Posted By: Mark
Posted on: 2010-05-26 05:50:49

Featured Item:
Mason's Ironstone "Lotus" Pattern Jug

Antiques and collecting have always been about the good life and living well--that little bit of excess which takes it all above the commonplace.  Considering this, before we launch into this month's Featured Item we beg one little indulgence, a little recollection around Mason's "Lotus"  pattern.

It was December some years back, and after spending the day setting up a show we found ourselves winding our way out into the wilds of Virginia for dinner at a customer/collector/friend's house.  We were pretty shop worn with all the tension which attends a show setup.  However, upon arrival we discovered this was no ordinary house in the country, but a wonderful home, the center of which was a typically small eighteenth century farmhouse. We settled into a comfortable space in the former summer kitchen and what with a round of scotch and good conversation, the stress of the day was soon forgotten, and we were well into a memorable evening.  After a  bit, the party moved into the dining room, an intimate space in the eighteenth century part of the dwelling with minimal furnishings.  The lighting was low and the ambiance typical of that easy un-assuming elegance we associate with country life.  However on the wall directly across from where I sat, a parade of Mason's "Lotus" pattern plates arranged with mililtary precision caught the flickering candlelight on a hanging shelf.  It was a touch of brilliance in this otherwise minimal room, the perfect reminder of how a few good antiques are the right accessories for the good lilfe.

Our featured item this month is a remarkable jug in Mason's "Lotus" pattern.  
   
 
 

/products/2367=

Dimensions:  Height 8 3/8 in., Width 9 1/4 in.
 
Price:  $2500.00
 
Dates:  1813-1820
 
 The Jug

While this is a standard jug shape found throughout the industry, it is not a common form for Masons and no manufacturer handled the shape and size with more mastery and flair.  A splashy lotus blossom dominates each side.  The lotus is executed in rich swaths of coral and gilt with a contrasting cobalt lily pad defined in gilt.  Pink buds, tendrils and greenery fill out the composition.  The finishing touch is a cross-hatched border pattern around the rim.  A closer look will reward one with the realization of that spontaneity unique to productions created by hand,

 In producing this pattern, Masons would have first fired the cobalt elements.  When this piece was being manufactured, technology was still in a somewhat primitive state, all the more reason to marvel at this brilliant turn.  Any other colors would have burned away in the heat required in the kiln.  Enamels and gilt were then added after the cobalt firing knitting the whole into a pattern.  Technology would solve this problem shortly with the development of greater monitoring and controls in the late 1820's.

 "Lotus" is one of a group of hand painted, Asian inspired designs, commonly known as "Japan" patterns.  These patterns date early in the Masons catalog and focus primarily on florals--often with wandering vines--executed in cobalt with orange and sometimes green enamels and gilt highlighting.  As one studies the lattice border of "Lotus," one senses a link with a group of hand painted blue and white chinoiserie earthenware patterns which had been in production since the late eighteenth century.  The earthenware chinoiserie patterns had passed from fashion by the 1820's, however Masons extended elements of this genre through mid-century on their ironstone body.

  In producing the "Lotus" pattern, a head-painter would have executed a prototype to emulate.  This would have been a fairly simple procedure for the multiple plates and platters. However, complex forms like this jug would have required the skill of a more experienced painter, in effect creating a special version of the pattern for each shape.  The result is tremendous variation in the "Lotus" pattern. This jug represents a bravura performance, the most skillfull and controlled execution of the pattern we have encountered.

  As one considers this piece and Mason's "Lotus" patttern, there is one last important aspect, the body. The circular impressed mark indicates that this is an early example of Masons Ironstone body. In 1813 (the earliest date of this mark), this is a newly developed phenomenon, harder, more dense and durable than earlier earthenware bodies.  If you care to continue further, we can explore that story at a later date.  However, now a bit about Mason's Ironstone, collecting and taking it a bit above the commonplace.  
 
  Your Collection

Collecting and displaying Masons Ironstone can range from satisfying to seductive (to even obsessive).  That said, happily in our experience it is hard to make a mistake with Mason's Ironstone.  All Mason's patterns tend to display well together requiring the most minimal sense of choice on the collector's part.  Our one caution is to stick with nineteenth century wares.  These wares become very obvious upon minimal acquaintance; most will carry a Mason's Ironstone mark. The earliest marks are impressed while the majority of wares found will have a printed mark.  (The array of wares on Seekers website will give you a sense of the marks).  One will occasionally encounter wares which were left un-marked.  Here a reliable, experienced dealer is requisite.  We generally avoid pieces marked "Made In England" as the overall "look" of pieces changes jarringly in the twentieth century.

 Obviously, sticking with a single pattern such as "Lotus" can be very satisfying, as noted above, even dramatic. The "Japan" patterns as a group also work well together.  In fact, we tend to group these patterns together on Seekers website to demonstrate this point.

         As one studies the Masons output, one also realizes there is a stunning, distinct early group of Eastern inspired patterns which work well together.   These patterns were all introduced in the first decade of Mason's existence and are often found with one of the early impressed marks. In addition to "Lotus", these patterns include "Scroll", "Mandarin", "Mogul", "Table and Flower Pot" and others.  One note on these patterns: while they were among the earliest Masons patterns, many enjoyed a long production and can be found with subsequent printed marks indicating production as late as mid-century.  Nonetheless these patterns are stunning, either in a collection or individually.  
 

