Davi d Carm ack
pierced or scalloped edges, inlaid mother-of-pearl, or painted flourishes, flowers, fountains, fruits, and birds of paradise. A particularly popular decorative scheme imitated lacquer, with Oriental-style scenes painted on a varnished black ground. When Henry Davis Sleeper, the creator of Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, in Gloucester, Massachusetts, was in France during the First World War, he purchased numerous examples of red toleware decorated in gold, a favorite treatment of the French Empire style. After his return, Sleeper used the tole collection as the centerpiece of his decorative scheme for the dramatic Octagon Room, displaying vermilion toleware and red moroccobound volumes on golden maple furniture against aubergine-colored walls. Once you have discovered the historical allure and aesthetics of toleware, you will begin to spot pieces tucked away in antique stores or displayed in
museums throughout the country. You can find examples at several Historic New England properties in addition to Beauport, including Codman House in Lincoln, Massachusetts, RundletMay House in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Hamilton House in South Berwick, Maine, and discover the charm, even elegance, of these modest utilitarian objects. David Carmack
tion of coaches and patent leather. Painting transformed items manufactured for utility into objects that were decorative as well as functional. The distinctive painting technique commonly used to decorate tole was a onestroke method developed in England in the early eighteenth century. The artist would load the brush with two or more colors of paint so that one quick sweep of the hand would create body, shadow, and highlights. This efficient method saved time and money for the manufacturer. The style is immediately recognizable in the patterns of scrolls, flowers, and birds found on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century tinned iron objects. Tole exists in a variety of shapes, with some of the most common being tea caddies, canisters, sewing boxes, document and money boxes, and all types of trays. In America, serving trays were possibly the most popular and numerous of painted tinware objects. They were available in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with its own name. Decorative treatments might include
Proper care for toleware Toleware is susceptible to surface deterioration from use, dust (which attracts moisture to the surface), and changes in temperature and humidity. Flaws in the manufacturing process can cause the paint or the tin coating itself to flake, exposing the iron and allowing it to rust. Rust can also form as a result of pinhole-sized disruptions that push through the layers of tin and paint. A less obvious form of deterioration
occurs as a result of the drying, shrinking, and cracking of the asphaltum and its poor adhesion to both the tin surface and the paint layer. The key to stabilizing deteriorating toleware is to prevent further loss of paint, asphaltum, and metal and to consolidate the materials. Keeping your objects dust free is the first step in preservation. Methods of conservation focus on mitigating corrosion, re-adhering
—Michaela Neiro Associate Conservator, with Jill Hari, past Mellon Conservation Fellow
loose paint, and improving the appearance with in-painting and coating. Although it is sometimes possible to improve the appearance of deteriorated toleware through conservation, often the aesthetics of a well-used object are what draws us to collecting it to begin with. Because of the fragile nature of deteriorated toleware and the complexity of its treatment, be sure to consult a trained conservator for proper care.
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