SHARDS - Autumn 2018

__________________________________________________ AUTUMN 2018

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Ceramics Study Club members, Our 2018-2019 program year is off to a great start with a variety of interesting lectures and several new attendees! While our meeting room is not huge by any means, it is full for our meetings and the energy and conviviality is just wonderful to see and hear!

Our October program, featuring Adele Ierubino Barnett, was presented in collaboration with the Wedgwood Society of Boston. Several Wedgwood Society members were in attendance and we gained at least one new member as a result. These joint programs can be very beneficial to both groups involved. Look for more of them in the future and please do not hesitate to offer suggestions for future programs to Anne Digan Lanning or me.

Our February program is the ever-popular Bits and Pieces. For those new to the club, it is the best time to bring objects from your collection about which you have questions, or those that have something of interest to the group. Our members have diverse collections so what turns up at this meeting is always a surprise and usually very informative. It is all about whatever piques our interests and is not judgmental.

Before long we will have our Annual Meeting. At that time, we will have elections for the Executive Board and the Board of Directors. If you are interested in increasing your CSC involvement, please do not hesitate to contact Gail Homer, who is in charge of nominations, and learn more about potential vacancies on the board. The time commitment is not excessive, and all of our members have knowledge, skills, talents, and connections that would help to move the club forward.

Lastly, dues reminders will be sent out in April with the May program announcement. Dues may be paid at the Annual Meeting or by July 15th at the latest. Prompt payment makes it so much Page 1

easier to produce an accurate membership list for the Blue Book and gets that beloved publication into the hands of the membership that much sooner.

Thank you all for your interest and involvement in the Ceramics Study Club of Boston and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Best wishes, Carolyn Parsons Roy President

TRANSFER-PRINTED CREAMWARES FOR THE AMERICAN MARKET OPENS OUR NEW SEASON The 2018-2019 lecture program for the Ceramics Study Club of Boston opened with a great talk by one of our own members Daniel Sousa, The Peggy N. Gerry-Anne K. Groves Curatorial Intern at Historic Deerfield. Dan spoke to us on a subject he has been researching; his talk was entitled Real or Repro? Identifying English Transfer-Printed Creamware for the American Market.

English transfer-printed creamware for the American Market is more commonly known as “Liverpool ware”. This can be a bit misleading as these wares were not just produced Liverpool, but in regions throughout England, including Staffordshire, Yorkshire and South Wales. As in Liverpool was a major export center for ceramics to North America, these pieces became known as “Liverpool ware” simply because that’s where they came from. But bear in mind that pieces could be potted in one region and decorated in another. Wedgwood’s firm, for example produced wares in Staffordshire, but had them decorated by the Liverpool printing firm of Sadler and Green, before having them shipped out.

Though these wares appeared popular, Dan pointed out what a small percentage of the export trade was actually made up of these transfer-printed pieces. Far more common was the export and sale of undecorated or simple painted creamware forms-the everyday pieces used at table. Liverpool wares, often decorated with an individual’s initials, or name, or the name of a ship, were often specially commissioned or presentation pieces. For example, one ship’s manifest, dating from 1802, listing wares from the Herculaneum Pottery in Liverpool, reveals that out of 110,000 pieces shipped, 78% consisted of plain or painted creamware, while just 3% were transfer-printed wares.

These wares were certainly available in the shops of local retailers. Along with ship images, portraits of well-known naval heroes from the War of 1812 such as James Lawrence and Stephen Decatur were popular, as well as Founding Fathers such as Washington and Benjamin Franklin.

The creation of Liverpool wares was made possible through several key developments in English ceramic technology, namely the creation of both creamware and pearlware as well as the invention of transfer-printing. Creamware was developed in Staffordshire in the 18th century and with its Page 2

white durable body it became an instant success. Pearlware followed as an improvement to creamware, containing higher amounts of flint (improving its whiteness and strength) and adding cobalt blue to its glaze mixture, giving the piece an overall blue tint. Due to the smooth surface of these wares, fine decoration, such as transfer prints, could be applied to any piece. There is some debate as to who precisely invented transfer-printing, but many credit the Liverpool-based firm of Sadler and Green as we know some of the earliest known prints on creamware originated from them.

