes (Dutch fish). Ice pails. Egg baskets
to keep boiled eggs hot in water. Egg spoons, table
candlesticks of different patterns from nine to four-
teen inches high. Cheese toasters with water pans,
pudding cups, shapes for blanc-mange, asparagus pans,
monteths for keeping glasses cool in water, beer mugs
with or without covers, croquants or sweetmeat
dishes, ice-cream cups and covers, strawberry dishes
and stands and dessert spoons."
When it is considered that Wedgwood personally
invented most of these dishes, thereby adding to the
variety and comfort of daily living, it seems as if what
he accomplished in this ware alone would have given
him a reputation as a benefactor. Up to this time by
far the greater part of household utensils were wood or
Fig. 125. CREAM WAR?:. Hl'SK BORDER.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Fig. I..6. BASALTES MEDALLION.
Pig. 127. BASALTES TEA-SET.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 193
pewter, most undesirable in comparison with this fresh
pretty ware which came within the reach of the mid-
dle classes, who had been unable to buy the porcelain
or Oriental wares used by the wealthy. The best pat-
terns used on this ware Wedgwood copied directly
from the antique. They were the egg-and-tongue^
meander, antique, and helix borders. The colours
and forms of these varied greatly, and besides being
in great demand in England were exported to Italy
and Germany. The grape pattern in purple and gold
was put on a dessert service for the great Lord Chat-
ham.
That splendid service made for the " Mesdames of
France," in 1787, bore this grape border in brown, with
trophies and musical instruments in the same colour.
In 1787 there were, in addition to the patterns which
had been printed by Sadler and Green, these:
Honeysuckle in several colours. Red and black strawberry leaf.
Red Etruscan. Brown drop.
Black and red spike. Dotted border, bell drops, light
Brown edge. green.
Blue morning glory with green Broad pea-green and mauve.
leaves. Royal pattern, pencilled land-
Bell-drops, deep rose colour. scapes.
The next year several more patterns were added
among them are :
Red and black dotted border. Moss border.
Green and black Etruscan. Green oat with blue lines.
Brown strawberry leaf. Green and purple grape.
There were also an incredible number of varieties
of flowers, fruits, shells, plants, seaweeds, etc. Bor-
ders going with arms and crests were often intricate,
and, during the period from Wedgwood s death, in
194 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
1795, to 1843, the patterns were louder in colour and
design, and gold was introduced in spots and dashes.
All the finish in old Wedgwood cream ware was
excellent, as might have been expected. The joining
of the patterns never shows ; no edging is out of line ;
and the colour on the same plane does not vary unless
it is designed to.
Wedgwood cut out his models first in paper, and
modelled most of the trial pieces himself. So true
were these models that his plates and bowls " nest "
perfectly, and even the commonest 'ug for wash-hand
basin was moulded to be accurate in its lines, good in
form, and perfect in its capacity for pouring. His
butter tubs were modelled in the pleasing shapes of
melon or pineapple. His honey pots were beehives,
and his twigged baskets and dishes are things of
beauty. In this same cream ware he made watering
pots, large and small milk pans, slabs and tiles for
dairies, as the management and care of the dairy was
a fashionable fad among his aristocratic customers.
He would be pleased could he see the estimation in
which even this, the humblest of his wares, is held,
for so small objects as a pair of bell-pulls, decorated in
green, brought at auction, some years since, twenty-
two dollars.
After working on the ware itself and its decoration,
Wedgwood then turned his attention to shapes, and
from this time on great improvements are noted in
the forms of common objects, and convenience and
the perfection of each piece was studied.
Wedgwood's taste and artistic sense were so strong
that even the silversmiths followed his models, as well
as the members of his own craft. In all of the long
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 19S
and prosperous career of this prince of potters only
once did he take out a patent, and then only an unim-
portant one for decorative purposes, in the year 1769.
Previous to this time Sadler and Green had been
engaged in printing on Wedgwood's Queen's Ware in
biscuit state, and much of it was on the market. It
is extremely hard to find any to-day, even in England.
The difficulty of getting his wares safely to Liverpool
for printing and back again to Burslem, seems to have
impressed upon the mind of Wedgwood the impor-
tance of good roads or water carriage. So, about 1764,
we find him endeavouring to have turnpikes built and
canals put through, and it was owing to his efforts
that the first turnpike road was run through the pot-
teries district ending at Burslem.
Even with all the expense he was put to, and with
his losses by experiments and imperfect appliances,
Wedgwood was no longer so much hampered for
money. His wife had brought him quite a little
fortune, some authorities giving the figures as twenty
thousand pounds — an immense sum for those days,
and of great assistance to her ambitious husband.
By 1766, owing largely to Wedgwood's own efforts,
and to his coming forward with a generous subscrip-
tion at the proper moment, the canal project was put
through. Wedgwood, appropriately, was invited to
cut the first sod, and the Grand Trunk Canal, which
took over six years to build, became a fact. It was
ninety miles long, and opened up the pottery districts,
making the receipt and despatch of goods more cer-
tain and vastly more speedy, as well as lowering the
freight charges.
Finding as time progressed that the cares of over-
196 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
seeing took too much of his attention, which might
have been employed to better advantage, Wedgwood
took as partner his cousin, Thomas Wedgwood, who
for some years had been foreman in his factory. The
works at Burslem had become too small, and, in 1766,
a year so full of important events to Josiah Wedg-
wood, he began to build works in the township of
Shelton, only about two miles from Burslem, and most
advantageously placed, as Wedgwood thought, for
it was to be intersected by the proposed canal. Here
were built first what were known as the " Black
Works," in 1767, by the side of the canal, and here
commenced the manufacture of black basaltes, Egyp-
tian, or black ware, as it was variously called. He
had perfected this ware the previous year, and de-
scribes it, to use his own words, as " Basaltes, or
black ware ; a black porcelain biscuit of nearly the
same properties with the natural stone, striking fire
with steel, receiving a high polish, serving as a touch-
stone for metals, resisting all the acids, and bearing
without injury a strong fire ; stronger, indeed, than
the basaltes itselL" So hard was this basaltes that
it would strike fire with steel, yet with a surface so
^oft that it seemed to have the bloom of velvet, and
was capable of being moulded and cut into the most
fixquisite ornament.
In Fig. 126 is given one of the basaltes medallions
in the set " English Kings," which were modelled
from Astle's portraits. These medallions are two
inches long and one and three quarters inches wide,
and the particular set from which this one is taken
is framed in an old-fashioned silver mount which con-
trasts admirably with the velvet blackness of the
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 197
basaltes. No photograph can do justice to the beauty
and finish of this ware and to those dehcate details*"
to which Wedgwood himself paid so much attention.
Fortunately for us, Wedgwood had his works cata-
logued, showing what and how many sets or pieces
were made, and there were six editions of this cata-
logue beginning with the year 1773, again in 1774,
1777, 1779, 1787, and under the younger Wedgwood
in 1817. In no year were there more than thirty-six
sets of these " English Kings " made, and in the
years from 1779 to 1787, when his art productions
reached their highest perfection and greatest number,
there were made but sixty-eight sets in all.
There are some details which every collector should
know and which should be carefully noted in every
piece of this basaltes before purchasing, as there were
quantities of counterfeits put upon the market.
The first point to be looked at is the flat surface or
body-plane. Those belonging to the Wedgwood and
Bently period, from 1769 to 1780, and also to the
Wedgwood period 1781 to 1795 are always beautifully
perfect, even and smooth. No variation or waviness
ever appears on the surface, and there is no " craz-
ing" — that is, minute cracking of the surface glaze —
ever to be seen on the elder Wedgwood's ware.
The relief part, or raised work, is, almost without
exception, beautifully perfect. The use of a micro-
scope or hand magnifier reveals perfections, not de-
fects, and the minutest pieces, such as were used to
set in rings or eardrops, will show up with the finish
of antique gems. The draperies and limbs, each tiny
finger and toe, the plumage of birds are all perfect
and distinct.
198 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
No test is more to be relied upon than the accuracy
of the under cutting. In modern medallions or cam-
eos, the outlines of limbs, profiles, draperies, etc., lie
flat with the surface ; in " Old Wedgwood " the model-
ler's tool has under-cut these lines, and the relief
stands out sharp and distinct from the plane. This
gives roundness and the appearance of high relief to
the figures, flow to the draperies, and that detachment
from the background which gives these reliefs their
chief beauty. In those bas-reliefs and portraits mod-
elled by Flaxman this under-cutting is shown in its
highest perfection, as is also that polish and finish
where not a detail is forgotten nor overlooked. Manj^
fine specimens, however, are not under-cut — that is cut
away from beneath the figure — but are, nevertheless,
carefully finished on the edges by the modeller's tools.
Those specimens lacking under-cutting, or after finish
with the tool, are to be regarded with suspicion, and
it is extremely doubtful if they were made prior to
1795. These remarks apply to all specimens of black
ware and jasper and to all objects made in these
wares.
As for the marks, it is well to bear in mind that al-
most every piece of old Wedgwood bears his mark.
Those which are unmarked are trial pieces, when a
new body or colour was used or some experiment was
being made, or such rare pieces as in the hurry of a
great establishment escaped the workman's attention.
To the experienced collector the " feel " of the piece,
the finish, and the choice perfection of the details
will reveal the master's work, even though the mark
be lacking. The name Wedgwood is frequently im-
pressed in small capitals which vary from one thirty-
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 199
second to one quarter of an inch in height. On the
small pieces this lettering is extremely minute, so that
it needs a magnifier to reveal it. Except letters and
figures, generally used singly, the collector will re-
member that all the more peculiar marks were used
after the death of Wedgwood, the elder, in 1795.
The double mark v^ • dates from between 1805 to
181 5, m is the mark of the period of Oriental patterns,
1810, and the use of three capitals in combination, as
" A. T. Q.," " R. S. B.," " T. M. P.," " L. G. Z.," and
others of the alphabet taken at random, are not only
still used but are never more than fifty or sixty years
old. One excellent test of age is the extreme round-
ness of the two letters " o " in the name Wedgwood,
and so is the figure "3," or the single letter "O"
in addition. Besides the printed name Wedgwood, it
is found sometimes as if printed by hand, with the old-
fashioned letter " d," the upward stroke of which
turns backward. This mark is never found on any
of the modern ware. In this same hand printing may
be found the two names Wedgwood and Bentley,
which puts the piece bearing such mark prior to 1780,
when Bentley died. This firm name may also be
found in a circular raised medallion, with the word
" Etruria" added.
There are numberless examples having the impressed
stamp of Wedgwood with a single letter added
as "Wedgwood A," or " V" or " H," etc. Figures,
too, are sometimes combined, as "Wedgwood k," and
" 2," or " Wedgwood 43." There are many pieces
bearing in addition scratched marks of various kinds,
but these are invariably workmen's marks. In addi-
tion there are given by Miss Meteyard, who made
200 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Wedgwood and his work a life study, about one hun-
dred other marks which were used always in connection
with the name Wedgwood.
When the name of the subject is given on the me-
dalHons, it is usually on the face of the piece at the
base of the portrait. See FiG. 126. If it is not impressed
on the front it is scratched on the back by hand.
The marks on printed or painted ware are of the
impressed name and a mark or two in the same
colour as the pattern. Sometimes the name is printed
on in red or blue, but always in small capitals. In
the old ware the impressed stamp is notable for its
beautiful clearness. In modern ware it is often
blurred and ragged.
Numbers of the finest cameos and portraits have the
letters " H " or " G " signifying Hackwood or Great-
back, two of Wedgwood's finest workmen. Wedg-
wood himself did not like his men to do this, and en-
deavoured to suppress their marks as much as possible,
for he wrote to Bentley, on December 22, 1777, as
follows: " I cannot resist the temptation of showing
my dear friend our new Shakespeare and Garrick,
though they are not so well fired as they should be;
we put them in our common biscuit oven. You will
see by looking over the shoulder of each, that these
heads are modelled by William Hackwood, but I shall
prevent his exposing himself again now I have found
it out. I am not certain that he will not be offended
if he is refused the liberty of putting his name to
the models which he makes quite new, and I shall
be glad to have your opinion upon the subject.
Mine is against any name being upon our articles
besides " W " and " B," and if you concur with
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 201
me I will manage the matter with him as well as I
can."
Prior to the partnership with Bentley, in 1768, the
goods, which were largely cream wares, were simply
marked Wedgwood, in large type, and often even this
was omitted on many pieces of a set. It is not impos-
sible to buy old Wedgwood in this country to-day.
Within the last three years I have bought two of
these portrait medallions of the old period, one Wil-
liam, Prince of Orange, size four by three inches, in
the set of " Illustrious Moderns " mentioned in cata-
logues, in perfect condition, and marked, for ten
dollars. The other set in silver, two by one and
three quarters inches, of William the Conqueror, I
bought for fifteen dollars. They were marked simply
"Wedgwood" in small, finely executed capitals on
the back of the first one, the subject on the front in
the second one, and scratched in the back, on the one
of William, Prince of Orange.
These medallions were generally sold in sets,
arranged in trays or framed, and I find in a sale cata-
logue of Christies', in London, for the year 1781 — which
was the year succeeding Bentley's death — that a set of
twenty-six of these heads, unframed, brought but one
pound, ten shillings, which reduces them to the infi-
nitely small price of a trifle over twenty-one cents each
for the medallions, size two by one and three quar-
ters.
Wedgwood did not at first use the black basaltes
for vases. In 1766 and 1767 he worked hard in im-
proving the lathe to be used in their manufacture,
«ind it is in 1768 that we first hear of basaltes vases.
The earliest of these were bronzed, but did not meet the
202 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
popular fancy. In the next year, 1769, they were
painted or ornamented with festoons in white biscuit,
glazed. Small white medallions were also employed,
surrounded with a frame, in the same white biscuit. It
took some years to bring these vases to their final per-
fection, and from 1769 to 1776 they were ornamented
with flutings, ribbing, strap-work, floral and husk fes-
toons, and with goat's head, mask, satyr and dolphin
handles. The surface of these vases was generally
highly polished, and the mark on them is the circular
raised medallion, with the name Wedgwood and Ben-
tley and often Etruria. This mark always signifies a
fine period, with high quality of work, beautiful shape
and superior workmanship, and the surface has a
velvet touch to the finger. The earliest ones with bas-
reliefs, all — vase and decoration — being black, had
festoons of flowers and husks or a simple medallion.
In 1776 Wedgwood undertook more artistic flights.
He writes to Bentley in June of that year: "I am
preparing bas-reliefs for most of our black vases
and hope to have a very complete assortment for you
to open with the next season ; and such as make a
striking and pleasing variety in that part of your
show."
Flaxman's exquisite bas-relief of the " Dancing
Hours" was first applied to the basaltes vase, and
copies of it were sent to London in September, 1776.
A new variety of black belongs to this same year,
for Wedgwood, ever alive to meeting popular taste,
found that the dead black was more generally liked
than the polished, and from this time he used it in
busts, medallions and vases. The collector will find
that the polish of the earliest vases grows less and less
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 203
as the potter advanced, and was avoided in the finest
period. From 1777 all the bas-reliefs were, as they
appeared, adapted to vases as well as to gems and
intaglios. In this way the dates of vases, etc., can be
closely approximated ; as Flaxman's groups and Lady
Templeton's small figures could not have appeared till
somewiiat later, 1782 or 1783, while such well-known
groups as " Achilles," or the " Daughters of Lyco-
medes," or the "Sacrifice of Iphigenia," came after 1787.
Wedgwood took an honest pride in these exquisite
productions and says, in 1779 : " They are from three
or four inches high to more than two feet. The prices
from seven shillings and sixpence each, to three or
four guineas, which does not include the very large
ones and those pieces which consist of many parts,
and are very highly finished." He speaks of the
degree of perfection to which these black vases have
been brought, and adds : " On this account, together
with the precision of their outlines and simplicity of
their antique forms they have had the honour of
being highly and frequently recommended by many
of the connoisseurs of Europe ; and are being placed
amongst the finest productions of the age, in the
palaces and cabinets of several princes."
That these pieces were worthy to be so ranked is
true, and to my mind the jaspers do not compare
with this, the highest, most exquisite and artistic pro-
duct of Wedgwood's life.
In Fig, 127 is shown a charming tea-set, with the
hot-water kettle which was an invention of Wedg-
wood's. The exquisite figures of children and cupids
stand out from the background in beautiful relief, and
the shapes of the pieces are as graceful as we are led
204 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
to expect. When Wedgwood first began to manu-
facture, tea and coffee were greater rarities than they
are now, and even well-to-do families often did not use
either drink once a day. In country districts the use
was more restricted still, so that tea-sets were not
much in demand except for festive occasions. Then
the higher classes used Oriental porcelain, with tea or
coffee pot and creamer of silver. Wedgwood, whose
perception was ever alive to creating a demand, saw
that with handsomer and finer ware he could carry
forward public taste and stimulate a desire for these
articles. This he did and filled modest English
homes with objects of utility and elegance, replacing
and crowding out the coarse and common.
Some of the black ware was painted. " Encaustic
Painted Ware," it was called, and tea-services and
separate articles were made in it ; even teacups and
saucers are described as having " Etruscan borders in
encaustic paintings," and " Roman cups," and bread-
and-butter plates are also mentioned. None of this
encaustic ware had the elegance of the plain black.
As an example of the beauty of the basaltes vases,
one is given in FiG. 128.
The price of these vases was necessarily high, the
risk in making large pieces being great, for in putting
on the figures, the models and moulds of which were
costly, there was danger they would crack. Fluted
vases were more reasonable than those with figures,
and plain handles were less costly than decorated
ones. Yet what Wedgwood called high seems very
small to us, for in Christies' catalogue for 1781 many
" mantel suites," consisting of three, five, or seven
pieces — candelabra and vases — were sold, and the high.
Fig. 128. BASALTES VASE.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Fig. J29. JASPKK FLOWER-HOLDKR, GK-FKN AND WHITE
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 205
est price reached was six pounds for " a suit of five,
with candelabra." This set was bought by Flaxman.
This sale was after the death of Bentley and was held
apparently to reduce stock. In addition to the tea-
sets, hot-water kettles, vases and candelabra, there were
also made in basaltes, statuettes, even cups and sau-
cers, salt-cellars, tea-trays, flower-pots, flower-holders
and " tazze," as they were called. They were flat cups or
dishes, each with a foot and handles, copied from
Etruscan and Greek examples. The largest sizes of
these tazze were used for fonts in churches. Frames
were also made in this material, generally for the
medallions.
Rarest objects of all, in basaltes however, are figures
of elephants, lions and horses. The latter were made
from models by Mrs. Landre, but, while on record in
the catalogue, no specimens are known. A wonder-
fully fine pair of lions is in a private collection in
England.