Conclusion

Seekers Antiques may be on our own little crusade here.  In a world where the "look" of a Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware or Crate and Barrell is hard to beat for ease, comfort or sophistication, not to mention mobility or (sadly) disposability, we are offering an antidote to take things up a notch or two. Whether you are settled for life or just starting up the ladder with multiple moves ahead, this piece will reward you providing your space with that little something extra.  One piece or a collection, it's all about the good life. 
 
Later, 
 
Mark

In case you are not quite ready for something the scale of the Mason's "Lotus" jug discussed above,  the following "Lotus" pattern items are available on our website as shown below with links. 

Plate(s)  /products/3007                                                   

Pitcher  /products/3343

Sauce Tureen Stand  /products/3473

Pitcher  /products/2422

The following links will also take you to other groups of Mason's items mentioned above. 

Plate, Lilac Variant  /products/2864

Tureen Stands, Japan  /products/3051

Sauce Tureen, "Scroll"  /products/3337

Sauce Tureen, "Table and Flower Pot"  /products/2869

(For further background on Mason's Ironstone and Stone China in general, we recommend the following books: 

Godden's Guide to Mason's China and The Ironstone Wares  by Geoffrey Godden, FRSA (Our copy is copyright 1980)

Godden's Guide to Ironstone, Stone & Granite Wares by Geoffrey Godden, FRSA (Copyright 1999)
 
Mason's, The First Two Hundred Years by Gaye Blake Roberts, Curator , The Wedgwood Museum (with a good, succinct forward by Geoffrey Godden, 1996)  
 
For background on the blue painted chinoiserie patterns which we link to the "Lotus" pattern, Painted in Blue, Underglaze Blue Painted Earthenwares 1775-1810 by Lois Roberts(Copyright 2006)

Posted By: Mark
Posted on: 2010-04-21 04:43:01

Featured Item:
Porcelain Chinoiserie Pattern Saucer Dish
New Hall Type Pattern No. 185

Here comes May and Mother's Day and we are five months into 2010.  As we surveyed Seekers inventory, we wondered what could be more appropriate for this month's featured item than the scene on this New Hall type saucer dish.     
  

 
Dimensions:  Diameter, 7 1/4 in., Depth 1 1/2 in. 
 
Price:  $395.00
 
Dates:  1790's to 1820's
 
 
      The Dish
 
This pattern starts with a light outline chinoiserie transfer print which is then colored in by hand with rich jewel tone enamel washes.  A hand painted border consisting of two enamel pinstripes and an order of scallops and drops finishes the piece.  Seekers refers to this pattern as "New Hall Type" due to its similarity with a number of New Hall patterns, notably their "Boy in the Window" pattern.   
 
While the scene may be couched in Chinese terms, to us everything about this pattern speaks to universal maternal values.  In this scene of child with mother or nurse eagerly motioning to another woman sitting in the nearby window, the potter pays tribute to that special relationship of mother-grandmother-grandchild familiar the world over.  However, the potter has also underscored this exclusive feminine ritual in other subtle ways.  The transfer decoration is held to a minimum, very light touch.  The sense of the feminine is also amplified by the rainbow of hues ranging from deep mahogany red to soft coral orange, aqua, blue, a rich amethyst pink, and yellow.   
 
The piece itself is a cake or sandwich plate and would originally have been part of a tea service.  This particular form is often referred to as a saucer dish.  Robin Reilly, in his Wedgwood The New Illustrated Dictionary defines it as "a round, shallow dish in the shape of a large saucer (without indented well)."  Reilly goes on to note that the form, originally Chinese was used for European table services in the 18th and 19th century. 
 
Finally, the body of this piece is porcelain.  While porcelain was traditionally an indication of elegance, luxury, expense, and therefore status, this piece dates from a time when a newly emerging class was creating demand for more affordable porcelain wares.  This piece is British industry's answer to that demand.   
 
    The Backstory; Chinoiserie, Porcelain and An Emerging New Class
 
One of the wonderful aspects of the arts, whether fine, domestic, theatre or musical, is the window they give us on their time.  This piece is especially rich in the insights it yields to those who care to look beyond the immediate.  The time period of this piece, 1790-1820 is especially critical as it bridges a variety of changes from the 18th to the 19th century, perhaps best described in one word, revolution.
     
 The largest shift, of course is political.  The free exchange of ideas which had started in the coffehouses of Europe had found expression in America in 1776 and its echo on the steps to the guillotine in France.  In the end it was an expression of ideas which signalled change in the world order.  This change had to do with wealth, status and the rights of man.  Prior to this time, wealth had been the sole prerogative of royalty and the landed aristocracy.  However with the free exchange of ideas and the accompanying pursuit of the scientific, a new type of self-made wealth based on commerce, technology and manufacturing became a source of power in society and the marketplace.  The watershed of this new wealth was the advent of a new consumer, the middle class.  While the base of middle class wealth was not nearly as expansive as the old order, this new customer represented demand for new fashions and new goods, products which he could identify as his own.  This saucer dish represents just such a product.   
 