As for their production, creamware and pearlware forms would have been shaped using one of several methods. Hollow wares-such as jugs and bowls- would have been thrown by hand on a potter’s wheel and lathe-turned which meant that each piece would have a distinct shape. As a result of this process, hallow wares tend to be extremely light in weight, a characteristic of period pieces. Flat wares, such as plates, were press-molded, rather than hand-thrown, and are also very light weight. The shape of some of these forms evolved over time and can aid us in helping date the pieces. For example, footed jugs typically date to the period prior to 1790. Between 1790 and 1810, jugs lost their pronounced foot and became more barrel shaped. Beginning about 1805 and continuing well into the 1820s, the so-called “Dutch” shaped jugs with a tall neck became more fashionable. As for plates, their shape changed over time, the earlier 18th century creamware plates having a more shaped or scalloped rim, and this giving way to a more rounded shape into the 19th century.

After a piece was thrown it was biscuit fired in a kiln before being dipped into a liquid, lead-based glaze. Because of iron ore impurities in the lead, period pieces tend to look off-white, or possess a rich cream color after being fired. Though some potteries, like Wedgwood’s, worked to purify their glazes, many other businesses, like Leeds Pottery, did not bother, producing wares of varying hues.

Many reproductions by contrast, have fairly clear glazes that possess a very bright sheen.

On the subject of glazes, Dan wanted to point out that “crazing”-the fine cracks in the glaze on the surface of the pot-should not be used as a sole deciding indicator of a piece’s age, as fine crazing can occur during the manufacture of virtually any piece of pottery-both old and new. Another more reliable indicator of age, especially on plates, is the evidence of kiln furniture on the reverse of the pieces where the plates were stacked in the kiln. These marks sometimes appear on period pieces and are absent on 20th century reproductions.

After the pot was fired with its glaze the piece was ready for decorating. The majority of prints found on Liverpool wares would have been applied using a method known as glue-bat printing which applied the print over the lead glaze. In this process a gelatinous glue bat, rather than tissue paper, was used to transfer the image from the engraved plate to the pottery surface. Though the prints were usually of high quality, this process sometimes exhibits several flaws. One thing to look for are circular blemishes in the print resembling “eyes”, resulting from tiny air pockets trapped on the glue bat when it was applied to a curved surface. Also, sometimes, an image can look a bit distorted as the glue bat was stretched over the surface. Keep in mind, then, as the print was Page 3

applied over the glaze, that it was susceptible to wear and so period pieces will show wear commensurate with age. But with later reproductions the print is virtually perfect, shows little wear and the print lies “proud� of the surface and can be felt by running one’s fingers over it.

Transfer-printed designs were frequently copied from a variety of both English and American books, periodicals and maps. Researching these print design sources can also help authenticating a piece. If a print source was found to be dating from 1850 or 1870 for example, then we have an indicator that one might be dealing with a later Victorian variation of a Liverpool jug.

In addition to transfer-prints, pieces were sometimes further decorated with enameling or gilding.

Enameling was done somewhat expeditiously, so coloring on period pieces was rarely applied neatly, whereas later reproductions appear perfect. Gilding was the last process applied and it was a cold-gilding process with the gilding painted on the surface with a size or adhesive such as animal glue or linseed oil. As it was not fired on it is susceptible to chipping and wear; period pieces usually display significant losses to the gilding.

Staffordshire made and Liverpool transfer-printed creamware plate, circa 1780. (Historic Deerfield) Page 4

As to the question of attribution, it can be difficult because, as mentioned, sometimes these pieces came from many different potteries and regions of England. That said, there are design characteristics that can help in attributing wares to the Liverpool area, such as the Herculaneum Factory, and to the broader region of Staffordshire.

Founded in 1796, Liverpool’s Herculaneum Factory produced large quantities of transfer-printed pottery for the American market. Some pieces, fortunately, bear an impressed mark “HERCULANEAN” whereas some carry a transfer print of the Great Seal of the United States with the name “Herculaneum Pottery” beneath it. Sometimes one can identify Herculaneum wares by the specific transfer prints they used. Two books on the subject, Alan Smith’s Liverpool Herculaneum Pottery and David and Linda Arman’s Anglo-American Ceramics can be consulted when trying to identify prints specific to this pottery. Also, on Herculaneum pieces, look for design elements such as black “lining-out” or anthemion borders along the top edge of an object, or, sometimes a delicate feathering beneath the spout of a jug. And lastly, the decoration on some jugs can feature hand-painted (rather than transfer-printed) images of ships. As special commissions these pieces would have likely been ordered and decorated in Liverpool where customers had the opportunity to interact with painters, decorators and craftsmen. While the painting is attributed to Liverpool, it is most likely that the pottery came from Staffordshire.

Attributions to Staffordshire wares can also be made based upon the presence of markings. But as specifically marked pieces are not always prevalent, one can also look to for signed transfer prints which attribute a piece to Staffordshire as it is unlikely that a Staffordshire printer would have obtained wares from outside the region. One has to be aware, though, that printers, and their engraved plates, did not always stay in one location, but could have moved from pottery to pottery or outside the region. Far more common is when an item is potted in Staffordshire and later decorated in Liverpool, particularly after 1777 with the opening of the Trent and Mersey canal which essentially connected the two locations.