The fourth great invention made by Wedgwood was
what he eventually called jasper ware ; but before
speaking of this a few words must be given to a
most important event in his life, his partnership with
Bentley.
Wedgwood was one of those wonderful men, who
by system, by never quitting an object until they had
effected their purpose, and by a careful management
of time, seemed always to have leisure at command.
Yet he found that all the vast details of such a great
establishment were more than he could manage, and,
roughly dividing his products into two classes, the
useful and the ornamental, he invited his friend Mr.
Bentley to become his partner in the ornamental
2o6 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
branch. Just why Wedgwood should have chosen
Mr. Bentley, who was a literary man rather than one
of business, cannot be told ; yet the partnership, lasting
twelve years, till Bentley's death, was one of the
wisest acts of Wedgwood's life. It began in 1768. The
" Black Works " were finished and work on the other
manufactory and the dwelling house was soon com-
menced at Etruria. In 1770 these were finished, and
Wedgwood named the whole estate, with its works
and mansion house, Etruria.
The extraordinary care and resources of Wedgwood
had been brought to bear on the new manufactory,
and it was not only the largest but the most complete
which had yet been built. No sooner were the works
set in order and filled with competent workmen than
they were fully occupied in both branches of the
business, ornamental as well as useful. When the
factory was well started, Wedgwood turned his atten-
tion to the comfort of his workmen, and built for them
a village where they could be comfortably and happily
housed.
With Mr. Bentley situated in London, looking after
and introducing the products of Wedgwood's fertile
hands and brain, the latter gave himself up to improv-
ing and beautifying his work. Sir William Hamilton
assisted him in his studies of antique forms and models,
and urged him to take out a patent for painting in
encaustic colours ; this he did, and it was the only one
he ever had. So free was he from professional jeal-
ousy that he regretted having taken even this precau-
tion to protect himself, saying to his friends, he
" would be better pleased to see thousands made happy
and following him in the same career, than he could
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 207
be at any exclusive enjoyment." This single patent
was granted on November 16, 1769. The first prob-
lem Wedgwood had to struggle with after perfecting
his methods of encaustic painting was to reduce the
price of the objects so treated. The vases were
large, some as tall as twenty inches, and the
price varied from one to ten or twelve guineas each.
For the exceedingly choice ones even more was
charged, and one painted for Lord Carlisle was fifteen
guineas.
" The Grecian vases we have are sadly too dear,"
wrote Wedgwood to Bentley in 1772. "When I tell
our noble customers ten guineas for a small pair of
vases with a single figure upon each, I am sure of a
full stare in the face from them." So Wedgwood
went to work to reduce cost and make their manufac-
ture rapid and economical. At first each vase was
painted separately, the outlines being drawn upon it
in chalk. But this was soon given up and the outlines
printed and the colours filled in afterwards. Even in
the body of the vases new mechanical aids were em-
ployed which facilitated production. The body
oftenest used was basaltes with some slight chemical
differences to give it a bluish or brownish tone. There
were also vases of a red biscuit body, painted like the
black ones, but these were never so popular and were
not made in large numbers.
The best period of the painted vases was 1780 till
1795, and quantities were made, the purchasers includ-
ing many of the highest rank in England, St. Peters-
burg, Amsterdam, Genoa, and Leghorn. The subjects
which were used to decorate them were not only
taken from antique Etruscan vases but from gems,
2o8 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
antique paintings and bas-reliefs, as well as Hamilton's
" Antiquities."
On the thirteenth of June, 1769, in one of the rooms
of the " Black Works," the first product of the new
factory was thrown. It was a great day for Wedgwood,
his family and friends. At the potter's bench sat
Josiah Wedgwood, arms bared and encircling the
plastic ball of clay, while beside him stood his partner,
Thomas Bentley, and his wife. The clay was moulded
with his accustomed care, and on the board in front
of him grew a row of classical urns, fashioned by his
skillful hands. These pieces all were fired, painted
with purest Etruscan design, and each was marked :
"June XIII. MDCCLXIX.
One of the first day's production
at
Etruria in Staffordshire
by
Wedgwood & Bentley.
Artes Etruriae Renascunter."
The body of these vases was basaltes, and the figures
and inscriptions are in red. The vases are of two
sizes, ten, and ten and one half inches high, and they
bear groups of Hercules and his companions in the
garden of the Hesperides. Each group is varied
slightly on every vase. So popular did this style of
vase become that they were thrown in Etruria and
painted at Chelsea in order to supply the demand. In
this latter place were many excellent artists to be had,
who worked under the superintendence of Mr. Bentley.
These Etruscan vases, etc., were sold largely on the
Continent as well as in England, and the material of
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 209
which they were made is so durable that many of them
still exist.
In the year 1770, Wedgwood had the satisfaction
of receiving large orders, not only from the King and
Queen of England, but from Catherine of Russia as
well. The set ordered by Catherine must have
grieved Wedgwood's artistic soul, for his patroness
did not leave the decoration to him, but gave positive
orders concerning it. On each piece was to be painted
in black enamel different views of the palaces, castles
of the nobility, and different places of interest in the
kingdom. Also upon every piece was to be painted a
green frog or toad, as the service was to be used at
a palace that bore this name.
Wedgwood rose to the occasion and the set was
finished in 1774. Twelve hundred original sketches
had been made of palaces, etc., to decorate it, and the
chatty Mrs. Delaney writes of the " sensation " the
service caused when exhibited in London : " I am
just returned from viewing the Wedgwood ware that
is to be sent to the Empress of Russia. It consists,
I believe, of as many pieces as there are days in the
year, if not hours. They are displayed at a house in
Greek street, Soho, called Portland House. There
are three rooms below and two above, filled with it
laid out on tables ; everything that can be wanted to
serve a dinner. The ground, the common ware, pale
brimstone, the drawings in purple, the borders a
wreath of leaves, the middle of each piece a particular
view of all the remarkable places in the King's domin-
ions neatly executed. I am sure it will come to a
princely price ; it is well for the manufacturer, which
I am glad of, as his ingenuity and industry deserve
210 THE OLDCHINABOOK.
encouragement." She does not mention the green
frog as being a part of the decoration, yet the Empress
showed this service to Lord Malmesbury when, in
1795, he visited the palace of La Grenouilliere.
In 1773 Messrs Wedgwood & Bentley issued their
first catalogue of goods. It is a curious document,
and seems to have been designed for customers who
did not have the opportunity of visiting the ware-
house in Great Newport Street.
It does not include the cream ware, in which Bentley
had no share, but specifies;
"First. A composition of terra-cotta resembling
porphyry, lapis lazuli, jasper and other beautiful
stones, of the vitrescent or crystalline class.
" Second. A fine black porcelain, having nearly the
same properties as the basaltes.
*' T/iird. A fine white biscuit ware or terra-cotta,
polished or unpolished."
The last of the three was used for vases, medallions,
stands, etc., and sometimes for portraits on a field of
black basaltes.
In the second edition of the catalogue there was a
fourth ware enumerated.
''Foitrth. A fine white terra-cotta of great beauty and
delicacy, proper for cameos, portraits and bas-reliefs."
This was the first appearance of what became the
most popular, and, to many people, the most beautiful
of Wedgwood's productions, jasper ware. A flower
holder is given in FiG. 129.
In the last catalogue published, 1787, this ware had
arrived at its greatest perfection and was now widely
known as jasper. This is how the catalogue sets its
merits down :
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 211
" FourtJi. Jasper a white porcelain bisque of exquis-
ite beauty and delicacy, possessing the general quali-
ties of the basaltes together with that of receiving
colours through its whole substance, in a manner
which no other body, ancient or modern has been
known to do. This renders it peculiarly fit for cameos,
portraits and all subjects in bas-relief, as the ground
may be made of any colour throughout without paint
or enamel, and the raised figures are the pure white."
The magnificent productions of the Wedgwood
Works and the fame acquired by the Catherine of
Russia and other royal services had given an impetus
to the sales of the wares outside of England. There
was such a call for them on the Continent that as
early as 1774 what was called a third edition of the
catalogue was issued, translated into French.
The broad spirit of this noble potter is shown in
his turning his attention from these objects of beauty
which were his delight to such simple matters as
inkstands and eye-cups, these latter being sold at one
shilling each.
The catalogue was next translated into Dutch, and
was issued at Amsterdam in 1778.
Somewhere about this time Wedgwood and Bentley
took into their service a young and unknown man,
named John Flaxman, and it was due to the steady cm-
ployment and encouragement given by these potters
that the sculptor was gradually able to work his way
upward.
No adequate list of the patterns and groups designed
and modelled by Flaxman for Wedgwood is extant.
With the characteristic generosity of Wedgwood the
prices paid to Flaxman from the very first were liberal.
212 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
In 1783, the year after the marriage of Flaxman to
Ann Denman — his guiding star — he got as much as two
pounds ten, for modelling a portrait for a ring and one
pound five, for one of the chessmen which later be-
came so famous. Some of the original models of
these seventeen figures in wax are still preserved at
Etruria, in a sadly dilapidated condition, it is true, but
showing how they were first made in white wax, the
" cores," or " strengtheners," being of twisted wire.
It was not known just where or when the game of
chess originated, some authorities making it an East-
ern amusement, some dating it from the fifth century
in England. So Flaxman felt himself at liberty to
choose as he would, and his figures are of the Middle
Ages. He selected effigies, figures on tombs, and
pictures in glass as his models for kings and queens,
knights and ladies.
The figures were often in white jasper, but were also
made in blue, black, or green, the bases remaining
white. The shape of the base varied also, and was
either oval, round, or square, the oval shape being the
earliest. In an invoice of December 6, 1787, the vari-
ous figures are charged at three shillings, one penny,
each. Flaxman drew these designs at various times
between October, 1783, and March, 1785. It was his
method to draw a rough sketch, submit it to Wedg-
wood, and, if approved, to make a careful drawing.
The drawings from which these chessmen were finally
modelled were sent to Etruria in March, 1785, and the
price charged was six pounds, sixpence. The model-
ling seems to have been paid for in addition. It is not
known whether chess boards were made to go with
these exquisite figures. Cribbage boards in pale blue
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 213
jasper, with decorations in white relief, were made a
few years later, and are occasionally seen, but chess
boards would have been larger objects than could
have been easily made in this composition. In 1867,
at Christies, were sold five pieces of one of these sets
of chessmen, a king, queen and three pawns. They
brought twenty-one dollars.
All the original models were made larger than they
were intended to be, so as to allow for the shrinkage
by fire. When the model had been made a mould
was made from it, and into this mould, when dried, the
prepared clay was pressed. If the original model was,
say, eight inches high, its copy in clay would be eight
inches also. After passing through the kiln, how-
ever, and being fired, it would shrink as much as one-
eighth, in every way. Thus it would come out but
seven inches high, and proportionally smaller in every
other measurement.
It caused much wonder how pieces could be pro-
duced precisely alike, yet varying in size, say from ten
inches to such tiny things as were fit for an ear-drop
or a jewel in a ring. It was easily managed. A
mould was taken, say from the piece just mentioned,
which had shrunk from eight to seven inches, and
from each successive size, the reduction being a loss of
one-eight of its then size, till it was reduced to the
wished-for dimensions.
In the year 1770, on the twenty-sixth of November,
Thomas Bentley died, and later on Wedgwood took
as partners his own sons and Thomas Byerley. In
1783 there occurred at Etruria a "bread riot," which
was quelled, and peace restored, chiefly by Wedg-
wood's own efforts. By 1785, Wedgwood, never
214 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
pausing in his efforts at improvement, introduced a
"jasper dip " in which clay vessels were immersed and
so received a coating of jasper instead of being formed
of it throughout. It made the goods more costly,
however, and Wedgwood writes to Bentley : " The
new jasper, white within, will be the only sort made
in the future ; but as the workmanship is nearly
double the price must be raised. I think it must be
about twenty per cent."
In the next year, 1786, came the sale of the marvel-
ous collection of antiquities and bric-a-brac belonging
to the late Duchess of Portland. In this sale was in-
cluded that unique work so highly extolled, the
" Barberini Vase," so called from having belonged to
the famous Barberini family at Rome. It came from
them by purchase to Sir William Hamilton, who, in
his turn, sold it to the Duchess of Portland, when it
became known as the Portland Vase.
Every one knows how Wedgwood admired this
vase, attended the sale, bid against the son of the
Duchess, who desired to retain the treasure, and rose
in his bids till the Duke crossed the room and asked
his reasons for wishing to own the piece. Wedgwood
told of his desire to copy it, and the Duke of Portland
promised to allow this if Wedgwood would stop bid-
ding and allow the Duke to keep it. This arrange-
ment was accepted by Wedgwood ; the Duke paid
1,029 pounds ($5,145 dollars); and Wedgwood took
home with him this gem. He says : " I can not suffi-
ciently express my obligation to his Grace, the Duke
of Portland, for entrusting this inestimable jewel to
my care, and continuing it so long — more than twelve
months — in my hands, without which it would have
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 215
been impossible to do any tolerable justice to this
rare work of art. I have now some reason to flatter
myself with the hope of producing in a short time a
copy which will not be unworthy the public notice."
The copy was made in due time, and as an example
of modern ceramic art could not be excelled. Fifty
copies were made, all of which were subscribed for.
The vase was made by Wedgwood with both black
and dark blue grounds. The original moulds are still
in existence, and copies are even now produced by
the Wedgwoods at their own works.
At this time, in his own manufactory at Etruria,
Wedgwood was making such perfect works of art as
that shown in FiG. 130. The earliest one of these was
made in 1781, and shown to the public in the show
rooms in Greek Street, Soho.
In some way the notion had become prevalent that
Mr. Bentley was the originator of the most beautiful
works put forth since his connection with the orna-
mental branch, and it was largely to counteract this
idea that the exhibition was held the year after his
death. All the Wedgwood and Bentley stock was
shown, and in separate cases the newest and most
artistic productions of Wedgwood himself, for by 1761
the difficult operation of firing large masses of jasper
had been mastered, snd he had been able to colour
his composition sea-green, light and medium blue, and
also black. The finest vases of this period were decor-
ated with Flaxman's designs, "The Dancing Hours,"
" Apollo and the Nine Muses," " An Offering to Flora,"
" Tragedy, Comedy and Apollo," and others.
These subjects were, of course, continued during
the whole period of vase making, with infinite variety
2i6 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
of detail as to ornament. Wedgwood speaks of these
vases in a letter to Sir William Hamilton, dated June
24, 1786: "One thing I persuade myself you will
observe, that they have been objects of very great
care, every ornament and leaf being first made in a
separate mould, and then laid upon the vase with great
care and accuracy, and afterwards wrought over again
upon the vase itself by an artist equal to the work ;
for from the beginning I determined to spare neither
time nor expense in modelling and finishing my orna-
ments, and I have the satisfaction to find that my
plan has hitherto met with the approbation of my
friends, for the purchasers of every nation declare
them to be the highest finished and cheapest ornaments
now made in Europe."
The vase shown in FiG. 130 is absolutely faultless.
It is in a medium shade of blue, with the figures in
white. Observe the grace of the festoons of flowers,
the perfection of the signs of the Zodiac. No detail
but can bear the closest scrutiny, and it will but re-
veal fresh excellences under the magnifying glass.
Lady Templeton's small groups of children, etc.,
first appeared about 1786. Lady Diana Beauclerk's
came later, as did Miss Crewes's.
The pedestals and tripods often used as supports to
the jasper vases must be noted too. Suitable size
seems to have been the chief factor sought in their
choice, for there never seems to have been any match-
ing of patterns. If size and colour were adaptable, this
was sufficient. The height of these vases ranges from
seven and one-quarter inches to nineteen and one-half,
the average being from ten and one-half to thirteen
and one-half inches. Many of the choicest vases
Fig. 130. JASPER VASE, BLUE AXD WHITE.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Fig. 131. JASPER VASE, LILAC AND WHITE.
Modelled by Hackwood. Bost"D Museum of Fine Arts.
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 217
are from eleven to sixteen and one-half inches in
height.
In 1787 the scale of prices was as follows, nothing
being said as to decoration : Seven and one-half
inches, one pound, one shilling. Nine inches, one
pound, eleven shillings and sixpence. The prices rose
in proportion to size and ornament until the maxi-
mum of thirty guineas was reached, a price cheerfully
paid to-day for one of the smallest ones.
The vase shown in FiG. 131 has more variety in
colour than is usual in these pieces. The body of the
vase is lilac. The diaper pattern on base of vase and
cover is alternate squares of blue and white, the white
square being decorated with quatrefoil ornaments in
green. The beautiful pattern on pedestal is also green.
These old vases are fastened to the pedestals by
nuts and screws, and these bits of metal have become
one of the methods by which the old Wedgwood —
prior to 1795 — may be told from the more modern.
If the objects were made before 1780 the nuts and
screws are of iron, not cast but beaten, and the metal
is rough and scaly and always very black. In some
cases the screw works in a sunk box, but this is un-
usual. Later there were used brass nuts and screws,
and these will be found much tarnished with age and
veiy small. In July, I775> Wedgwood mentions
twenty dozen screws being sent from London to
Etruria for vases, but the greater part of the work
was done in London by a man named Palenthorpe.
Spurious pieces of Wedgwood often have the nuts
covered with cement or plaster of Paris so as to con-
ceal their newness, and of all such appliances one
should beware.
2x8 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Writing as late as 1789, in regard to this jasper ware,
Wedgwood says : " For when the workman has finished
with them they have a long and hazardous fire to pass,
which with the polishing and finishing afterwards,
takes near a week, and in this burning they are liable
to various and unavoidable accidents in which case we
are obliged to make them over again and this doubles
the time."
No one can help admiring the fine spirit of this
great man, whose ambition was to excel in whatever
he laid his hand to. England, a land of blossom, had
hitherto had small attention paid to articles in which
to grow her plants in houses and conservatories. The
varieties of shapes and forms invented by Wedgwood
are admirable, and lend themselves to picturesque
arrangement never before approached.
Beginning with the common red flower-pot, and
passing a little later to those of stone ware, both grey
and white, great improvements were introduced. The
red ones became more shapely, harmonious colouring
was applied, the stoneware had simple decorations in
festoons or medallions, or moulded patterns. The
famous green glaze, one of Wedgwood's earliest
achievements, was applied to what he called " flower,
bough and root pots," as was the well-known cream
ware, and flower pots of this became as popular as
table sets. The very largest myrtle-pots were hooped,
and on many of the smaller sized ones were repeated
the popular patterns. Goat's heads, masks and dol-
phins were used for handles. Then basaltes and
terra-cotta bodies were employed and more classical
forms adopted. Bas-reliefs were applied, and stands,
pedestals, and plinths were used as supports.
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 219
In Fig. 132, modelled by Hackwood, is shown the
highest perfection these elegant flower stands achieved.
It is in a brownish lilac with figures and ornaments in
white, with perforated cover in which the stems of
the plants were held in place. There are collections
containing myrtle pans, bouquetiers and root pots
only, and the number of these articles is exceedingly
large. There are some of these pieces to be met with
even yet, and the plainest is to be eagerly seized upon.
Within the last eighteen months I have seen a fruit
stand, cabbage leaf pattern, with base of tortoise shell
ware, which was sold at auction in a small house in
the interior of New York State. A woman bought it
for ten cents, and a china fancier who happened in
asked to see it. It was marked with the name " Wedg-
wood," impressed, and as well as could be told in the
hasty glance given it, belonged to the old period.
An offer was made to the purchaser, of a brand new
pretty white dish in its stead, which was eagerly
accepted, the purchaser declaring she only " bought it
because it was going so cheap." It proved to be an
old piece, for after Wedgwood had made his green
glaze satisfactory he no longer combined it with mot-
tled ware.
In 1787 the sixth and last edition of the catalogue in
English issued during Wedgwood's life was published.
There have been two English reprints since, one in
1817 and one in 1873. The title reads:
" Catalogue of Cameos, Intaglios, Medals, Bas-re-
liefs, Busts and small Statues; with a general account
of Tablets, Vases, Escritoires, and other ornamental
and useful articles. The whole formed in different
kinds of porcelain and terra-cotta, chiefly after the
220 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
antique and the finest models of modern artists. By
Josiah Wedgwood, F.R.S. and A.S. ; Potter to Her
Majesty, and to his Royal Highness, the Duke of
York and Albany. Sold at his rooms in Greek Street,
Soho, London, and at his manufactory in Stafford-
shire. The sixth edition with additions. Etruria,
1787."
This catalogue, a pamphlet of seventy-four closely
printed pages, gives lists of the products in double
columns. It speaks of the four bodies already
mentioned and gives two others which he had perfected
since the previous edition in 1779. They are :
^'Fifth. Bamboo, or cane-coloured porcelain.
Sixth. A porcelain bisque of extreme hardness,
little inferior to that of agate. This property, to-
gether with its resistance to the strongest acids and
corrosives, and its impenatrability by every known
species of liquids, adapts it happily for mortars and
different kinds of chemical vessels."
Of the bamboo or cane-coloured ware specimens
exist in most collections, and Wedgwood mortars have
a world-wide reputation.
In 1788, on October 20, the partner in the "useful
wares," Thomas Wedgwood, died, and Josiah was left
with both branches of his large business on his hands.
On January 18, 1790, Josiah Wedgwood took into
partnership his three sons, John, Josiah, and Thomas,
and also his nephew, the style of the firm being Josiah
Wedgwood, Sons, and Byerley. The latter held a one-
eighth interest in the firm until his death in 18 10.
In 1795 on January 3, Josiah Wedgwood died, and
on the sixth his remains were buried in the Church of
St. Peter, Stoke-upon-Trent. Unfortunately his last
F,-. ij.. JASPKR FI.OWER-I'OT OR " BOUGH^I'< )T." LH.AC AXD WHITE.
Modelled by Hackwood. Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
SILVER LUSTRE CANDLE-STICKS.
'Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 221
illness was painful, probably cancer of the mouth,
called in those days " mortification," and he lingered
in suffering for three weeks.
A tablet has been put up in the Church of St.
Peter, rehearsing his virtues and his works, but a more
enduring monument was built by the man himself in
sending out into the world works of so fine a character
that each one was as perfect as its nature permitted.
To-day as yesterday his name sets a standard by
which other potters are measured, and in more than
one hundred years since his death no work can equal
his.
Although many examples of his handiwork have
been illustrated, there were many others equally fine
which have not been touched upon. Wedgwood him-
self divided his ornamental productions into twenty
classes which, briefly, are as follows :
Class One. This comprised intaglios and medallions
cut from antique gems and from the finest models
which can be procured from modern artists. By 1787
no less than 1032 separate designs had been issued.
There were two sections into which this first class was
subdivided, first the cameos and second the intaglios.
Roughly speaking a cameo stands out in relief from
the background, while the intaglios are cut into the
background. The cameos were made in jasper with
coloured grounds, or in plain white bisque. Ai early
as 1775 Wedgwood wrote he was absolutely sure of
blue " of almost any shade, and likewise a beautiful
sea-green and several other colours for grounds." In
the cameos were subjects taken from Egyptian,
Grecian and Roman mythology, War of Troy, Roman
history, Illustrious Moderns, etc. The intaglios took
322 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
a fine polish and were often made in imitation of vari-
ous coloured agates or other stones. Most of these
intaglios were made for rings, seals, bracelets or
brooches, and were generally to be mounted in gold.
Portraits of people were also cleverly produced in seals,
the original model being made in wax by Flaxman,
Hackwood, or some other of Wedgwood's best artists.
Wedgwood's quaint way of setting forth his wares
shows how well he appreciated their excellence : —
" If gentlemen or ladies choose to have models of
themselves, families or friends made in wax, or cut in
stones of proper size for seals, rings, lockets or brace-
lets, they may have as many durable copies of these
models as they please either in cameo or intaglio, for
any of the above purposes at a moderate expense. If
the nobility and gentry should please to encourage
this design, they will not only procure for themselves
everlasting portraits, but have the pleasure of giving
life and vigour to the arts of modelling and engraving,
etc."
The cost of these wax models, to be produced of a
proper size for ring or bracelet, was three guineas each.
After the first model was made copies were much
cheaper — at five shillings each — and not fewer than ten
could be ordered.
These intaglios, when of antique subjects, were
" pirated " boldly. One of the worst offenders was
Voyez, who even forged Wedgwood's name. Many
of these spurious intaglios are scattered abroad, but a
moment's comparison with an original will reveal the
copies' lack of polish, colour, and finish.
Class Two, in Wedgwood's division, included bas-
reliefs, medallions and tablets. Three hundred and
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 223
more distinct groups were made by him and his staff of
artists. The bas-reliefs were generally made in jasper
of two colours, and were used to set in furniture, cabi-
nets, fireplaces, etc. Some of the fine old English
country seats are still decorated with these tablets,
which date from Wedgwood's own day. Owing to
difficulty in firing, these early bas-reliefs were small,
six inches long by nine high ; but, at last, twenty-seven
and one half inches long, and eight and one half inches
high were obtained for such subjects as " Diana visiting
Endymion, etc."
These tablets were, from the first, very costly, even
at wholesale. In 1787 one invoice gives the prices of
a lot of tablets: — "One long square tablet, blue
ground. Apotheosis of Virgil, 7^ by 14^ £i6-i6s.
One ditto, green ground, Apotheosis of Homer, iJ^iS-
l8s."
Wedgwood says, in 1777, long before they arrived at
their perfection, " The jasper tablets want nothing
but age and scarcity to make them worth any price
you would ask for them."
C/ass Three consisted of medallions and portraits,
etc., of kings, queens and illustrious persons of Asia,
Egypt and Greece. There were more than one hun-
dred of these.
Class Four dealt with ancient Roman history, from
the foundation of the city to the end of the Consular
government, including the age of Augustus. Sixty
medals, from Dassier, were in this class, at one guinea
a set, or sixpence each.
Class Five. Forty heads of illustrious Romans.
Class Six embraced the twelve Caesars, in four
sizes, and their Empresses in one size only.
224 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Class Seven. Sequel of Emperors from Nerva to
Constantine, fifty-two in all.
Class Eight, The popes, two hundred and fifty-six
medallions. To those who took the whole set, they
cost threepence each. Singly, sixpence each.
Class Nine. Kings and queens of France and Eng-
land, one hundred heads, sold only in sets.
Class Ten included heads of " Illustrious Moderns."
In 1787 there were two hundred and thirty heads
named in the catalogue, which were made not only in
basaltes, and in blue and white jasper, but also in jas.
per of one colour only. These latter sold at a shilling
each.
Under such favourable conditions medallion portrai-
ture became very popular. Numerous private individ-
uals, as well as whole families, sat to a modeller. Many
such portraits are still to be picked up, but only a por-
tion of these can be identified. Among the many
people not classified in the catalogue are Erasmus
Darwin, Richard L. Edgworth, Bentley and his wife,
Dr. Small, Flaxman, William Penn, etc. Many of the
nobility sat for their portraits, and in the cases where
individual beauty was marked there was a good sale
of the portraits on this account. Some of the most
successful portraits were those of Lady Finch and hef
beautiful daughters. Flaxman modelled many o!
these portraits, though it is impossible to say definitely
just how many. It is known positively, however, that;
Mrs. Siddons sat to him for her portrait. So did Her-
schel, Dr. Johnson, the King of Sweden, the Queen of
Portugal, Sir Joshua Reynolds, the Duchess of Devon-
shire, Queen Charlotte, and a long list of other nota-
bles.
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 225
The most numerous portraits in this class, modelled
by any one man, were those made by William Hack-
wood. All the Wedgwoods and Bentleys and their
families and friends sat to him, and almost all visitors
of note who came to England visited Etruria and left
models of their faces.
Class Eleven. This was headed, " Busts, small
statues, boys and animals." It included many of his
notable works, chiefly the large busts of distinguished
persons which have now become so rare. Black ba-
saltes was the material used, and some busts were
twenty-five inches high, while eighty others of well-
known persons ranged from twenty-two to four inches
in height. There were also ornamental figures of
sphinxes and of various animals.
Busts were made occasionally in red, in white and
in cane-coloured terra-cotta. Rousseau and Voltaire
were made in this latter material. In Russia these
busts had a great vogue, and in Holland after the
issue of those of the De Witts, Prince of Orange,
Grotius and others the demand became extraordinary.
Amsterdam was the center of trade and agents were
needed in nearly every town.
Hackwood's skill in modelling was truly wonderful
when it is considered that he made these busts, life-
size from small statues, prints or antique gems. I
refer to such busts as Homer, Cicero, Venus de Med-
ici, Sappho, etc. They were most spirited and life-like,
and they brought very large prices, even at whole-
sale costing three pounds, three shillings, and the
smallest bringing one pound, eleven shillings and six,
pence. The bust of Voltaire, in black, had a large sale
among the clergy. No doubt the colour seemed
226 THE OLD CHINABOOK.
indicative of the philosopher's connection with the
devil.
Copies of these old busts are still made at Etruria,
but the beauty and finish of the old ones seem lack-
ing. The modern busts are almost always marked
with three letters in combination. As for the animals
mentioned in this class few survive. Pug dogs are
specified and elephants. The production of these
latter ceased probably because they did not sell well.
" I will send you no more such ponderous animals till
you have sold what you have. For, as the lad said,
' I fear we made a bull when we first made an ele-
phant.' " So writes Wedgwood. These figures were
sixteen and one half inches long by fourteen and one
half inches high. Lions and bulls were made in high
relief in ivory composition.
Under this class come the little groups of children,
the tritons, grifBns, tripods and candelabra. Some of
these were modelled by Wedgwood himself, but the
larger number by William Bacon. A pair of tritons
in " brown earth " were made for Thomas Lombe, Esq.,
in 1774, and cost four guineas. Sometimes the tritons
were bronzed and sometimes gilt. In FiG. 133 is
shown a most unique pair, of dark earthenware, silver
lustred. This lustre was first applied in 1791, and
was seldom used to cover the objects entirely, but
usually was laid on in a pattern upon a body of black.
The modelling of these figures is exceptionally fine
and full of strength.
It must be remembered that up to the time of leav-
ing Burslem, in 1769, Wedgwood, like the other
Staffordshire potters, made many small figures and
ornaments in earthenware. As he carried all his
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 227
moulds and patterns with him it is probable that these
were made for many years longer, for they were
exceedingly profitable, and there was a brisk demand
for them to ornament dressers, buffets, mantel shelves,
etc., and besides being on sale at warehouses, they were
sold at fairs and carried all over the country by
hawkers and dealers. The figures varied from seven
and a half to eight and a half inches, and were brightly
coloured and highly glazed, after similar productions
from Dresden, Bow, and Chelsea. The preference
was for shepherds and shepherdesses, a la Watteau,
singly or in groups, and there were some larger fig-
ures, of Daphne, Apollo, cupids, etc. These are
found marked "Wedgwood" in large letters, and
exact copies are also found unmarked, leading one to
suppose that when Wedgwood made finer bodies and
more elegant objects, he grew ashamed of these inar-
tistic pieces. Marked groups and pieces of this early
period are always desirable, and show in the strongest
manner the wonderful advance which was made in
figure work under Wedgwood's impetus.
Class Twelve included lamps and candelabra.
These were made in variegated pebble and black
basaltes, and sometimes in jasper of two colours.
There were never many of these made and they have
now become scarce and rare.
Class Thirteen is one of the most important in the
whole catalogue. It embraces all the tea and coffee
services of every variety, as well as chocolate sets,
sugar dishes, cream ewers, with cabinet cups and
saucers, and all the articles of the tea-table and
dejeuner made in bamboo and basaltes, plain or en-
riched with Grecian and Etruscan ornaments. For
228 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
the very choicest cabinet pieces jasper was used, and
it was of the finest and most transparent character,
and of intense hardness, yet presenting to the touch
the velvety bloom which is always found on fine pieces
of this ware.
Class Fourteen consisted of flower- and root-pots.
Class Fifteen comprised the ornamental vases of an-
tique form, of agate, jasper, porphyry and other stones
of the crystalline kind.
Class Sixteen included the vases of black porcelain
or artificial basaltes. These graceful and choice vases
were put to more than ornamental uses, for one was
used as a part of the monument to Viscount Chetwynd,
in Ashley Church, in 1770.
Class Seventeen was composed of all the styles of
objects, vases, tablets, etc., which were decorated with
encaustic paintings of Etruscan and Grecian subjects.
Class Eighteen included all the magnificent works
of art formed in jasper with coloured grounds and white
relief figures.
Class Nineteen seems hardly to come under the head
of "ornamental," for in it is included inkstands, paint-
chests, eye-cups and chemical vessels. Among the
many useful inventions made by Wedgwood, one of
the most useful was an inkstand which its inventor
claimed prevented the ink " from evaporating, grow-
ing thick and spoiling, as it does in all the common
inkstands." These stands were sold in connection
with sand and wafer boxes, and were in jasper of two
colours as well as basaltes. Some of the shapes of the
pieces were extremely elegant, the inkstands and boxes
being in the forms of Grecian urns, standing in a long
graceful tray, ornamented with heads and small pat-
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 229
terns on the edge. While one can but admire the
artistic spirit and ambitious desire to have his work as
excellent as it could be made, which always animated
Wedgwood, it is also admirable to see how he worked
to make his productions a success financially, and to
spread their fame world-wide. He sent these ink-
stands broadcast over the Continent, England, Ireland
and America, and there is scarcely a collection which
does not include one or two.
The paint-chests were for water-colour painters, and
the eye cups, made of compositions imitating different
pebbles, were used for bathing the eyes. There were
toilet-boxes, also, in terra-cotta, basaltes and jasper
bodies, which were exquisite. They were used to
hold pins, patches, pomatum, rouge, gloves and bows,
tassels, gold and silver ornaments, lace, buckles, rings
and knick-knacks. They could be bought for from
three shillings up to twelve. These little articles have
survived time and change in small numbers, as have
the paint-boxes, for people no longer grind and mix
their own colours as they did in Wedgwood's day.
Class Twenty, the last, was " Thermometers for
measuring strong fire, or the degrees of heat above
ignition."
Besides these twenty classes of goods, which were
chiefly ornamental, at the end of the catalogue is the an-
nouncement : " The Queen's Ware of Mr. Wedgwood's
manufacture, with various improvements in the table
and dessert services, tea equipages, etc., continues to
be sold as usual at his warehouse in Greek Street, Soho,
and at no other place in London."
Included in these classes already enumerated, but
particularly specified, are many objects of the greatest
230 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
beauty. Such tiny objects as strings of beads for the
neck and arms were made of all shades of jasper,
daintily decorated in white, and formed ornaments of
exquisite workmanship and colour.
Drinking cups, copied from antique specimens in
the British Museum, were made as early as 1774.
They were basaltes, usually, the rims edged in silver.
There were some in the form of a fox's head mounted
in silver, " Druid Mugs," " Sportsmen's Drinking
Mugs," with the well-known design of hare and hounds
and huntsmen, with which we are familiar on jugs.
The earliest of these have a brown-glazed ground.
Pipe heads, also came under his notice, and he formed
beautiful ones in basaltes, and jasper, these latter hav-
ing, usually, a blue body with white figures. These
heads were used with reeds for drawing the smoke
through, and snufT and tobacco-boxes are also men-
tioned. Wedgwood made hookah vases for export to
the East. Jasper was the body employed and the dec-
oration was very elegant, the metal appliances being
silver or silver gilt.
Trays of every size and shape were made to hold
various objects. They were oval, octagonal, square,
elongated, or round, fluted or engine-turned, and dec-
orated with reliefs. Always charming, the jasper trays
were of great beauty, as were the encaustic ones. The
cream-ware trays were simply fluted, and of varying
shades of cream. In jasper you might choose to grace
a boudoir in pale sea-green, olive, lilac, slate, light,
medium or dark blue. Many of these trays with their
services are still extant. Mr. Gladstone, who was a
china collector himself, had one of slate-coloured jas-
per, with ornament in white, and quatrefoil decora-
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 231
tions. These trays are generally found with the name
" Wedgwood " incised upon them, and in connec-
tion with the letter " o " or figure " 3 " or both to-
gether.
Wine-coolers, made upon the principle of absorp-
tion and evaporation were introduced before 1787.
They were in an unglazed red ware were elegant in
form, and appropriately decorated with garlands of
grapes and vine leaves.
Brown glazed tart and pie-dishes were made in quan-
tities, and from I793 to 1802 they were largely in de-
mand. During Josiah Wedgwood's life Champion's
patent for the sole use of certain Cornish clays pre-
vented his making porcelain, and it was with difficulty
that he kept his choicer wares from assuming this tex-
ture, so it was never made at Etruria until about 1805-
1806, when soft paste porcelain was manufactured, and
continued until 181 5 when it was discontinued.
Frames in earthenware were made at an early date,
but were found too perishable to become popular.