At this point Dan turned the focus of his talk to discerning the difference between period pieces and later reproductions. A number of these forms were produced around the time of America’s centennial celebration in 1876. Wares were produced bearing the images of Founding Fathers, but very few of their print sources can be found on period examples. Also, look for any sans serif lettering, a type face more commonly associated with the late 19th and early 20th century.

Reproductions continued to be made into the 20th century. Wedgwood produced limited edition and reproduction creamwares for American retailers, and though clearly marked, one should look for evidence of that mark being scratched or rubbed off. Other Staffordshire potteries that produced reproductions are William Adams and Sons, who produced a number of crude pink lusterware forms with American-themed prints, and, Alfred E. Grey, a Stoke-on-Trent potter who made 18th and 19th century transfer-printed creamware copies. One should always look to the weight of the body, the quality of the transfer prints, the perfection of the glaze, and the general lack of imperfections to detect a later reproduction. Transfer prints on reproductions lack definition and detail, are over-inked, and are very dark in color.

Page 5

A later reproduction lusterware plate-note the inaccurate color of lustre and the heavily inked print (Grey’s Pottery, Stoke-on Trent, c. 1934-1960, and, a Wedgwood reproduction punch bowl, circa 1950-notice the heavy, inelegant quality of the print, and the all-too-perfect glaze and sheen on the body of the ware.

(Both from Historic Deerfield) _____________________________________________________________________________ We are very pleased to announce that since Daniel gave his talk to us, he was appointed as an Assistant Curator at Historic Deerfield. During his stint at Deerfield as a curatorial intern he more than proved himself working on such exhibits as Rococo: Celebrating 18th Century Design and Decoration, and Why We Collect: Recent Acquisitions at Historic Deerfield. He is currently working with Deerfield’s Curator of Historic Interiors, Amanda Lange, on a forthcoming publication on British ceramics in the museum’s collection. We wish him well and look forward to more great things to come. _____________________________________________________________________________

‘SHELL-SHOCK’ IN OCTOBER Our October 25th meeting convened at the King’s Chapel Parish House where the Ceramics Study Club presented a program in collaboration with the Wedgwood Society of Boston. Adele Ierubino Barnett, Wedgwood Specialist, and Founder of the Wedgwood Society of Washington, D.C. spoke on the topic of Shell-Shock: Centuries of Wedgwood’s Shell Fancying.

Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) began collecting shells as a child and the fascination remained with him all his life. The study of ‘Conchology’ absorbed much of his free time and his library of scientific books was only equaled by his expansive collection of shell, fossil and seaweed specimens.

The study and collection of shells goes back to classical times; their infinite variety of forms, colors and patterns a source of interest and design inspiration through the centuries. From the Renaissance through the Enlightenment wealthy patrons of the arts and sciences sought out rare specimens for their ‘cabinets of the curious’. In Wedgwood’s time the famous Duchess of Portland Page 6

(owner of the famous Portland Vase which Wedgwood reproduced) had amassed such a shell collection that it was auctioned off in over four thousand lots upon her death in 1785.

As timing would have it, Wedgwood’s interest in shells coincided with the prevalent Rococo style in European decorative arts which freely used natural forms such a shells and seaweed as design motifs. While Josiah wasn’t necessarily a big fan of this ornate style, being the consummate marketer that he was he certainly took advantage of the trend. In 1771, Josiah wrote to his business partner Bentley suggesting that marine life subjects should be integrated into their tablewares. And thus, over the years, Wedgwood products have been offered not only in shell shapes, but in a wide range of shell edging, as well as marine motifs illustrated by enameling, printing, sprigging and even molding from within. Wedgwood’s shell collection provided handy interpretation not just for shell shapes, but for decorative color schemes as well. As these categories are indeed expansive, Adele’s talk focused upon wares produced in actual shell shapes.

One of the earliest and most popular shell shapes created by Wedgwood was the Nautilus service from around 1790. The form was taken from the ‘paper nautilus’ or argonata argo shell and retained its popularity for more than two centuries. Note that shell-based patterns were named in Latin after their scientific classifications. By the 1940s the Wedgwood firm abandoned their Latin terminology and opted for inventory shape numbers along with ‘use’ identifiers, such as ‘dessert plate #4211’. This made more sense from a marketing perspective; they were appealing to decorators and tabletop customers, not conchologists.