Friezes were made of many of the choicest designs,
and the dining-room and drawing-room at Etruria Hall,
as well as these same rooms in Mr. Bentley's house at
Turnham Green were thus decorated, as well as several
houses for the nobility. There were pastile burners
in many shapes and sizes in which pastiles or perfumed
paste could be burned. Like the pot-pourri vases they
have perforated lids for the odour to escape. They
were made of a variety of bodies, but most often in red
and black. The pot-pourri jars were made in Josiah
Wedgwood's time, but the pastile burners were intro-
duced about 1805, and were made in the old moulds.
They were used not only in cases of sickness but were
232 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
set on stairways in halls and rooms for perfuming the
whole house.
There are specimens of a shiny black ware which
are not at all uncommon in tea-sets and coffee-potSj
decorated with gaudy flowers, either peonies or chrysan-
themums, which are sometimes declared to be old
Wedgwood. This is not true. They were not made
till about 1805, and continued in vogue till 1815.
Supper sets are very rarely met with now. They
consisted of four separate covered dishes either flat or
raised, which nest together and form four divisions of
a circle, the central space being occupied by a pile of
twelve plates, and surmounted by a sauce-dish. The
trays were of the same material as the service, or of
some rich inlaid wood.
I am occasionally asked if it is possible to obtain
specimens of Wedgwood in this country. Certainly
it is, though the choice pieces, of course, command
large prices. In another part of this chapter I have
spoken of the cabbage-leaf compote which was picked
up for a few cents, and since then I have seen an ex-
quisite dish of the old " green glaze," twelve inches
long, and oval in shape, with raised decoration in
strawberry leaves and fruit. It was bought for one
dollar at a second-hand store, both buyer and seller
thinking it a piece of " Majolica," and the purchaser
taking it for its fine colour. On the back is the mark
" J. W." impressed in script under the glaze, and every
detail of the pattern is carried out with great care.
The printed cream-ware with pretty patterns can some-
times be had for one dollar a plate, and there are
many jugs with his well-known patterns on them, some
quite unmistakable for their fineness and finish.
Fig. 134. WEDGWOOD'S PATTERNS.
Fig. 136. LAVENDER PORCELAIN JUG.
WEDGWOOD AND HIS WARES. 233
In Fig. 134 is shown a group, not all Wedgwood's,
but bearing designs he originated. They have been
slowly gathered in the South and one of particular
interest is the smallest in the front row, which belonged
to Thomas Jefferson, and from which, for many years,
he drank his milk and water tea.
The two large ones on the upper row are in cane-
coloured ware with bunches of grapes, and different
grains on the panels of the sides.
Most of the museums, all over the country, have
specimens of the basaltes and jasper wares, and no
doubt there is much of the less choice wares still
tuclced away awaiting recognition.
The product of no other factory so well repays
study as that of Wedgwood, and the eulogy on his
monument seems not too fulsome.
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
JOSIAH WEDGWOOD, F.R.S. AND S.A.
Of Etruria, in this country.
Born August, 1730, died January 3, 1795.
Who converted a rude and inconsiderable manufacture into an
elegant art and an important part of a national commerce.
By these services to his country he acquired ample fortune.
Which he blamelessly and reasonably enjoyed,
And generously dispensed for the reward of merit and the relief
of misfortune.
His mind was inventive and original, yet perfectly sober, and well
regulated.
His character was decisive and commanding, without rashness or
arrogance,
His probity was inflexible, and his kindness unwearied ;
His manners simple and dignified and the cheerfulness of his tem-
per was the reward of the activity of his pure and useful life.
He was most loved by those who knew him best
And he has left indelible impressions of affection and veneration
on the minds of his family who have erected this monument
to his memory.
CHAPTER X.
jugs, teapots, and animals.
Fig. 135.
The passion for collecting old china extends to all
sorts and conditions of men, and, in certain localities,
seems to run to one class of objects= In a certain city
of New York State with which I am familiar there are
more than six collections of jugs of which I have per-
sonal knowledge, and in certain other places teapots
are the objects sought. A great many jugs — what
true collector would call them pitchers? — have been
shown already, and mentioned, but there are legions
more, some of them presenting puzzles which the col-
lector would gladly solve.
In Fig. 136 is shown a jug which is still open to
study. It is of porcelain body, of a splendid shade of
lavender, and decorated with a graceful pattern in
white. It can easily be seen that the piece was made
by pouring slip into a mould, for there are many irreg-
ularities, particularly in the base, but its colour is so
lovely and the decoration is so fine that the smaller
details are overlooked. The maker was probably
Ridgway, though the piece is unmarked, for there
are jugs of similar material but less graceful shape,
lavender in colour, and decorated in white, marked with
his name. The patterns on these specimens, which
are marked Ridgway, are very ornate, winged lions,
with fauns pouring wine from a cup, and a head of
JUGS, TEAPOTS, AND ANIMALS. 235
Bacchus forming the lip. There is a beautiful border
of grapes and leaves, and, except in the matter of
shape, this is a handsomer jug than that in FiG. 136.
The wliolesale copying of wares which were in the
least popular makes one cautious about naming un-
marked pieces. I have seen only these two patterns
in this lavender porcelain, which is very brittle in its
composition, and has an extreme high glaze.
Fig. 137 is a nice example of Davenport. It is an
earthenware jug in the Nautilus pattern, which was
so popular, and is painted over glaze, not printed.
The works at Longport were opened in 1793 by John
Davenport, who made stone china as well as earthen-
ware. The body of this jug is the fine cream colour
to which we have been accustomed in the Stafford-
shire wares, and the decoration is black, pink and
green. John Davenport believed in employing the
best artists obtainable to decorate his wares, and he
made very choice and handsome dinner and tea ser-
vices, as well as many minor pieces. He got some of
the artists from Derby to work for him, and his porce-
lain sets, which were made later, were very fine. The
name is generally printed on the pieces in red, small
capitals being used. An impressed anchor is also used
with the name " Davenport-Longport," surrounding
it in a circle. This piece is comparatively modern, it
is marked with the anchor, dated 1838, and has, be-
sides, the initials of the person it was made for. The
factory is still working, and sends many goods to this
country; the name of the firm at present is John
Davenport & Sons.
A pretty jug is also given in FiG. 138. It is Stafford-
shire, not the old choice blue, but brown. It is by
236 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Clews, and belongs to his " Picturesque Views" series.
The view is Newburg, Hudson River, though it is
sometimes labelled " Hudson City," an error by some
careless workman, no doubt. This jug is twelve inches
high, and was intended for milk or cider. No collec-
tion is complete without as many of these Stafford-
shire pieces as one can get hold of, old blue preferably,
and if not that, whatever one can. There is infinite
variety in the shapes and scenes, and in the colours
and combinations. Insensibly these jugs, StafTord-
shire particularly, lead one on to a pastime as beguil-
ing as collecting old china. When you have some
piece with a view unmarked, the next point of interest
is to settle what it is. You turn immediately to
second-hand book shops and look over all the old his-
tories of this country you can find — everything marked
" pictorial " that comes to hand — in hopes of verifying
your china. There are many of these old books, and
somehow they gravitate to the ten or fifteen cent
counter. Even if you don't find what you were in
search of, you find something that claims your atten-
tion, the price asked is so small, and lo, before you
know where you are, you are on the road to becoming
a bookworm !
Fig. 139 is called the Minster jug, and was made
by Charles Meigh. Job Meigh, the grandfather of
Charles, started the " Old Hall Works " at Hanley
about 1770. The works descended from father to
son, and then to grandson, by whom they were con-
tinued till 1861.
Besides the blue pottery already mentioned, Charles
Meigh made many other wares, and this jug of stone-
ware is marked and dated 1846. While these jugs are
Fig. 137. DAVENPORT JUG.
Fig. 138. NEWBURG JUG.
Fig. 139. MINSTER JUG.
Fig. 140. ARIADNE JUG. Alcock.
Fig. 141. ALCOCK JUGS.
JUGS, TEAPOTS, AND ANIMALS. 237
not rare, they are by no means common, and the beauty
of the modelling and finish makes them an ornament
to any collection. Age has given them a creamy tone
which is very beautiful, but sometimes they develop
spots, which may be cleaned off with bread, or, if these
are deep-seated, warm water, soap, and a soft brush
will generally remove them.
The factory started by the elder Job was sold in
1861, as has been mentioned, and it is now largely
devoted to the manufacture of white ware. Its pro-
prietors claim that they are the originators of an en-
tirely new branch of ceramic art, and I should be
afraid to say how many thousand pieces of porcelain
they turn out yearly. Their circular claims that they
make about one thousand different shapes and sizes of
porcelain teeth, varying in tint from the pearly one of
the poet's fancy to the dark brov/n one of him who
uses tobacco. These articles are moulded, dipped and
fired like any other porcelain goods, and a motto from
some of Wedgwood's writing about the necessity of
doing well whatever you attempt, hangs in a conspicu-
ous place in the office. One wonders if they classify
their products as Wedgwood did, into the ornamental
and the useful !
In Fig. 140 is shown a pair of singularly beautiful
jugs, from the works of Samuel Alcock & Co., who
owned the " Hill Top Pottery," or " Hill Pottery," at
Burslem, which had formerly belonged to Ralph
Wood. If one may judge from the jugs they made,
their work must have been very fine, and it is a pity
that more of it is not to be found. These works were
rebuilt in 1839, ^^^ the Alcocks had worked them for
many years previously. In i860 the works were sold.
238 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
but the date of the jugs is said to be about 1830, and
M. Protat is given as the modeller. He was a French-
man, who came to England and worked for several
potters:— at Etruria for the Wedgwoods, for the Min-
tons, and for the Alcocks. The pair of jugs shown
are of an ivory tinted parian, with the figure of
Ariadne in an exquisite shade of lavender, as is the
vine decoration about the top. The edge and inside
of the lip are richly gilt. In the Boston Museum of
Fine Arts is a single pitcher on loan exhibition, exactly
like this pair save that the colours are reversed, and
that the body is lavender of a most exquisite shade,
and the figures and decorations white.
The shade of lavender used by this firm is very
beautiful ; it is hard to compare it to any known tint,
for violets are too blue and lilacs are too cold to give
any idea of its warm rosiness. The next illustration.
Fig. 141, shows four more Alcock jugs belonging to
the same collection as the one previously shown, and
the owner of which has the most phenomenal luck,
getting her jugs in pairs, though often each one comes
from a different source. Such a pair is seen in the
first and third pitchers, which bear on the bottom
these words, " The Distin Family, the Saxe Horn
Performers." On the jugs arc five panels, each being
a portrait of a member of the family with his instru-
ment in his hand. These pitchers have the interest-
ing variation of being white figures on a lavender
ground in one case, and lavender on a white ground in
the other. The handle has a horn for decoration, and
there is a wealth of delicate ornament about the top
and on the base. The tall graceful jug between them
has an Eastern scene, white figures on a pale blue
iUGS, TEAPOTS, AND ANIMALS. 239
ground, and the fourth and last, a gypsy tent in white
and lavender. All six jugs bear the Alcock mark
which is variously, "Alcock & Co., Hill Pottery, Bur-
slem," or " S. Alcock & Co.," either printed or
impressed, which I fancy was the earliest mark of the
firm, though very little is to be learned about them.
These jugs of Alcock'sare all moulded ware, as were
most of Wedgwood's and all the early English potters.
This process has been nearly superseded during the
past forty or fifty years by what is called by the French
term, " pate-sur-pate." This process gives an effect
similar to that of the jasper wares, except it has a high
glaze. The colours used for the background are grey,
green in two sliades, and a dark and medium brown.
On these backgrounds the design is applied in white
paste, which is laid on in successive layers with a
brush, till it has a given thickness, and forms a rough
shape. This mound of paste is trimmed and rounded
with sharp and cutting tools, or by means of a small
scraper until it has the required form and thickness.
After the bas-relief is made, it has the first firing,
which welds the parts together and gives it sufificient
consistency to be dipped into the glaze. Then comes
the final firing, and if the piece is successful — a large
proportion is not — the result is charming. The
final firing fuses the white paste to such a degree that
only the thicker portions remain white, the thinner
parts, as draperies, etc., permit the background to
show faintly through, which gives an ethereal char-
acter to the work. It is used in all sorts of fanciful
designs, on vases, tablets, placques, and the colours,
particularly the browns, are very charming. To
Wedgwood's fine and sharp reliefs it bears about the
240 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
same relation as a water-colour to one of Rembrandt's
oils. Each style has its admirers.
The sharply cut relief is admirably shown in FiG.
142 where the jugs shown come under the head of
" Makers Unknown." The pair of tall jugs are quite
remarkable examples of bold relief and the undercut-
ting brings them out wonderfully. You may almost
hear the twang of the bowstring on the left-hand jug,
the tenseness of the figure being admirable. The
whole design is very spirited, birds as well as boy, and
the pure white gives it the look of marble. It is the
central jug, however, to which one turns again and
again. Silenus, quite overcome with his potations, is
supported on either side by a satyr, their goat's legs
and pointed ears being most delicately modelled.
All about hang bunches of grapes, and on the other
side the infant Bacchus, deserted by his drunken
nurse, is stealing a ride on his mule, and full of pleas-
ure with his prank. Who would ever dream of
calling this bacchanalian vessel a pitcher? This latter
word is so suggestive of such temperate fluids as milk
or water, while the good old-fashioned word "jug" is
fairly redolent of those spiced and steaming mixtures
which formed so potent an element in the daily rations
of several generations ago. It seems as if almost any
drink would taste better from such a beaker, and I do
not doubt it was often supped from the jug itself.
Certainly that scallop in the rim seems admirably
formed for the mouth. Even the handle, twisted stems,
is appropriate to the rest of the design. Nothing
now-a-days is choice enough for such a jug but the
golden wine of Andalusia, made from such grapes as
Bacchus himself loved.
Fig. 142. EAGLE AND SILENUS JUGS.
Fig. 143- TOBY JUGS.
' :^^^
'-^[^^
^-i*jfl--iiil( '
-^h-
M
ShHk ^mJtMtS^k
^^•^ »?/
Fig. 145. GROUP OF TEAPOTS, LUSTRE DECORATIONS.
JUGS, TEAPOTS, AND ANIMALS. 241
More distinctly formed for convivial pleasure is a
sort of jug called Toby, named, so it is said, from a
thirsty old soul, Toby Philpot, whose habit, as you
might say, was not that of temperance. In our head-
piece the central ornament is such a Toby, and an un-
commonly genial one. He is rather unusual from the
fact that both hands are occupied, as he holds both
mug and jug, and from the benign expression of his
face, which is really delightful in its genial benevo-
lence. The faces on many of such jugs are disagree-
able and leering visages, quite enough, one would
think, to dispel all wish for any liquor they contained.
Our own Toby is so amiable that you smile with him;
no doubt it was such a jug that Gabriel Varden had,
and which he constantly requested Dolly to keep re-
plenished, and nea*- his hand on the table. This Toby
is unmarked, probably of Staffordshire, and very gay
in his colours, as most of them were. His red coat
and green trousers make a fine showing on the high
shelf from which he smiles down, and this smile is re-
flected in his owner's countenance whenever a sugges-
tion is made of buying him.
In Fig. 143 three other Tobys are shown. The cen-
tral one is the most unique, as it is of silver lustre on
pottery. It is most unusual in every way, and has,
like the Toby in FiG. 135, a cheerful, happy smile. It
bears signs of age and use, and, like its companions in
the picture, came from the City of New Orleans, a treas-
ure house indeed for the hunter of antiques. The
large Toby is a famous pattern, Benjamin Franklin
taking snuff. It is a very fine example, in good condi-
tion, and its record is known for eighty years back.
Jugs very similar to this are made in England to-day,
242 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
but they are not of this creamy old bone paste, which
surprises you by its extreme lightness every time you
lift an article made of it. The decoration is different
also, and the old and the new are as clearly marked
as if the Tobys were dated. The last member of the
trio is a caricature of Charles II, made in reference, no
doubt, to the time he spent wandering about England
after the defeat at Worcester, in 1651, before he was
able to effect his escape to France.
The number of jugs which one may gather is only
to be limited by one's patience, length of purse, and
placj to put them. The chief objection to them is the
space tAey occupy, which is equally to be thought of
in regard to teapots. The earliest one recorded of
these latter articles, of European make and hard por-
celain, was that formed by Bottcher in Saxony, some-
time in the year 1708. He had been experimenting
for some years to make hard porcelain, and succeeded,
in 1708, in drawing out of a furnace a saggar con-
taining a teapot, which was plunged into cold water
in the presence of the King of Saxony, Augustus II,
and sustained no injury.
Between 1690 and 1710 the Elers Brothers made
teapots of red clay in imitation of Japanese wares, but
how much earlier they had been made in China or
Japan it is impossible to say. I have seen some very
early specimens, Chinese, with a spout on each side,
and a division through the center, so that one vessel
could hold both black and green tea. I do not believe
these pots were used by the Chinese in their own
households. Certainly not for the " Cha-no-yu," or
ceremonial tea-drinking, which is not to be confused
with the ordinary absorption of the liquid.
JUGS, TEAPOTS, AND ANIMALS. 243
The " Cha-no-yu " is a form of entertainment which
the uneducated foreigner cannot appreciate. Every
movement is regulated by laws known to the initiated
only. The subject of conversation does not touch on
every-day affairs, but the host produces some work of
art, or reads a poem, and that is what must be con-
sidered. The kettle containing the boiling water, the
bowl and other utensils must all have some historic or
artistic interest, and the cup from which the infusion
is drunk is the gem of all the service, often an example
of archaic pottery.
How can the Occidental, a creature of to-day, regard
with sufficient reverence a performance where the rules
governing it have not been changed for centuries?
True there are various schools which differ as to minor
details, — whether the little straw broom with which
the drink is stirred should be laid afterward on the
seventh or thirteenth seam of the matting, and things
of that character, which seem of infinitely small im-
portance to the ignorant, but make a vast difference to
the connoisseur. The spoon seems to us a necessary
factor to a cup of tea ; the Chinese would not know
what to do with such a barbaric tool. Neither would
they condescend to drink the boiled fluid which poses
for a large portion of the Western World as tea.
In Stockbridge among the Berkshires, in Providence,
Rhode Island, and in Utica, New York, are the larg-
est collections of these fascinating objects yet heard
from. The smallest of these gatherings numbers over
five hundred and the largest is creeping towards two
thousand.
In Fig. 144 is shown a group of teapots, in printed
wares — black, mulberry, red and green — and one
244 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
Castleford. They vary in size from the one holding
scarcely more than one cup to the family comforter ;
— and each one of them is agreeable in shape and dec-
oration. The two in the background are similar in
shape and in the pattern of the handle, the one on the
left being sparingly decorated with lustre. The tea-
pots with the cover setting down in a box-like recess
antedate those in which the cover sets over the top.
Many of the "Old Blue" pots are of this same shape,
with the front of the rim rising up sharply. It was in
teapots like these that the infusion was served, at
those functions which have since been superseded by
the afternoon tea. In Colly Gibber's " Lady's Last
Stake "come these lines: "Tea, thou soft, thou sober,
sage and venerable liquid ; thou female-tongue-run-
ning, smile-smoothing, heart-opening, wink-tipping cor-
dial, to whose glorious insipidity I owe the happiest
moment of my life, let me fall prostrate."
From just such vessels as these did our patriotic
grandmothers drink those odious herb decoctions
which their fervid hearts preferred to tea taxed by
England, even though their palates rebelled. It was
the custom to have the tea served on what were called
tea-poys, little stands of Chinese make, with mandarins
or pagodas on them, and brilliantly lacquered. These
often came in sets, " nesting " into each other, so that
when not in use they would occupy small space in the
best room.
From China, tea had been introduced into Japan in
the beginning of the ninth century, and presumably
the same customs prevailed with regard to making it,
no true Oriental ever adding milk or sugar, or even
the lime juice preferred by the Russian.
JUGS, TEAPOTS, AND ANIMALS. 245
About 1770 Sir Charles Williams wrote a poem
called " Isabella," which is intended to show the
morning occupations of Lady Isabella Montague.
One of her admirers has the following speech put into
his mouth.
" To please the noble dame the courtly squire
Produced a teapot made in Staffordshire !
So Venus looked, and with such longing eyes,
When Paris first produced the golden prize,
• Such work as this,' she cried ' can England do ?
It equals Dresden and outdoes St. Cloud.
All modern china now shall hide its head,
And e'en Chantilly must give o'er the trade.
For lace let Flanders bear away the bell.
In finest linens let the Dutch excel,
For prettiest stuffs let Ireland be first named,
And for best fancied silks let France be famed;
Do thou, thrice happy England still prepare
This clay, and build thy fame on earthenware !"
Ten years later this prophetic jest had been made
actual truth by the notable productions of Wedgwood
and others, who, even at this date, 1770, were on the
way to perfecting these sources of comfort.
In Fig. 145 is presented a bevy of beauties that,
may have been in this country at the time of Boston's
largest and most notable tea-party, or shortly after.
All china collectors know how Franklin's name and
face are continually occurring on china and pottery,
and how, as well, it is connected with this stirring
event in Boston Harbour. The affronts to Franklin
had inflamed the Colonists, and England was incensed
by the speech of Wedderburn with reference to the
letters of Hutchinson and Oliver, which Franklin had
brought to America. Both sides were ready for a
246 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
fray, and England determined to bring the Colonists
to a realizing sense of their dependence. The tax on
tea still existed, and it was to be enforced. The re-
ception meted out to the three ships which sailed into
Boston Harbour that December day, 1773, is known to
every school boy in America, and, no doubt, some
New England dames regretted the three hundred and
forty-two chests which were flung into the briny waters
of the harbour, particularly when they were sipping
some of the bitter infusions made from the leaves of
such shrubs as could be conveniently gathered and
dried.
At many an afternoon gathering the comparative
merits of "New Jersey tea," as the drink made from
the dried leaves of the red-root was called, was dis-
cussed, and one cannot blame the good women if they
silently acknowledged the superiority of the leaves of
the China plant.
The teapots shown in FiG. 146 are all worth par-
ticular study. The shapes are fine, the wares various,
and the decorations, painted in colours, very beauti-
ful. No wonder such teapots as these called forth
expressions of admiration, and were copied to a great
extent.
That delightful traveller, Arthur Young, writes in
August, 1788, of a fair held at Guilbray, France, where
much merchandise was sold. He finds here examples
of porcelain and Queen's Ware, English goods, and
French imitations of a very poor quality. He asked
the Frenchman who was selling them, if the treaty of
commerce would not be very injurious, since the French
goods were so very manifestly inferior to the English.
" Precisely the contrary," answered the merchant,
Fig. 146. GROUP OF TEAPOTS. PAINTED WARES.
PHI'l'Kl'l POT.
Fig. 149. NOTTINGHAM BEAR.
Fig. ISO. COW AND CALF.
JUGS, TEAPOTS, AND ANIMALS. 247
" these goods are the best yet made in France.
Next year you will see still further improvement, and
ten years from now, we will excel you at every point."
The round teapot at the left is a favourite shape
with early makers. I have seen its counterpart, dec-
orated with printed designs and marked " Sadler &
Green, 1756." The one next to it is a familiar Bristol
pattern and has beautiful decoration in flowers, similar
to the pot at the extreme left, which is ribbed all the
way down, while the right hand one is ribbed only
half way down.
Even the person who is not a china lover, pure and
simple, must admire each of these specimens. The
quaint shapes, the creamy ware, the gay posies shown
thereon make each one an ornament for a dining-room
not to be despised, and very different from those speci-
mens made by the Elers Brothers, even though they
cast the very first refining influence upon the trade of
potting. Their work seems crude enough in compari-
son with what was produced one hundred years later.
In the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts is a
most interesting collection of tea-bowls, some of them
dating back as far as 1500. They are all rather small,
made of a rough, brownish, mottled ware, and each
one is accompanied by a little tea-jar, with a cover of
pottery, or an ivory button. They are small and
dainty in shape and can hold but a spoonful or two of
the dried leaves.
There are also, among the many specimens shown,
examples of kettles for water or wine which are ex-
actly in shape and size what we call teapots. Several
of them are centuries old, but the first one which is
called a teapot is from Japan and dated 1720. One
248 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
remarkable quality of the Oriental was the way he
adapted himself to the wants of the Occidental
market, and strove in every way to meet its demands.
Gombron, opposite to Ormus in the Persian Gulf,
was the first port opened to the English East India
Company, and from this place the commodities of India
and China were exchanged for those of Europe, and
China was called " Gombron Ware," before it became
known by the general name of china. The Dutch and
the Portuguese had been importing before England was
able to secure a footing, and in 1690 the Dutch were
allowed to export annually one hundred bales of china
from Japan. We are wont to regard the Chinese as
barbarians, yet can trace back many of our comforts
and elegancies to their shores, from which source they
filtered to us, often by way of Japan.
When the " China drink" became fashionable in the
last quarter of the seventeenth century, even though
the tax upon it was five shillings a pound, the modish
people would have it. With it came fine porcelain,
dainty cups without saucers, — the Oriental himself did
not use them,— and the pretty kettles for hot water,
small enough to be heated upon the little brasier
which is, even to this day, the Chinese apology for a
cooking arrangement. Our English cousins wanted
the drink; they did not care a fig for the ceremonies
which surrounded the brewing of it ; and the hot water
kettle seemed a good thing to prepare it in. So they
popped the leaves into the kettle and, no doubt,
boiled them, a much quicker process than boiling
water, pouring it into a cup, then dropping in a few
leaves, allowing them to uncurl and fall to the bottom
before stirring with a few straws.
JUGS, TEAPOTS, AND ANIMALS. 349
Saucers were made to gratify the Western market,
so were the handles on cups. Be sure no tea-cup with
a handle is much more than one hundred years old,
for such an addition was not thought of till the end of
the eighteenth century. Coffee cups had handles
earlier than this. The oldest piece of porcelain known
in England is a celadon cup brought from China be-
tween the years 1 504-1 532, and given to New College,
Oxford.
On every style of ware the world over, flowers, birds
and butterflies are used as decoration. We use these
things because the colour is pretty and the shape
pleasing, but that ancient people from whom we copied
never made a stroke which did not have sentiment or
meaning. When Darby went forth to purchase a tea-
pot for his Joan, why did he select one with butterflies
and bees? Just because it was gay. Yet the work-
man sitting cross-legged in his bamboo studio put but-
terflies on a tea-pot, which was copied in England, be-
cause they were to him a sign of conjugal felicity.
They may almost be called the Chinese cupid ; and
what the bee signifies even our less symbolic ideas
appreciate. What prettier combination could be
brought together for a marriage gift than the emblems
of conjugal happiness and industry?
There is very little that is poetical in the Stafford-
shire figures which are by no means diflficult to find
scattered in many humble homes, chimney-piece orna-
ments even yet. Some of them are small, four or five
inches high, in single figures, groups or pairs. One
quite out of the common run is given in FiG. 147. It
is one of a pair, twelve inches high, and they are
tnarked on the base " The Lion Slayers." It is hard
2SO THEOLDCHINABOOK.
to say just why the costume of a Highland laddie
should be chosen in which to hunt the " King of
Beasts," combined moreover with such an Oriental
looking headdress. These figures are creamy white,
sparingly touched with colour, the stockings, sword
and lion's mane being the most brilliant. The smaller
groups are often every highly coloured, but the use of
gold is apt to be meagre.
The little country lad shown in FiG. 148 is for use.
He is four inches high and a pepper-box. There is a
hole in the base into which the pepper is poured, and
closed with a cork. It shakes out through the little
openings in his cap. He is a very lively little person —
red trousers, blue coat, and yellow vest and hat. It is
quite impossible to give any idea of the hundreds of
patterns made for this use. The largest collection
known contains between three and four thousand, and
of every variety of ware. Napoleon in a cocked hat
is a not uncommon device; so is John Bull, and even
Franklin's stocky figure has been pressed into service.
A shelf of such figures, intermingled with the plain
banded pots of Bristol and Leeds and some of the
rich copper lustre, makes a very ornamental showing
in a corner cupboard, or they mix in well in a collec-
tion of larger and more gravely coloured pieces. An-
other merit of these smaller pieces is their compara-
tively small price. I saw two or three very good ones
this past summer in a little shop at the top of a long
flight of stairs in one of the interior towns of New
York State, at one dollar, and one dollar and a half
each. Very pretty little figures in groups were to
be found here also, at two dollars each, also a large
white dog, with the rough mane made by dropping
JUGS, TEAPOTS, AND ANIMALS. 251
shavings of paste on the glaze before firing. Some
dogs and other animals were made in the United
States at Bennington, Vermont ; but they are lighter
in colour than to the English ones, and inferior to
them in make.
All this ware, which is seldom marked, is ascribed to
Nottingham, but it was also made at Chesterfield and
at Brampton. One of the famous patterns made in this
brown Nottingham ware is a bear, rampant (FiG. 149).
His head is separate from the body and forms a drink-
ing cup, the body answering for a jug. This bear is
supposed to be copied from the celebrated " Bear of
Bradwardine," mentioned by Sir Walter Scott in his
novel of " Waverley." The House of Bradwardine is
described as having bears of all sizes and descriptions
carved over the windows and doors, terminating the
gables, answering for water spouts, and supporting
the turrets. Under every one of these creatures was
cut the family motto, " Bewar the Bar." The last and
choicest bear was a drinking cup, kept in an oaken
casket mounted in brass, and carefully locked. It
was only used on special occasions, and when at the
banquet to Waverley the Baron of Bradwardine un-
locked the casket and drew forth the cup, which was
of pure gold, he said, " It represents the chosen crest
of our family, a bear, as ye observe, and rampant."
The cup was wrought to commemorate the doughty
deeds of one of the Baron's ancestors, and was called
the "Blessed Bear of Bradwardine." The story goes
on to say that the bear held nearly a pint, and each
guest was expected to drain it at a draught. Whether
or not the Nottingham bear was fashioned from the
Bradwardine cup one cannot say, yet, no doubt, it was
252 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
copied from some famous jug which was known to
that mine of information, Sir Walter Scott. The pot-
tery bear is rough all over, forming a good surface to
grasp by hands whose steadiness was somewhat lost by
frequent potations.
Our last illustration (FiG. 150) shows an animal
more useful, and, perhaps, more honoured, yet which
would never be dignified by being used for a family
crest ! She performs the simple office of a candle-
stick, or, as the opening in the tree-trunk behind her
is not quite round, a flower-holder, and looks mildly
out at you, this humble friend, the old red cow. She
is in Staffordshire, is red and white, stands on a plot
of green grass, with a blue brook running beneath
her feet, and around the base runs the single touch of
elegance, a line of gold.
She stands as an emblem of sorrow, and there is
such in every collection, for mingled with the satis-
faction of owning her comes the mental picture
of her owner's griefo This is the story of her pur-
chase. A china hunter, who scented a " find " in
every breeze that blew, got the knowledge that this
cow was a treasured possession in a humble little
home. He went and made an offer for it, handled it,
noted that it was perfect, Staffordshire, and unusual
in pattern. His offer was almost laughed at. The
middle-aged woman whose property it was said, " Why,
that cow was mother's. I never remember when she
did not have it. I would not think of selling it."
To any one but a china collector this would have
proved sufficient, but our collector could not give up
the chase. His daily walks led him, against his will,
past that small house, and as often as he could muster
JUGS, TEAPOTS, AND ANIMALS. 253
courage he stopped and increased his bid. At last he
had reached the limit of his patience and his purse,
and saying to himself, " This is the last time," he
betook himself to the home of his ambition. He held
his breath and made his offer. It is proverbial that
she who hesitates is lost, and so it was in this case.
Who can tell if visions of what could be got for the
round sum offered flashed through the owner's mind?
The collector saw his advantage, the money was in
her hand, the cow in his, and he fled through the
open door lest she should change her mind. When
he got to the gate, like Lot's wife, he looked back,
and it nearly proved his undoing, for the former
owner stood in the doorway wiping away with the
corner of her apron the fast dropping tears.
LIST OF VIEWS,
AMERICAN, ENGLISH & MISCELLANEOUS.
BY
ENGLISH POTTERS.
Enoch Wood & Co. Enoch Wood & Sons.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Opening in centre round, with border of shells,
cockle shell being conspicuous.
1. Albany, New York State.
2. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
3. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, uphill.
4. Belleville, New Jersey.
5. Capitol at Washington.
6. Castle Garden and Battery, New York,
7. Catskills.
8. Catskills, Hope Mill.
9. Catskill Mountain House,
10. Catskill Mountains. View of Hudson River,
11. Catskills, Pine Orchard House.
12. Franklin's Tomb.
13. Gilpin's Mills.
14. Greensburg.
15. Highlands, Hudson River.
16. Highlands at West Point,
17. Highlands near Newburg.
18. Lake George, New York.
19. Mount Vernon, seat of late Geni George Washington.
30. New York Bay.
21. Niagara Falls.
22. Niagara Falls, Tabic Rock.
23. Passaic Falls.
LISTOFVIEWS. 9SS
24. Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky.
25. Trenton Falls.
26. Trenton Falls, vi^ith solitary figure.
27. West Point Military Academy.
28. White House, Washington.
Border. Irregular opening for central view, border of vari-
ous shells, without cockle shell. Name of view on
front.
29. Cadmus.
30. Cadmus at anchor.
31. Cadmus under sail.
32. " Chief Justice Marshall," steamboat.
33. " Constitution " and " Guerriere."
34. MacDonough's victory.
35. Marine Hospital, Louisville, Ky.
36. Union Line steamboat.
37. Wadsworth Tower, Conn.
Border. Flowers and scrolls.
38. " Chancellor Livingston," steamboat.
Border. Medallions and scrolls.
39. Landing of Pilgrims.
Border. Flowers, poppies, etc.
40. Entrance of canal into Hudson River at Albany.
41. Little Falls, New York, Aqueduct Bridge.
42. Rochester, New York, Aqueduct Bridge.
Celtic china* Other colours than dark blue.
Borders. Various.
43. Buffalo.
44. Fairmount Waterworks, Pennsylvania,
45. Harvard College.
46. Hudson River, near FishkilL
47. Natural Bridge, Virginia.
48. New York from Staten Island.
49. Niagara Falls.
50. Pass in Catskill Mountains.
51. Port on the Ohio, Kentucky.
52. Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky.
53. Trenton Falls.
2s6 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
54. Washington, Capitol.
55. Washington Vase.
56. Washington Memorial.
VIEWS IN CANADA.
Border. Opening for central view circular, shell border.
57. Falls of Montmorency, near Quebec.
58. Quebec.
ENGLISH VIEWS.
Enoch Wood & Sons.
Colour, darU blue.
Border. Shells and flowers, irregular opening for central
view. Name of scene on front.
59. Beach at Brighton.
60. Cowes Harbour.
61. Dartmouth.
62. Dublin, View of.
63. East Cowes, Isle of Wight.
64. Eddystone lighthouse.
65. Firth on the Thames.
66. Liverpool, View of.
67. Ship of the Line in the Downs.
68. Southhampton, Hampshire.
69. Whitby.
70. Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.
Border. Grapevines with fruit, central view in medallion.
Marked, " London Views."
71. Bank of England.
72. Coliseum, Regent's Park.
73. Cumberland Terrace, Regent's Park.
74. Dover, Cliffs of.
75. Doric Villa in the Regent's Park.
76. East Gate, Regent's Park.
77. Hanover Lodge, Regent's Park.
78. Macclesfield Bridge, Regent's Park.
79. St. Phillip's Chapel. Regent's Park.
80. The Holme, Regent's Park.
81. The Lake, Regent's Park.
LISTOFVIEWS. 257
82. The Limestone Dock, Regent's Park.
Border. Grapevines with fruit and flowers. View filling
entire centre. Name on back.
83. Armitage Park, Staffordshire.
84. Barlborough Hall, Derbyshire.
85. Bedfords, Essex.
86. Belvoir Castle.
87. Bickley, Kent.
88. Brancepeth Castle, Durham,
89. Cashiobury, Hertfordshire.
90. Cave Castle, York.
91. City of Canterbury.
92. Cokethorpe Park, Oxfordshire.
93. Compton Verney, Warwickshire.
94. Dalguise, Perthshire.
95. Dorney Court, Buckinghamshire.
96. Dunraven, Glamorgan.
97. Durham Cathedral.
98. Esholt House, Yorkshire.
99. Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire. Large view.
100. Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire. Small view.
loi. Goodridge Castle, Kent.
102. Gunton Hall, Norfolk.
103. Guy's Cliff, Warwickshire.
104. Harewood House, Yorkshire.
105. Hollywell Cottage, Cavan.
106. Huntley Castle, Perthshire.
107. Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire.
108. Kenmount, Dumfrieshire.
109. Lambton Hall, Durham.
110. Maxstoke Castle, Warwickshire.
111. Orielton, Pembrokeshire.
112. Richmond, View of.
113. Rochester Castle.
114. Ross Castle.
115. Shirley House, Surrey.
116. Taymouth Castle, Perthshire.
117. The Rookery, Surrey.
2S8 THEOLDCHINABOOK
ii8.
Thryberg, Yorkshire.
119.
Wardour Castle, Wiltshire, with tree.