Upon Josiah’s death in 1795 his sons inherited the shell collection. With later generations continuing to be inspired by the shell-style concept, the factory carried on the tradition of utilizing shell forms in both useful and decorative wares. Shell-form wares during the 19th century are often described as pearlware, but occasionally the actual body is the lesser known ‘white ware’ category.

This body composition, introduced in 1805, is whiter than creamware, less dense than pearlware, and fired at a higher temperature than either of these more well-known earlier Wedgwood bodies.

The white ware body was often used for Wedgwood shell designs offered in a variegated lustres of pink, purple, copper and gold treatments. Another of the body types used in the early days of the Nautilus service was the dry body caneware. But as it stains easily and does not resemble the look of shells in nature, it was not used as often as other Wedgwood bodies.

Page 7

Previous Page Left: Creamware Compotier, circa 1770. Right: Shell-Form Tureen, circa 1790.

Above Left: Nautilus Shell and Clam Form Comports. Right: Variegated Copper Lustre Nautilus Bowl.

Both early 19th century.

The popularity of shell-inspired forms at Wedgwood really took off during the second half of the 19th century with an emerging, heightened awareness of nature and natural history and increasing demand for related wares. The development of majolica proved to be further inspiration to create even more with this newly developed body. Wedgwood entered the majolica market in the early 1860s with many earlier creamware and pearlware molds being re-utilized for their shell-form wares. In 1878, the company introduced a sub-brand of majolica developing a whiter, brighter body called Argenta. Talented decorators like Emile Lessore and his followers were employed to paint shell-shaped trays. And, continuing in the Rococo Revival style, by the end of the century some of the most intricate designs, or ‘shell-fancies’, were created in fine white bone china. By 1894 the firm offered thirty-six different bone chine ‘fancies’.

Left: Pair of Dolphin Majolica Salts, circa 1865. Right: Argenta Ware Serving Bowl, circa 1883.

Page 8

In the more useful category, from the 1930s until the 1980s Wedgwood offered novel luncheon and dessert sets utilizing the scallop shell plate design. One such design is an abstract interpretation of a shell entitled Pesaro after an Italian seaside resort.

It is interesting to note that over time the firm created shell-inspired designs in virtually every Wedgwood body or ware…except Jasperware. The reason for this is most likely the very volatile composition of Jasper clay which always presented various firing or other production problems.

Jasperware has never been malleable or plastic enough to model large complex forms such as a Nautilus comport. Furthermore, if useable, how successful would it be as a reflection of nature’s shells compared with lustres, pearlware or bone china compositions?

Either way, for two and a half centuries rarely a decade has passed where a marine subject was not illustrated in Wedgwood production. Josiah’s hobby that initial designs, and his ability to marry natural history, art and technology set the tone for the company’s rich history.

WE GOT THE DIRT ON EARLY CHARLESTOWNWARES IN NOVEMBER At the end of November, we closed out our Autumn program with a return visit from Joe Bagley, City Archaeologist from the Boston Landmarks Commission. Joe addressed our group several years ago at the College Club and returned to enlighten us further on the subject of Charlestownware: The Archaeology of Boston’s Potters.

One of the first things that our speaker wanted to emphasize was the importance of the Charlestown potters and their influence just not on the immediate town itself but well beyond into the hinterlands of New England, as well as up and down the colonial Atlantic coast. The archaeology made possible by the massive Big Dig construction project of the later 20th century in Boston basically unearthed the story of the Charlestown potteries. This is an ongoing story, though, as questions asked about the data recovered in the 1970-early 1990s are different from the ones asked today. Fortunately, all the pieces recovered remain in storage ready to be re-examined and re-interpreted again, but this is what we know so far: There were upwards of forty potters working in Charlestown in the 18th century. Why such a concentration of these artisans? It seems that Charlestown, really part of a peninsula, had rich clay deposits along its north shore. These deposits were left 20,000 years earlier by a massive glacier.

The weight of this sheet of ice depressed the eastern seaboard from Downeast Maine to Boston to such an extent that the ocean washed in leaving these clay deposits in its wake. (This clay actually contains the remnants of ancient shells that turn up in some of the kiln sites). This clay has a different chemical composition from clays used in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, so it can help us distinguish a Charlestown piece from others created at other locations. It’s called Boston Blue Clay and, despite its name, it actually turns red when fired. This red clay was the basis for the Page 9

thriving 18th century Charlestown potteries. What remains a bit of a mystery is just what the potteries looked like. Period images of English potteries show a very distinctive skyline of bottle kiln silhouettes belching smoke. Oddly, not a single written description or rendered view of Charlestown depicts any such structures. And, as we know, in 1775 the British burned Charlestown and with it the potteries, so the actual kiln structures remain somewhat of a mystery.