120.
Wardour Castle, Wiltshire, without tree.
121.
Warwick Castle.
122.
Wellcombe, Warwickshire.
123.
Windsor Castle.
124.
York Cathedral.
Border. Scrolls and medallions. " English Cities
on back.
125.
Chichester.
126.
Coventry.
127.
Coke Denton.
128.
Ely.
129.
Leeds.
130.
Lincoln.
131.
Litchfield.
132.
Liverpool. View of city from river.
133-
Liverpool. View of buildings.
134.
London.
135.
Norwich.
136.
Peterborough.
137.
Rochester.
138.
Wells.
139.
Worcester.
marked
VIEWS IN FRANCE.
Wood.
Border. Hollyhocks, grapes, etc. Name of scene on back.
140. La Grange, chiteau of Lafayette.
141. La Grange, east view.
142. La Grange, northwest view.
143. La Grange, southwest view.
144. Cascade de Gresy Pres Chamber/.
145. Chateau Coucy.
146. Chateau Ermenonville.
147. Hermitage en Dauphine.
148. Moulin sur la Marne.
149. Moulin sur la Marne with figures.
1 50. Vue Peise en Savoie.
LISTOFVIEWS. JS9
AMERICAN VIEWS.
Andrew Stevenson.
Colour, darh blue.
Borders. Different floral arrangements, scrolls, large
flowers and small wreaths.
151. Columbia College. W. G. Wall.
152. Dutch Church at Albany.
153. Fort Gansevoort, New York.
154. Junction of Hudson and Sacadaga.
155. Lafayette portrait.
156. New York City Almshouse. W. G. Wall. (Two
views, one is marked on back with eagle perched, and
the other with eagle flying.)
157. New York City Hall. W. G. Wall.
158. New York Catholic Cathedral. W. G. Wall.
159. New York from Brooklyn Heights. W. G. Wall. (Two
views, one on platters, one on plates.)
160. New York from Weehawken. W. G. Wall.
161. New York, Murray St. W. G. Wall.
162. On road to Lake George. W. G. Wall.
163. The Temple of Fame, Perry. W. G. Wall.
164. Troy from Mt. Ida. W. G. Wall.
165. View of Governor's Island. W. G. WalL
166. Niagara with portraits.
ENGLISH VIEWS.
Andrew Stevenson.
Colour, da/rk blue*
Border. Roses and other flowcn.
167. Barrington Hall.
168. Boreham House, Essex.
169. The Chantry, Suffolk.
170. Culford Hall, Suffolk.
171. Enville Hall, Staffordshire.
172. Foulkbourn Hall, also with four medallion portraits,
and view of Rochester Aqueduct Bridge at bottom.
173. Foulkbourn Hall. Four medallion portraits, and view
26o THEOLDCHINABOOK.
of " Entrance of Erie Canal into the Hudson River at
Albany," at bottom.
174. Foulkbourn Hall. Two medallion portraits, Washing-
ton and Clinton. Aqueduct Bridge at Little Falls, at
bottom.
175. Foulkbourn Hall. Two medallion portraits, Washing-
ton and Clinton. Aqueduct Bridge at Rochester, at
bottom.
176. Haughton Hall, NorfolL
177. Mereworth House.
178. Oatlands, Surrey.
179. Summer Hall, Kent.
180. Tunbridge Castle, Surrey.
181. Walsingham Priory. Norfolk.
182. Wansted House, Essex.
183. Writtle Lodge. With four medallion portraits.
184. Writtle Lodge. Without portraits.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
J. AND R. Clews.
Colour, dark hltie,
Jorder. Scallops bearing names of fifteen States with stars
between. Central views various.
185. White House. View with sheep on lawn.
186. White House. View with figures in row boat.
187. White House. View with curved drive leading to
house.
188. Unknown buildings with women on lawn.
189. Unknown buildings with fisherman.
190. Unknown buildings with deer.
191. Unknown buildings with six wings. Sheep on lawn.
192. Unknown buildings three stories high.
193. Mt. Vernon.
194. Custom House.
195. Castle, with sail boat in foreground.
Border. Scrolls and flowers.
196. Almshouse, New York.
LISTOFVIEWS. 261
197. Brooklyn Heights, New York from, (same view as
Stevenson's.)
198. Columbia College, New York.
199. Erie Canal at Albany.
200. Lafayette, portrait. Made for J. Greenfield's china
store, No. ']^ Pearl St., New York.
201. New York Bay.
202. New York City Hall.
203. New York Insane Asylum.
204. Peace and Plenty.
205. Pittsfield elm. Winter view,
206. The Temple of Fame. In memory of Commodore
Perry. By W. G. Wall.
PICTURESQUE VIEWS.
J. AND R, Clews.
In different colours.
Border. Birds, flowers and scrolls.
207. Baker's Falls.
208. Fairmount Waterworks.
209. From FishkiU. On the Hudson River.
210. Fishkill. Near. On the Hudson River.
211. Fort Edward. On the Hudson River.
212. Fort Miller. On the Hudson River.
213. Fort Montgomery. On the Hudson River.
214. Hadley's Falls. On the Hudson River.
215. Hudson City. On the Hudson River.
216. Hudson City, Near. On the Hudson River.
217. Hudson River View.
218. Hudson River near Sandy Hill.
219. Jessup's Landing.
220. Junction of Hudson and Sacandaga.
221. Little Falls at Luzerne.
222. Newburg. On the Hudson River.
223. New York. View of Governor's Island.
224. New York. View from the bay.
225. Penitentiary at Allegheny, Pa.
362 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
226. Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania steamboat.
227. Pittsburgii. View with three steamboats.
228. Troy from Mount Ida.
229. West Point. On the Hudson River.
SYNTAX DESIGNS.
J. AND R. Clews.
Colour, dark blue*
Border. Large flowers with small scrolls.
230. Doctor Syntax disputing his Bill with the Landlady.
231. Doctor Syntax copying the Wit of the Window.
232. Doctor Syntax bound to a Tree by Highwaymen.
233. Doctor Syntax Sketching from Nature.
234. Doctor Syntax Entertained at College.
235. Doctor Syntax Sketching the Lake.
236. Doctor Syntax sells Grizzle,
237. Doctor Syntax Reading his Tour.
238. Doctor Syntax Returned from his Tour.
239. Doctor Syntax Taking possession of his Living.
240. Doctor Syntax Mistakes a Gentleman's House for an
Inn.
241. Doctor Syntax and the Dairymaid.
242. Doctor Syntax Setting out on his Second Tour.
243. Doctor Syntax and the Gypsies.
244. Doctor Syntax and the Bees.
245. Doctor Syntax Painting a Portrait of hJs Landlady.
246. Doctor Syntax Setting out in Search of a Wife.
247. Doctor Syntax and the Blue-Stocking Beauty.
248. Doctor Syntax turned Nurse.
249. Doctor Syntax Presenting a Floral Offering,
250. Doctor Syntax Star- Gazing.
251. The Harvest Home.
252. The Garden Trio.
253. The Advertisement for a Wife.
254. Pat in the Pond.
255. Death of Punch.
256. A Noble Hunting Party.
LISTOFVIEWS. 263
THE WILKIE DESIGNS.
J. AND R, Clews.
Colour, dark blue.
Borders. Flowers and small scrolls.
257. The Valentine.
258. The Escape of the Mouse.
259. Christmas Eve.
260. Playing at Draughts.
261. Letter of Introduction.
262. Rabbit on the Wall.
263. The Errand Boy.
DON QUIXOTE DESIGNS.
J. AND R. Clews.
Colour, dark blue.
Borders. Flowers and scrolls, with a scallop of beading.
264. Don Quixote.
265. Don Quixote and Princess.
266. Don Quixote and Shepherdess.
267. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
268. Knighthood conferred on Don Quixote.
269. Library of Don Quixote.
270. Mambrino's Helmet.
271. Knight of the Wood.
272. Sancho and Dapple.
273. Sancho Panza and the Messenger.
274. Sancho Panza at Boar hunt.
375. Sancho Panza's debate with Teresa.
276. Sancho Panza and the Duchess.
277. Sancho Panza hoisted in a blanket.
278. Sancho Panza, the Priest and the Barber.
279. Peasant Girl mistaken for Lady Dulcinea.
280. The Shepherd Boy.
281. The Repose in the Wood.
282. The Enchanted Barque.
283. Attack upon the Mills.
284. Zanguesian Conflict.
aSi THEOLDCHINABOOK.
ENGLISH VIEWS.
J. AND R. Clews.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Blue-bells and other flowers.
285. Dulwich Castle.
286. Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire.
287. Lumley Castle, Durham.
288. Rothesay Castle, Buteshire.
289. St. Mary's Abbey, York.
290. Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.
291. Warkworth Castle, Northumberland.
292. Wells Cathedral.
Border. Scrolls and foliage.
293. Canterbury Cathedral.
294. Greenwich.
295. Rochester Castle.
296. St. Catherine Hill near Guilford.
297. Windsor Castle.
- SELECT VIEWS.**
J. AND R. Clews.
Colour, dark hlue»
Border. Large flowers.
298. Cheddar, Somersetshire.
299. Fountain's Abbey.
300. Kilcoman Castle.
301. Repon.
302. St. Catherine's Hill near Guilford.
ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN VIEWS.
J. AND R. Clews.
In various colours.
Border. Twisted scrolls.
303. Bear Cages.
304. Bird Cages.
LIST OF VIEWS. 265
AMERICAN VIEWS.
Joseph Stubbs.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Scrolls, eagles and flowers.
305. Boston State House.
306. Church in New York, Doctor Mason's,
307. Highlands, North River.
308. Hoboken, New Jersey.
309. Mendenhall Ferry, above Philadelphia.
310. Nahant Hotel, near Boston.
311. New York Bay.
312. New York City Hall.
313. Philadelphia, Bank of U. S.
314. Philadelphia, near Fairmount.
315. Philadelphia near Fairmount, large view on platters.
316. Philadelphia, Woodlands near.
317. Steven's House, Hoboken, N. J.
318. Upper Ferry Bridge, Philadelphia,
319^ View at Hurlgate, East River.
ENGLISH VIEWS.
Joseph Stubbs.
Colour, dark blue.
Border, Foliage and pointed scrolls.
320. Jedburg Abbey.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
J. & W. RiDGWAY.
Colour, dark blue,
** Beauties 0/ America," Series, name of view on back.
Border. Conventional medallions of roses.
321. Almshouse, Boston.
322. Almshouse, New York.
323. Athenaeum, Boston.
324. Bank, Savannah.
325. Capitol, Washington.
266 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
326. Charleston Exchange.
327. City Hall. New York.
328. Court House, Boston.
329. Deaf and Dumb Asylum, Hartford, Conn.
330. Harvard College.
331. Hospital, Boston.
332. Insane Hospital, Boston.
333. Library, Philadelphia.
334. Mount Vernon, near Washington.
335. Octagon Church, Boston.
336. Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia.
337. State House, Boston.
338. Staughton's Church, Philadelphia.
339. St. Paul's Church, Boston.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
William Ridgway.
Colour f light blue or Mack,
Border. Small sprays of moss.
340. Caldwrell, Lake George.
341. Columbia Bridge, on Susquehanna.
342. Delaware Water Gap.
343. Harper's Ferry, Potomac side.
344. Peekskill Landing, Hudson River.
345. Pennsylvania Hospital, Pennsylvania.
346. Port Putnam, Hudson River. View from.
347. Newburg. View from Ruggle's House.
348. The Narrows from Fort Hamilton.
349. Undercliff, near Cold Spring, N. Y.
350. Valley of the Shenandoah, from Jefferson Rock.
351. Vale of Wyoming, Wilkesbarre.
352. View of Capitol, Washington.
"C. C." CHINA.
William Ridgway.
Colour, light blue*
Border. Catskill moss, bits of moss over small scale pattern.
LISTOFVIEWS. 267
353. Albany and Schenectady Railroad.
354. Boston from Chelsea Heights.
355. Capitol, Washington.
356. Kosciusko's Tomb.
357. Washington's Tomb, Mount Vernon.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
John Ridgway.
Colours, light blue, black, brown, etc.
Border. Large and small five pointed stars.
358. Log Cabin, side view with plow.
359. Log Cabin, side view without plow.
360. Log Cabin, end view.
361. " Delaware."
ENGLISH VIEWS.
J. AND W. Ridgway.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Flowers, with medallions of children, etc.
362. All Soul's College and St. Mary's Church, Oxford.
363. Cambridge, Cams College.
364. Cambridge, Downing College.
365. Cambridge, King's College.
366. Cambridge, Library of Trinity College.
367. Cambridge, Pembroke Hall.
368. Cambridge, Senate House.
369. Cambridge, Sidney Sussex College.
370. Cambridge, St. Peter's College.
371. Cambridge, Trinity College.
372. Oxford, Christ Church.
373. Oxford, Christ Church, another view.
374. Oxford, Radcliffe Library.
375. Theatre and Printing House, Oxford.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
Ralph Stevenson.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Vine leaves.
376. Almshouse, Boston.
377. Almshouse, New York.
THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
378. Battery, New York.
379. Battle of Bunker Hill.
380. Boston Hospital.
381. Boston Hospital with canal in foreground.
382. Brooklyn Ferry.
383. Charleston Exchange.
384. Columbia College, New York.
385. City Hall. New York.
386. Esplanade and Castle Garden, New York,
387. Fort Ganzevoort, New York.
388. Fulton Market, New York.
389. Hospital, New York.
390. Lawrence Mansion, Boston.
391. Massachusetts Hospital, Boston.
392. Savannah Bank.
393. Washington, Capitol.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
R. Stevenson & Williams.
Generally marked, " R. S. IV."
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Oak leaves and acorns.
394. American Museum (Scudder's), New York.
395. Baltimore Exchange.
396. Boston Court House.
397. Boston State House.
398. Columbia College.
399. City Hotel, New York,
400. Harvard College (showing one building),
401. Harvard College (showing group of buildings).
402. Harvard College (showing buildings, figures, etc).
403. Nahant Hotel, near Boston.
404. Nahant Hotel, near Boston, with large tree.
405. Park Theatre, New York.
406. Philadelphia Water Works.
LISTOFVIEWS. 269
407. Washington, Capitol. This view is found with acorn
and leaf border, or with white embossed border, or
with four medallion portraits, of Washington, Lafayette,
JefTerson and Clinton.
PORTRAIT AND MEDALLION PLATES.
R. Stevenson and Williams.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Flowers and scrolls.
408. Portraits of Lafayette and Washington.
409. Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette and Clinton (portraits).
Aqueduct Bridge at Rochester.
Erie Canal as it enters the Hudson at Albany.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
"R.S."
Colours various.
Border. Lace pattern with roses.
410. Erie Canal at Buffalo.
41 1. View of City of New Orleans.
ENGLISH VIEWS
R. Stevenson.
Colour, dark blus.
Border. Acorns and oak leavos
413. Endsleigh Cottage.
413. Harewood House.
414. Kenmount House.
415. Oxburgh Hall.
416. Windsor Castle.
417. Windsor Castle, with four portraits; Washington,
Lafayette, Jefferson and Clinton, and having view of
Rochester Aqueduct Bridge at base.
t7o THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
"PANORAMIC SCENERY."
R. S.
Colour, dark blue*
Border. Foliage.
418. Fonthill Abbey.
ENGLISH VIEWS.
R. S.
Colours, various.
Border. Lace pattern with flowers.
419. Eton Hall.
"BRITISH LAKES."
R. S.
Colours, various.
Border. Flowers, scrolls, etc.
420. Lake Windermere.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
E. G. Phillips & Co.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Foliage.
421. Franklin's Tomb.
ENGLISH VIEWS.
E. G. Phillips & Co.
Colour, dark blue*
Border. Flowers and scrolls,
43a. Eton College.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
T. Mayer.
Cclowr, dark hbie.
Border. Trumpet flowers and wheels.
423. Arms of Connecticut.
424. Arms of Delaware.
LISTOFVIEWS. tji
425. Arms of Georgia.
426. Arms of Maryland.
427. Arms of Massachusetts.
428. Arms of New Jersey.
429. Arms of New York.
430. Arms of North Carolina.
431. Arms of Pennsylvania.
432. Arms of Rhode Island.
433. Arms of South Carolina.
434. Arms of Virginia.
Border, Foliage,
435. Tomb of Washington.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
W. Adams & Son.
(W. A. & S.)
Colour, dark, blue.
Border. Foliage,
436. Mitchell and Freeman's china and glass warehouse,
Chatham St., Boston.
COLUMBUS VIEWS.
Colours, various.
Border. Medallions, animals and flowers.
437. Columbus Landing. Two Indians seated in foreground,
white men walking up from beach.
438. Columbus with fleet in distance. Two figures in fore-
ground.
439. Columbus with fleet in distance. Three figures in fore-
ground.
440. Columbus. Tent view. Columbus and horse, four
tents, and two Indians.
441. Columbus and mounted soldiers. Five Indians, etc.
442. Columbus. Squaw seated and Indian standing. Fleet
at anchor.
443. Columbus with dogs and Indian. Tents and boats in
distance.
444. Columbus, Indians shooting at bird, seated figures also.
272 THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
(W. A. & S.)
Colours, various.
Border, Roses, medallions, and scrolls.
445. Catskill Mt. House, United States.
446. Falls of Niagara, United States.
447. Fort Niagara, United States.
448. Harper's Ferry, United States.
449. Headquarters of the Juniata, United States.
450. Humphreys, United States.
451. Lake George, United States.
452. Military School, West Point, New York, United States.
453. Monte Video, Connecticut, United States.
454. New York, United States,
455. Schenectady on the Mohawk River.
456. Shannondale Springs, Virginia, United States.
457. View near Conway, New Hampshire, United States.
Border. Medallion of sailor and ship.
458. New York (Man and woman in foreground).
ENGLISH VIEWS.
W. Adams.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Foliage. Name of scene on back.
459. Bank of England.
460. Regent's Park, London, Clarence Terrace.
461. Regent's Park, London, Cornwall Terrace.
462. Regent's Park, London, Hanover Terrace.
463. Regent's Park, London. The Holme.
464. Regent's Park, London, York Gate.
465. Regent's Street, London.
466. Regent's Street, St. George's Chapel,
467. St. Paul's School, London.
468. The London Institution.
469. Villa in Regent's Park. Two persons in foreground.
470. Villa in Regent's Park. Horse and carriage in scene.
47 1. Villa in Regent's Park, People and dogs in background.
LISTOFVIEWS. 27}
Border. Bluebells and various flowers.