The waterfront area was the center of the 18th century pottery industry in Charlestown. The earliest known potter was one Philip Drinker who emigrated from England around the mid-17th century, but the two major potteries that Joe focused on were the Parker Pottery and the Town Dock Pottery. Isaac and Grace Parker moved to Charlestown in 1714 and by 1715 tax records list a kiln on their property (not yet discovered in archaeology). Isaac dies in 1742 and Grace inherits the property and seems to continue the business. Their son John appears to have been a potter but works for hire at several sites around town. Also, it is interesting to note that Grace owned two enslaved people, who, judging from their high valuation upon Grace’s death were skilled laborers, most likely potters working for her. After Grace’s death, the pottery continued under the direction of one Josiah Harris until the British destroyed the town. The other site of importance was the Town Dock Pottery which was really a conglomeration of smaller operations that worked along the town dock for easy access to transportation. The Parker Pottery was a self-contained operation with its own kiln, warehouse and dock.

Now the other big mystery which Joe has been trying to sort out is what Charlestownware actually looked like? There are plenty of wasters at the various pottery sites, but they are limited in what they can tell us. They represent the rejects and mistakes of production, tossed hurly-burly into waste pits. They don’t represent the ‘best examples’ being sold to the public, nor does the method of disposal present any distinctive time lines that show us any kind of chronology. Fortunately, excavations of the town tavern site give a better example of good pieces purchased from the pottery, used, and then, when broken, tossed away with other period items giving the archaeologist a better time line.

So what characteristics has Joe and his colleagues been able to discern that makes a piece of redware a piece of Charlestownware? The redware body sometimes has a mottled olive and peachcolored surface with an overall bright appearance. Predominant decorative motifs are a swag motif, or an overall swag/fish scale design as well as a sunburst pattern. Colors used tend to be black and yellow. There is also sometimes a series of S’s that form a rope pattern. Physical characteristics for porringers are a rounded, pulled handle that is a bit below the collar. The collar/rim flares out from the body without a curve, almost like a cone-shaped collar and there is a distinct line between the base and the rim. For mugs look for hand-pulled handles with two parallel ridges running down the exterior of the handle. Mugs are almost always cordoned off at the base with a distinct round, foot.

These redwares were shipped from Nova Scotia to South Carolina, competing with Pennsylvania potters. Joe believes that the more we know of the characteristics of Charlestown redware the more we will see it turning up at these various Atlantic ports of call.

Page 10

Examples of 18th Century Charlestown Redware A grant application has been made to help re-evaluate the entire Charlestown Big Dig trove of shards in hopes to learn more and be able to discern specific ‘signatures’ of specific potters and potteries. As we end so many of these lectures…to be continued!

Page 11

A CAUTIONARY TALE WITH CHINESE EXPORT PORCELAIN CSC member and long-time Chinese export porcelain dealer Polly Latham recently came across a fine example of a classic fake and asked that I share it with our readers in hopes that we can all train our eyes and be on the look-out for such deceptions. The piece in question was a Chinese export porcelain plate, purportedly from the Yongzheng period, circa 1722-1736. This was brief a period when the Famille Rose palette of enamels, which was introduced in the early 17th century, was fully developed; the decoration is often of the highest quality, as is the potting, and it is much sought-after in today’s market. Polly came across a plate that appeared to be a match to one she had in her shop’s collection…until she actually placed them side-by-side. Please observe as the Devil is in the Details:

The plate on the left is the period Yongzheng plate, the one on the right is the fake. It’s difficult to tell when handling the pieces as she thinks the fake was decorated on a period blank. Note, though, the somewhat ‘heavy-handed’ proportions; the border reserves are larger, the refinement of detail is just not there in the fake.

Page 11

Compare the refinement of detail in the border reserves on the period piece (left) with the fake on the right.

Note the detail of the peacock feathers in the vase, not there in the fake on the right.

Observe the classically rendered lady’s face on the left, and the over-worked ‘model’s make-up’ face on the right.

Page 12

And finally, note the elegance of the floral border on the left with the fake’s heavy-handed rendering on the right- the larger flowers look almost cartoonish.

A dealer in Paris informed Polly that he thinks these fakes are coming in through Vancouver, Canada and it is probable that this one was copied right off Polly’s piece on her website. The dealer also wondered how the faker was even turning any profit as the copy was just as timeconsuming to create as it would have been in the 18th century. Either way, keep your eyes open!

__________________________________________________ FEBRUARY MEETING: February 28th…It’s BITS ‘N’ PIECES Please bring some of your treasures to share!!!

Page 13