Marked on back with view and name,
472. Beckenham Place, Kent.
473. Bothwell Castle, Clydesdale.
474. Branxholm Castle, Roxburghshire.
475. Brecon Castle, Brecknockshire.
476. Bywell Castle, Northumberland.
477. Dilston Tower, Northumberland.
478. Hawthornden, Edinburghshire.
479. Jedburgh Abbey, Roxburghshire.
480. Melrose Abbey, Roxburghshire.
481. Morpeth Castle, Northumberland.
482. Scaleby Castle, Cumberland.
483. St. Mary's Abbey, York.
484. Windsor Castle, Berkshire.
Border. Large flowers, leaves and scrolls.
485. Armidale, Invernesshire.
486. Blenheim, Oxfordshire.
487. Braham Park, Yorkshire.
488. Carstairs, Lanarkshire.
489. Denton Park, Yorkshire.
490. Fleurs, Roxburghshire.
491. Gracefield, Queen's County, Ireland.
492. Glanbran, Carmarthenshire.
493. Murthly, Perthshire.
494. Pishobury, Hertfordshire.
495. Rode Hall, Cheshire.
Border. Foliage and flowers.
496. Denton Park, Yorkshire.
Border. Scroll edge and foliage,
497. Northumberland Castle.
498. St. Catherine's Hill, near Guilford.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
J. AND J. Jackson.
Colours, various.
Border. Flowers, bunches of roses.
499. Albany, New York.
500. At Richmond, Virginia.
274 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
501. Battery, New York.
502. Battle Monument, Baltimore.
503. Catskill Mountain House, New York.
504. Castle Garden, N. Y.
505. City Hall, N. Y.
506. Deaf and Dumb Asylum, Philadelphia,
507. Fort Conanicut, Rhode Island.
508. Fort Ticonderoga, New York.
509. Girard's Bank, Philadelphia.
510. Hancock House, Boston.
511. Hartford, Conn.
512. Harvard Hall.
513. Iron Works at Saugerties.
514. Lake George.
515. Little Falls, Mohawk River.
516. Monte Video, Hartford.
517. Newburg, New York.
518. New Haven, Conn.
519. Richmond Court House.
520. Shannondale Springs, Virginia,
521. Skenectady, Mohawk River.
522. State House, Boston.
523. The President's House, Washington.
524. The Race Bridge, Philadelphia.
525. The Water Works, Philadelphia.
526. White Sulphur Springs, Town of Delaware, Ohio.
527. Yale College and State House, New Haven.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
J. Rogers & Son.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Roses and forget- me-nota.
528. Boston State House, without cows or chaise.
529. Boston State House, with cows.
530. Boston State House, with chaise.
LIST OF VIEWS. 175
AMERICAN VIEWS.
Thomas Godwin.
Coloursp various.
Border. Morning-glory and Nasturtium.
531. Boston and Bunker Hill.
532. Brooklyn Ferry.
533. City of Baltimore.
534. Columbia Bridge. Pennsylvania,
535. Schuylkill Water Works.
536. The Capitol, Washington.
537. The Narrows from Fort Hamilton.
538. Utica, N. Y.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
S. Tams & Co.
Colour, dark blue.
Border, Foliage.
539. United States Hotel, Philadelphia.
540. State Capitol, Harrisburg, Pa.
PORTRAIT PLATES.
Colour, medium blue,
541. General W. H. Harrison.
543. Henry Clay.
ENGLISH VIEWS.
S. Tams & Co. Tams, Anderon & Co. etc.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Foliagie;
543. Drury Lane Theatre.
544. Dublin Post Office.
545. Opera House, London,
546. Royal Exchange, London.
547. Somerset House, London.
376 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
Joseph Heath & Co.
(J. H. & Co.)
Colours, various,
548. Ontario Lake Scenery.
549. Monterey.
550. The residence of Richard Jordan.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
Charles Meigh.
(C. M.)
Colours, various.
Border. " American cities and scenery '* series, small flowers, etc
551. Baltimore.
552. Boston Mill Dam,
553. Boston from Dorchester Heights.
554. City Hall, New York.
555. Hudson City, New York.
556. Little Falls, New York.
557. Schuylkill Water Works, Philadelphia.
558. Utica, N. Y.
559. Yale College, New Haven.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
Thomas Green.
Colours, various.
Border. Geometric patterns in pointed design.
560. Penn standing with two other figures, squaw kneeling.
561. Penn standing. Other figures and man kneeling.
562. Penn seated. Two figures standing, squaw kneeling.
563. Penn and Indian standing, man seated, squaw lying
down.
LISTOFVIEWS. 2?7
564. Penn and man standing, Indian and squaw also stand-
ing.
565. Penn and man standing. Three Indians seated and
lying down.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
J. & T. Edwards.
Colours, various.
Border. " Boston Mails " series, medallions of steamships,
566. Ladies' Cabin.
567. Gentlemen's Cabin, with three figures.
568. Gentlemen's Cabin with four figures.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
Mellor. Venables & Co.
Colours, various.
Border. Medallions of State Arms and small flowers.
569. Rear View of White House.
570. Capitol Buildings of different States,
571. Caldwell, Lake George.
572. Fort Hamilton, New York.
573. Little Falls, New York.
574. View of Mount Vernon.
57$. Washington's Tomb.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
Makers Unknown.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Large flowers and scrolls.
576. Albany, N. Y.
577. A View near Philadelphia.
578. Baltimore, Maryland.
579. Chillicothe, Ohio.
580. Columbus, Ohio.
581. Detroit, Michigan.
582. Hobart Town.
278 THEOLDCHINABOOK.
583. Irvdianapolis, Indiana.
584. Louisville, Ky.
585. Near Fishkill, N. Y.
586. Penn's Tree, Philadelphia.
587. Quebec.
588. Richmond, Virginia.
589. Sandusky, Ohio.
590. South America, Buenos Ayres.
591. Washington, District of Columbia.
592. Wright's Ferry on the Susquehanna.
Border. Flowers, narcissus, etc.
593. Cadmus.
594. B. & O. Railroad.
595. Fulton's Steamboat.
Border. Fruit and flowers.
596. Court House, Baltimore.
597. Exchange, Baltimore.
598. Dam and Water Works, Philadelphia (side-wheel boat).
599. Dam and water works, Philadelphia (stern-wheel boat).
Borders. Various.
600. Almshouse, Baltimore.
601. Arms of Connecticut. Marked " Oliver Stoke,"
602. Boston Harbour.
603. Castle Garden, New York.
604. Harvard University.
605. Mount Vernon, " The seat of the late Gen'I Washing-
ton."
606. Mason's Temple, Philadelphia.
607. St. Patrick's Cathedral, Mott Street, N. Y.
608. University of Maryland.
INSCRIPTION PLATES OR OTHER PIECES.
Makers Unknown.
Colour, dark blue.
Borders. Various.
609. Eulogy plate. De Witt Chnton inscription.
610. Utica plate.
LIST OF VIEWS
279
611. Lovejoy design.
613. Millennium plate.
AMERICAN VIEWS.
Makers Unknown.
Colours, various.
Border. Phoenix and engine.
613. Merchant's Exchange, burning.
614. Merchant's Exchange, ruins.
615. New York, Coenties Slip, burning.
Borders, Various.
616. Albany.
617. Albany Theatre.
618. American Flag.
619. America Triumphant
620. Arms of the United States, blue or coloured.
621. Aqueduct Bridge at Little Falls.
622. Battery, New York.
623. Boston Court House.
624. Boston State House.
625. Bunker Hill Monument, Boston,
626. Capitol, Washington.
627. City Hall. Albany.
628. "Constitution." (Ship.)
629. Dumb Asylum, Philadelphia.
630. Executive Mansion, Washington.
631. Fight between " Constitution " and ** Guerriere."
632. Fort Hudson, New York.
633. Fort Niagara.
634. Franklin.
635. Harrison Log Cabin.
636. Harvard College.
637. The Narrows, Fort Hamilton.
638. Mount Vernon. Man and horse.
639. Mount Vernon. Seat of the late Genl Washington.
640. Mormon Tabernacle.
641. New York from Weehawken.
THE OLD CHINA BOOK.
642. Old Cathedral, New Orleans. (Municipality No. 1 on
face o'f design.)
643. Niagara.
644. Niagara Falls.
645. Pennsylvania.
646. Primitive Methodist Preachers.
647. Thorps and Sprague, Albany, N. Y.
648. Utica, N.Y.
649. Virginia.
650. White House, Washington.
MEDALLION AND OTHER PORTRAIT PLATES.
Makers given when identified.
Colour, dark blue.
Four Portraits.
651. Washington, Lafayette, Jefferson and Clinton.
Windsor Castle (17 inch platter.)
Rochester Aqueduct Bridge. R. S. W
652. Washington, Lafayette, Jefferson and Clinton.
Park Theatre, New York, (ten inch plates.)
(This may have at the base either Aqueduct Bridge at
Rochester, or at Little Falls, or Entrance of Erie Canal
into the Hudson at Albany.) R. S. W.
653. Washington, Lafayette, Jefferson and Clinton.
Niagara, (ten inch plates.)
(This may have at base either Erie Canal at Albany,
or Rochester Aqueduct Bridge.) A. Stevenson.
654. Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette and Clinton.
Faulkbourn Hall. (Nine and ten inch plates.)
(This may have at base either Entrance of Erie Canal
into the Hudson at Albany, or Rochester Aqueduct
Bridge.) A. Stevenson.
655. Washington, Lafayette, Jefferson and Clinton.
Aqueduct Bridge, Little Falls. (Fruit dish.) R. S. W.
656. Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette and Clinton.
Albany Theatre (vegetable dish). R. S. W.
657. Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette and Clinton.
Dutch church at Albany (vegetable dish). R. S. W,
LISTOFVIEWS. 281
658. Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette and Clinton.
Writtle Lodge. (Ten inch soup plates.)
(Rose border at base.) A. Stevenson.
659. Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette and Clinton.
Rochester Aqueduct Bridge on one side.
Erie Canal at Albany on the other side. (Pitcher.)
R. Stevenson and Williams.
660. Washington, Clinton, Chancellor Kent and Peter Stuy-
vesant.
Capitol at Albany. (Wash bowl and pitcher.)
R. S. W.
Two Portraits.
661. Washington and Lafayette.
City Hotel. N. Y. (Nine inch plates.)
(This may have at base either Little Falls Aqueduct
Bridge; or Rochester Aqueduct Bridge ; or Erie Canal
at Albany.) R. S. W.
662. Washington and Lafayette.
Capitol at Washington. (Ten inch plate.)
Little Falls Aqueduct Bridge.
663. Washington and Lafayette,
(Two portraits in centre, surrounded by heavy scrolls.)
R. S. W.
664. Washington and Clinton,
Boston Hospital. (Nine inch plates.)
(Erie Canal at Albany, or Aqueduct Bridge at Little
Falls.) R. S. V/.
665. Washington and Clinton.
Faulkbourn Hall. (Nine inch plates.)
(This may have at base either Rochester, or Little Falls
Aqueduct Bridge.)
666. Washington and Clinton.
Park Theatre. N, Y. (Nine inch plates.)
(This may have at base either Rochester, or Little Falls
Aqueduct Bridge.)
667. Washington and Clinton.
Capitol at Washington. (Nine inch plates.)
Erie Canal at Albany.
«8a THEOLDCHINABOOK.
668. Washington and Clinton.
Niagara. (Nine inch plates.)
Erie Canal at Albany.
669. Jefferson and Clinton.
Boston Hospital. (Nine inch plates.)
Rochester Aqueduct Bridge.
670. Jefferson and Clinton.
Park Theatre, N. Y. (Nine inch plates.)
Little Falls, Aqueduct Bridge.
671. Jefferson and Clinton.
Albany, Capitol.
Little Falls Aqueduct Bridge.
672. Jefferson and Lafayette.
Boston Hospital.
Rochester Aqueduct Bridge.
673. Jefferson and Lafayette.
Capitol at Washington.
Rochester Aqueduct Bridge.
674. Clinton.
St. Paul's Chapel, N. Y. (Six-inch plates.)
Rochester Aqueduct Bridge. R. S. W.
675. Jefferson.
Columbia College, N. Y. (Seven and one-half inch
plates.)
Little Falls Aqueduct Bridge. R. S. W.
676. Bainbridge, with motto — " Avast," — etc.
677. Bro\v;\ with view of Niagara and emblems.
678. Captain Jones, of the "Macedonian."
679. Decatur. Free trade and Sailors' rights.
680. General Jackson.
681. Hull. Captain of the Constitution.
682. Jackson, " Hero of New Orleans."
683. Paine. Tom (on mug).
684. Perry, (small head).
685. Perry, full figure, also with motto, " We have met the
enemy, and they are ours."
686. Pike, (small head with motto, " Be ready," etc.)
686a. Lafayette (small head with inscription), " He was born
at Auvergne," etc.)
LISTOFVIEWS. 283
ENGLISH VIEWS.
R. Hall.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Fruit, flowers, lace edge. Scroll on back, with " Select
Views."
687. Biddulph Castle.
688. Boughton Castle, Northamptonshire.
689. Bramber Church, Sussex.
690. Castle Prison, St. Albans.
691. Conway Castle, Carnarvonshire.
692. Eashing Park, Surrey.
693. Gyrn, Flintshire.
' 694. Luscombe, Devonshire.
695. Pain's Hill, Surrey.
696. St. Charles' Church.
697. Valle Crucis Abbey, Wales.
698. Warleigh House, Somersetshire.
699. Wilderness, Kent.
PICTURESQUE SCENERY.
Border. Large flowers.
700. Broadlands, Hampshire.
701. Cashiobury, Hertfordshire.
702. Dunsany Castle, Ireland.
703. Fulham Church, Middlesex.
704. Llanarth Court, Monmouthshire.
ENGLISH VIEWS.
J. W. Riley.
Colour, dark blue.
Border. Large scrolls.
705. Bickley, Kent.
706. Cannon Hall, Yorkshire.
707. Goggerddan, Cardiganshire.
708. Hollywell Cottage, Cavan.
709. King's Cottage, Windsor Park.
710. Kingsweston, Gloucestershire.
711. Taymouth Castle, Perthshire.
WORKS ON POTTERY AND PORCELAIN
CONSULTED.
Jewitt's "Ceramic Art of Great Britain."
Chaffer's " Marks and Monograms."
Mrs. Bury Palliser's " The China Collector's Pocket Companion.
Miss Metayard's " Life of Wedgwood."
Miss Metayard's " The Wedgwood Handbook."
Downing's " English Pottery and Porcelain."
" History of Staffordshire."
" Aikin on Pottery."
Binn's " A Century of Potting in the City of Worcester."
Dossie's " Handmaid to the Arts."
Faulkner's " History of Chelsea."
Nash's " History of Worcester."
Owen's " Two Centuries of Ceramic Art in BristoL"
Litchfield's " Pottery and Porcelain."
Young's " Ceramic Art,"
Marryat's " Pottery and Porcelain."
Jacquemart's " History of Ceramic Art."
Audsley Bowes' " Keramic Art of Japan."
Shaw's " History of Staffordshire Potteries."
Haslem's " Old Derby China Factory."
Church's " English Porcelain."
Prime's "Pottery and Porcelain."
Barber's " Anglo-American Pottery."
Earle's "China Collecting in America."
" Old China Magazine."
INDEX.
Abbey, Fountains
Abbey, Richard
Abbey and Graham
Aqueduct at Rochester
Acorn border, china
Adams, W. & Sons
Adams' borders
Advertisement for a Wife
Africa, views of
Albany, N. Y.
Albany, Entrance of Canal at
Albany & Schenectady R. R.
Alcock, Samuel & Co.
Almshouse, N. Y.
America, view
America Independent
American Cities and Scenery Series
American Marine
American Views 22, 23, 24, 27, 28
Andreoli, Georgio
Antiquarian Society at Concord
Apostle pitcher
Apotheosis jug .
Arms jugs
Arms of Delaware
Arms of Liverpool
Baker's Arms jug
Baltimore, view of
Baltimore & Ohio R. R
Baltimore Exchange
Bainbridge, Commodore
34. 35
34.
18, 21
37.44.
6, no,
Fonthill 54
104, 106
. 106
, 89, 91, 92
89.91
, 66, 83, 167
34
32
26
76
22
44
237. 239
27,42
. 74
21
. 73
. 74
47. 54. 83, 88
. 171
138, 152, 174
44.45
. 90
104, 106
. 62
. 107
. 105
70, n
. n
. 45
. 97
286 INDEX
.
Barlow, Thomas
. 179
Barber. E. A. .
29, 75
Basaltes
96, 141, 166, 185, 196
Bat printing . . .
. 144
Battery. The .
, 18, 19. 20, ^^
Battle of Bunker Hill view
. 48
Battle of Stonington view
. 113
" Beauties of America " Series
41-45
Bell House Works
.190
Bellarmines
. 2,9
Bcntley, Thomas
201
, 202,205,206, 207, 213, 215
Billingsley, Wm.
135, 161, 162
Birch, E. J. .
168, 170
Biscuit .
7
Blacksmith's Arms jug
. 105
Black ware
. 15
Black Works .
206, 208
Bloor— Derby
135. 136
Borders on china
. 73. 75. 11' 81. 103
Boston, 20, 21, 30. Common, 36.
Octagon church 42, 47, 49,
50. Tea Party, 245, 246
Boston Hospital
42, 92
Boston Mail Series
• 74
Boston Museum of Fine Arts
. 15, 140, 157
Boston State House
36.69
Bottcher
147. 242
Bow
. 7, 125, 127-129, 143
Bow— Chelsea— Derby
. 136
Branxholm Castle view
. 66
Bristol .
7, 125, 136-139
British Flowers Series .
. 57
British Lake Scries
. 54
British Museum
133. 168
Brittannia
. 132
Buck's Arms jugs
. 105
Buckhorn Tavern
. 52
Bucknall & Stevenson
. 27
Burke, Edmund
. 137
INDEX
287
Burleigh, Lord •
4
Burslem
. 12. 35
, 61, 67, 74, wharf, 70
Burton-upon-Trent •
. 136
Butcher's Arms jug .
. 105
Byerley, Thomas .
. 213
•• C. C"
44
" Cadmus " , .
. 15. 76. n
Calcutta
. 26
Caldwell, James .
16. 17
Canal, Erie
21, 89
Canadian views
. 23
Cape Coast Castle
. 26
Capitol at Washington
. 42, 44, 50
Castles, English . ,
24. 25. 30. 33. 34
Castle Garden. N. Y. .
18, 19, 29, 45
Castleford ware
181-184
Cathedrals, English .
33. 34
Catherine of Russia .
. . 209
CatskiU .
. 18
Catskill Mountain House
20, 46
CatskiU Moss Series .
. 44
Caughley pottery
. 59, i^
25, 146, 162, 163, 164
Cauldon Place pottery.
. 43
Celtic china . ,
22
Chaffers, Richard
37. 104
Chamberlain Bros.
. 145
Chamberlain Works .
. 146, 147, 162
Champion, Richard , .
. 136, 137. 148
" Chancellor Livingston "
. 30
" Cha-no-yu " .
. 242
Chelsea.
7. 125, I
27-133. 138. 142, 143
Chelsea Derby .
134. 136
CheyneWalk .
. 130
«' Chickweed " border .
. 73
Chinese ware .
. 137
Christ and the Woman of Samaria . ,
. 23
Churchyard Works
.
. iSS
255 I n
City Hall N. Y.
U C A ■
47. 69
City Hotel, N. Y.
. 51, 52. 84
City of New Orleans .
. 53
Clay, Henry .
. 71
Clementson, J .
. 58
Clews, Ralph and James 26, :
7. 29. 3
0-32. 3A
t. 35.38.45.46,66,92
Clinton, De Witt
. 89. 91, 92
Clive, Kitty
. 127
Coalport
. 163
Cobridge
12,27-29,35,48.92
Coenties Slip, N. Y. .
. 82
Collection, Walpole's .
10, 133
Colles, Christopher
. 9
" Colour blue " . «
. 124
Columbia College , ,
. 27. 52. 53
Columbus Series , ,
. 6s
Comb, William . «
. 32
Conway, N. H.
. 65
Continental Views Series
. 119
Cookworthy, William .
137, 147-149
Cornwallis jug . .
. . .180
Cottage china ware
. 138
Country Seats and Castles
. 25
Cowes .
. 25
Cremorne Gardens, Eng.
. 130
Cromwell, Oliver
. 139
Crouch ware .
3
Crown-Derby . •
134. 135. 136
Crown Works, London
. 71
Cup plates
45. 46. 53. 55
Custom House •
. 30
Cyrene design •
. 83
Dale Hall Works
35. 61
Davenport . .
140. 235
Delaware, Arms of
. 62
Delft ... a
t, 10, English 124, 125. Old, 125, 137
Derby .
. 7.12
5. 129,
133-136, 138, 142, 143
INDEX.
289
Diana . ,
. 133
Dillon .
. 83
Don Quixote designs
31,33.46
Downing's " English
Pottery <
ind Porcelain,"
. 66
Dr. Syntax designs
32-34
Dragon pattern
. 60
Dresden models
132. 137, 138
Dublin, Ireland
. 25, 27, view of, 71
Duesbury, Mr. .
133. 134. 136
Duesbury and Kean
. 136
Duke of York .
20
Dulwich Castle.
. 34
Dunderdale, David
. 181
Dutch .
. 3. 20, 130
East India Trading Co. ,
. 3,4
East Indies
. 3.5
Eaton Hall
. 54
Edwards, J. and T.
. 74
Egyptian Black ware
. 166
Elers Bros.
5, 166,242
Encaustic painted ware
. 204
England, Potter's Art
. 2,3
English Cities Series
. 25
English Delft .
124. 125
English Views 23, 24,
28. 33. 34
, 37, 44, 46, 47,
53.57.9
I, wares 27, 59
Entrance of Canal at
Albany
22-89
Erie Canal
21, 89
Erie Canal at Buffalo
. 53
Eton College ,
. 57
Etruria
'12.83.
103, 190, 206
Eulogy plate .
. 78
Exchange. N. Y.
. 81
" F. M."
. 74
Faience
. 2,8
Falls of Montmorency
. 23
Falstaff
.
. 133, 134
290
NDEX.
" Fame " .
. 133
Farmer's Arms
• 105
Faulkbourn Hall
. 91
••FaulkstoneHall»'
• 91
Fenton ,
• 13
Figure work ,
. 14
Fishkill on Hudson
. 76
Flat ware
8, 14, 18, 21, 133, 136
Flaxman, John
202,211,212
Flight, John
. 145
Flight and Barr
. I4S
Flip .
. ^n
" Flow blue •• .
. 13
Ford, Thomas .
. 74
Forgeries
. 84
" Four Elements," figures
. 137
" Four Seasons," figures
. 137
Franklin, Benjamin
54-56, 86. 95-97. 108
Franklin's Tomb
54, Toby. 241
French Views .
26,42
*' Frit " body
. 143
Fulton Steamboat
. 30
George H.
130,132; HI 123; IV 118. 168
Gilbert Sale .
19
Glaze .
. 3, 7. 12, 14
Godwin, Thomas ,
. 70
Gombron Ware ,
. 248
Grainger Works .
147. 163
Greatback . ,
• . . 200
" Greased " , .
. 9
Green Bros. . ,
. 139
Green, Chas. .
. 170
Green, Guy . .
lOI, I03, 103
Green, Thomas •
, 73
Greenfield Works
, 64
Gubbio, City of
, 171
Guilds .
, 106
Guy's Cliff
. 25
INDEX
»«
Hackwood, William ,
Hall, I. & Sons .
Haigh Sale of China, Boston
Hancock, John .
Hancock House, view .
Hancock, Robert ,
Hanly .
Hard Glaze
Hard Paste
Harewood House, view
Harpers Ferry, view .
Harrison Campaign Series
Hartley & Green
Harvard College plate .
Harvard Hall, view
Hatters Arms jug
Heath, Joseph & Co. ,
Henry VIII. .
Herculaneum Pottery .
Hertford, Marquis of, collection
Hispano-Moresque Pottery
Holdship, Richard ,
Hollis Hall, view
Holworthy Hall, view,
Hudson City, view
Hudson River, views .
Hudson River near Fishkill, view
" Hudson River Portfolio " by Wall
Humble & Green
Hylton, North .
Impressed stamp •
India, views of
Indian Scenery Series
Independence inscription
Inscription pieces •
Intaglios . .
Inventories and Wills .
Iron-stone ware , •
. 200
. 58
. 21
36.67.68
67.68
144. 163
12,41, 72
7
7.136
54.91
65.71
. 43
. 139
. 52
. 52
. 105
. 72
. 129
06, 113, 140
II
171. 172
. 144
. 52
. 52
. 77
20, 28
. 38
. 31
. 139
. "4
IS. 17. 23
. 36
. s«
. 30
. 78
. 222
121, 122
. 58
«9«
INDEX.
Ironworkers' Arms jug
Isle of Wight .
Italian Faience
Italian Scenery Series .
Italy, Views of.
" Ivy" ware
Ivy House Works, Wedgwood's
"J. B.".
Jackson, Andrew
Jackson, J. & J.
Jameson, Mrs. .
" Japan taste "
Jasper ware . . .
" Jassamine " ware
Jefferson, President ,
Jewitt ....
Johnson, Dr. .
Jordan, Richard, Residence, view
Jugs . . 2,9,16,44,45
Justice, figure of
Kenilworth Castle
Kent ....
King's College .
Lafayette . 15, 26, 29. 53, 56, 57,
Lafayette at Franklin's Tomb, view
Lake George, view
Lake Windermere, \new
Lakin & Poole .
Lambeth
Landing of Lafayette, view
Landing of the Pilgrims, dinner ser
Lane End . ,
Lawrence Mansion, Boston, plate
Lead glaze
Leeds Old Pottery
Leeds ware
68. 84.
57:
104, 107 108
86. 89,
115. 13S.
. 105
. 25
. 2,8
. 58
, 26
. 58
188, 189, 190
. 74
. 98
(>1, 68, 83
• 93
. 143
15,96
. 58
89. 91. 92, 95
. los
. 135
72,83
109, no, 234
. 133
. 25
. 37
. 53
91. 93. 94, 97
. 56
i8, 77
. 54
* 170
. I2S
39.45.84
21
12
. 50
3
. 139
139-142, 183
INDEX.
m
Limehouse Dock, view . , . . .25
Little Fails . . . . . . 21, 22
Little Falls, aqueduct at . . . . .21
Liverpool . 7, 103, 125,144; ware 88, 100-123; delft 100
London View Series . . . . . .25
Log Cabin design . . . . . .43
Longport . . . . . . 12, 37, 54
Longton Place . . . . . . .179
Lovejoy Cup-plate . . . . 46 ; plate 79, 84
Lowestoft . . . 150, 151 ; china 37, 125, 149-157
Lumley Castle view ...... 34
Lustre decoration . . . 141, 166-181 ; goblets 176
Majolica ....... 8
" Makers Unknown" ....
. 28, 75-81
Marks on China :
Alcocks
. 239
Bristol .....
. 138
Castleford ....
. 183
Caughley or Salopian ware .
. 60
Clews
. 35
Davenport ....
. 235
Derby .....
134. 135
Heath
. 72
Herculaneum . , , ,
. 107
Leeds
. 142
Mayer .....
61, 63
Mason .....
. 165
Phillips
54. 58
Plymouth ....
. 149
Ridgway ....
41.44
Riley .....
. 59
Sadler & Green ....
. 103
Spode .....
. 159
Stevenson . , .28, 53, 54,
88, 89, 91, 94
Stubbs .....
. 37
Swansea ....
. 160
Tarns .....
. 70
»94 INDEX
•
Marks on China, Continued.
Wedgwood
199, 200
Wood .
. 14, 16, 17, 22, 25
Worcester
. . .146
Mason . .
. s. 83
Mason's Ironstone China
164. 165
Masonic jugs , . . .
111,112,113
Mayer, Elijah . . . .
168, 170
Mayer, T. . . . .
. 5. 61
Meakin . . . <
. 83
Medallions on flat ware
21, 25, 28, 30, 89,91,
92, 95, 96 ; basaltes 196, 201
Meigh, Charles
. 5. 72, 236
Mellor, Venables & Co.
. 74
Mendenhall Ferry cup-plate .
. 46
Metropolitan Museum of Art, N. Y. .
88,96,155.247
Mill at Charenton plate
. 26
Millennium plate . .
. 80
Milton, John . . •
. 132
Milk-maid designs .
. 37
Minton figure . .
. 83
Minerva figure . .
. 133
Mirror-knobs .
96.97
Mitchell & Freeman Warehouse
. 64
" Monument " pitcher .
. no
Montgomery, General.
. 113
Morris, Robert
. 55
Mount Vernon views .
30. 45
Mt. Vernon
. 181
" Myrtle " Ware
. 58
Music Lesson, group .
. 132
Museum of Practical Geology
. 105
Nadin, Dr. . . ,
. 136
Nahant plate . . . ,
. 37
Nantgarw , . ,
125, 161 1-62
Narrows, The . . . .
20
Neale . , . .
. 167
INDEX
Neptune, figure of
Newburg on the Hudson
Newcastle
New Hall Works
New Orleans, City of, view
New South Church, Boston
New York Arms
New York City
New York from Brooklyn Heights, views of
Niagara ... 28
North Hylton .
Nottingham Bear
Octagon Church, Boston
Old Delft
Old Worcester Works .
Ontario Lake Scenery .
Oriental China .
Oriental Scenery Series
Palestine designs
Palliser, Mrs. Bury
Palmer & Neale
Painted Ware .
Paste .
Pate-sur-pite .
Penn's Treaty view
Pennsylvania Arms
Pepys .
Perry, Commodore O. H.
Philadelphia, views of .
Phillips, E. J. & Co. .
Phillips. J.
" Phoenix & Engine " border
Picturesque Views Series
Pilgrims, Landing of, design
Pinxton
Pitchers . 12, 17,
Pittsfield Elm plate
19. 46. 5
95 : urn 94
Table
. 7. 10
:8, 21, 44, 88, 107, 109,
31
39s
. 133
20,77
. 115
119. 137
. S3
. 42
. 62
; view of, 65
. 27
Rock 22
. 113
. 251
. 42
. 125
. 145
. 72
patterns 131
. 58
. 83
. 129
167, 170
6
. 5.7
• 239
. 73
. 61
4
97.98, 113
55.77
54-58
- 113
8
35.46
21
. 125
no. Ill, 113
cup-plate 46
296
NDEX
Planche
. 134
Plymouth . .
7, 125, 147-149
Porcelain
. 3-8. 59. 136
Portland vase .
. 214
Portraits
28. S3, 86-99
Possett-pots .
. 3.9
Potter, Jonas .
6
" Pottery and Porcelain," by W. C. Prime
47
Preble, Commodore .
. 112
Preston Pans . ,
. 173
Prime. W. C. .
. 37.47.129
Printing on pottery
. 13. 14
Printed ware . ,
, 6, 100-112
" Proof " condition
9
Quebec, Falls of Montmorency near, view of
. 23
Queen Anne , , • .
. 6; sets 174
Queen Caroline
. ii8
Queen Charlotte
136; ware 190
Queen Elizabeth ,
. 2.3
Queen Mary .
• . .10
Queen's Ware . ,
• , 62, 192
Ranelagh
. 130
Regent's Body . ,
. 147
Regent's CanaL ,
. 25
Regent's Park .
25, 66
Revolution . ,
12, ss
Rhode Island Arms .
. 62
Ridgway, Job .
. 41
Ridgway & Sons ,
. 41
Ridgway. J. & W.
.41. 47. 83, 84
Ridgway, Son & Wear
. 53
Riley, J. & R. .
5
Ripon, view of .
. 34
Rochester, City of, N. Y.
18, 21, 94
aqueduct 89, 91, 92
Rockingham . . .
.7.125
Pogers, potter .
. 69
INDEX
297
Rose. William .
Rowlandson . , ,
Royal Worcester
Ruins of Exchange, N. Y., view of
Sadler, John . ,
Sadler & Green , , . icx3, loi
Sadler, Richard
Sailor pitchers .
Salopian Works.
Salt glaze . ,
Sancho Panza at the Boar Hunt design
Sandusky, view of
Saucers . .
Savannah Bank cup-plate
Scudder's American Museum
Scriptural design
Second Tour of Dr. Syntax
Select Views Series
Semi-china . ,
Sevres .
Shakespeare Piece ,
Shaw, Ralph .
Shelton.
Ship of the Line in the Downs desigi
" Smith set'' of China
Smollett
Soft Glaze
Soft Paste
Spode, Josiah . . 187; ware 158 — 160,17
Southampton, Hampshire, plate
South Carolina, Arms of
"Spurs " on China
St. George's Chapel, London, view
St. Paul's Chapel, New York City, view of
Staffordshire . . 7, 12—59; ware 98, 108, 136,
Stamp Impressed
State House at Boston, plate .
.
153
•
32
U7
•
81
100. 102,
104
193. 1
35.
247
13
113. 1
6.
117
59.
162
3.
12, 14
33
75
249
46
52
83
32
34
5.7.8.
5.57
131
132
12
12
26
137
130
7
7
patter
159
46
62
84
66
89
249, 2
;o.
252
15.
17
, 22
47
«98
INDEX,
*• States" pattern
• •
. 29. 30
Steele .
. 130
Stevenson, Andrew
26, 29, 53, 92, 94
Ralph .
. 38, 47—54, 83. 92
Ralph & Sons
92
R. & Williams.
33.48, 51.53.88
" Stilts " on China
8, 33. 131
Stoke-on-Trent ,
12
Stoke. Works at
. 64
Stonington, Battle of, view .
. 113
Stoughton Church Cup-plate.
. 46,53
Stoughton Hall, Harvard College .
52
" Stourbridge Lion " Locomotive ,
.44
Stratford-le-Bow ,
126, 129
Strawberry Hill , . , .
. 10. 133
Stubbs, Joseph
. 35-37,61.69
Stubbs& Kent
37
Sunderland Inscription . , 80
pitchers 114, 115, 172
Sun of Righteousness Series.
23
Swansea ....
125, 160
Swift .....
. 130
Sydenham . . • •
. 58
Syntax Designs . . •
32. 33. 39. 46, 48, 84
Table Rock, Niagara, view of • 1
22
Table Ware ....
. . 8, 12
Tarns, S. & Co.
. 70.71
Tarns, & Anderson .
. 70.71
Tarns, Anderson & Tams .
. 70, 71
Tea, Tea-pots
243, 248
Templeton, Lady
17
Texas Campaign, The
74
Thompson's " Seasons " ,
120
"Tobys"
241
Tomb Designs
. 54. 56
Tortoise-shell Ware .
6
" Tournament " Pitcher
44
Transfer Printing
»
143. U4
INDEX
299
1 rinity Church
. 51
Trumble-Prime Collection of China .
. 96
Troy from Mt. Ida view
. 46
Tunstall ....
12.64,65.66
Turner, John, Potter .
. 170
Turner. J. M. W.
. 120; designs 122
Turner, Thomas
. 162
Twymouth Haven . * ,
• . 114
Unknown Makers . . ,
75—81
United States Hotel, Philadelphia, view
. 70
University Hall view . . ,
. 52
Urn. Niagara ....
. 94
Utica view ....
. 70 ; inscription 78
Valentine, The, Wilkie design
33. 46
Waldegrave, Lord
• . .10
Wall. W. G. .
, •
. 27. 28, 31
Wall, J.
. .
. 145
Walpole. Horace
• »
. 10, 130, 133
Warren, General .
, ,
. 113
Warwick Castle view .
, ,
. 25
Washington, George ,
.
30. 53. 55-57. 68, 84, 86
88, 89.
90. 91. 97. 107. 108, 109,'
no. III ; portrait 182
"Washington etc," inscriptior
1
21
Washington Memorial .
.
22 ; tomb 63 ; vase 22
Webster. Daniel
, ,
21
Wedgewood, Josiah . ,
5.
12. 14. 58, 66. 83. 96. loi
102, 103, 123, 142, 156, 166'
167, 169. 173. 175, 182, 185';
ca
talogue 210, 211, 219-229
"Weehawk'-byWall!
. 38
Wells Cathedral view .
. 34
" Wellington " boots .
. 136
Wellington. Duke of . ,
. 169
Wesley, Rev. John .
. IS
300
INDEX
•
West Point. N. Y.
.
• . .20
Whieldon, Thomas
.
. 6, 170. 187
White House at Washington
. 30
White Ware .
44. 166
Whitfield, John
. 15
" Willow " pattern
. 10. 13. 59
Wilkie. Sir David
32; designs 31. 33, 39. 46
Windsor
57 ; Castle 25. 91
Wolfe. General
. 112
Wood, Aaron .
. 14
Enoch .
12, 14-28
E. and Sons
15-56,83.89
Ralph .
. 14
Wood & Caldwell
16, 17
Worcester
7, 125, 142-147 ; Royal 147
Yale College .
52. 73
Yarmouth
. 25
Young, Arthur
. 246
Zoological Gardens " Series .
47
^^
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