There was also a revolution in style and the public taste.  The pattern of this piece is referred to as a "chinoiserie" pattern.  However this was not the traditional chinoiserie of the old order.  
 
    The chinoiserie style stems from Marco Polo's fantastic reports of China in his Book of Wonders, c. 1300.  Prior to the publication of Marco Polo's work, bits and pieces of  Chinese culture had found their way west, mostly in the form of spices and silks.  This work stoked such a fascination with the wonderful, mysterious, fantastic land that by 1700, an elaborate chinoiserie style had penetrated art and architecture.  This chinoiserie style became a hallmark of the upper classes. In terms of ceramics, this was expressed in extravagant pieces embellished with reserves of fantiastic oriental tableaux on richly colored grounds framed in excessive gilt flourishes.  This obsession continued through the 17th and well into the 18th century becoming synonymonous with the extravagance and even decadence of the upper classes.  It only abated toward the end of the 18th century when taste, in the presence of political shifts generally shifted to less worldly styles ranging from Georgian to the neoclassical and even gothic.  The exception to this was in ceramics where the taste for the Chinese survived, continuing to evolve and, to use a 20th century term, re-invent itself throughout the 19th century. 
 
Thus we have in this piece, the new chinoiserie style of the day, a style much simpler and less encumbered than the elaorate gilt and polychrome porcelains of the old order, a style tailored for this new consumer.  This vein of lighter Chinese style is found throughout English ceramics of this period in multiple patterns by multiple manufacturers.    
 
    This piece also reflects a revolution in technology, again affected more by the exchange of ideas and pursuit of science.  We are speaking now of the development of an English porcelain body and the new, more efficient transfer printing process.    
 
The development of an English porcelain body brought about a change in the status of porcelain.  From the advent of the first oriental porcelains in Europe, porcelain became a badge of wealth and power.  Naturally, this obsession spurred a quest to produce a European porcelain equal to that produced by the Chinese.  That equivalent was finally perfected at the Meissen factory under the patronage of the Elector of Saxony in 1710.  While the secret was closely guarded, in a world where the term industrial espionage only seems anachronistic, it found its way into the hands of others who lusted after a porcelain of their own (but that's another fascinating story).  Finally, in the mid-eighteenth century, the English perfected their own soft paste porcelain.  This piece dates only fifty or so years after porcelain had first been first produced on English soil. (Technically, the English porcelain body continued to evolve into a myriad number of porcelain bodies referred to as soft paste, hard paste, hybrid, etc.).  However, all of these porcelain bodies would soon be superseded by the development of the English bone china body around 1800.  This development would exponentially enlarge production capacity and access to porcelain.    
 
The second technological advance was the development of transfer printing. With the advent of transfer printing, multiple copies of any decoration could be produced more quickly and consistently to compete with the individually painted wares of the east. The addition of color enamels to these transfer prints provided additional advantage making them comparable to the most elaborate polychrome decorated wares from China.  
 
Then, of course there was novelty.  The traditional blue decorated oriental wares, along with the taste for traditional chinoiserie passed from favor in the eyes of the public along with the old order with which it was associated.

  This piece in a collection or Your Hectic Life.    
 
All right, now you have the Seekers Antiques version of the story on this simple piece of porcelain.  So now you're thinking; "How can this piece add to my hectic life?"  
 
    The answer is always pleasure.  Earlier, we referred to a vein of similar delicate chinoiserie porcelain patterns from this time period.  These patterns on porcelain continue through probably 1840.  A collection of these patterns is nothing short of luscious.  If one chooses the rarefied, one can stick to only New Hall and the New Hall type chinoiserie porcelain patterns.  We especially think of several complementary Chinese style patterns by New Hall, including "Boy With Butterfly", "Boy in the Window", "Dinner is Served" and others.  Minton also produced similar chinoiserie patterns as well as other lesser known manufacturers such as Machin or Rathbone.  All you need is the desire and the dealer (and you've got the dealer already).  
 
    Another collecting strategy would be a collection built by shape or piece.  Cake and sandwich plates are relatively available and simple to display and enjoy.  They also come in other shapes besides the classic saucer dish shape as well as other bodies.  A collection built around these serving plates also affords one examples of wonderful non-chinoiserie patterns such as cottagey English floral and scenic patterns as well as the often almost naive folk art type patterns found in lustre wares.   
 
Then of course there is the obvious ----- we think this piece could delight any mother or grandmother at Mother's Day.  Noble enough reason, end of story.  
 
    In closing, thank you for joining us on this little interlude going into May.  We send our best wishes for a wonderful Mother's Day ---- and speaking especially to friends of our own generation, a wonderful Mother's Day to all of you Grandmothers as well (especially you new Grandmothers!).
 
Later,
 
Mark
 
Any general reference work on English china and porcelain will include a section devoted to New Hall, however for this piece, we found two works especially helpful: 
Howard Davis Chinoiserie Decoration on Staffordshire Porcelain 1790-1850 (1991)
David Holgate  New Hall  (1987)
 
We are also aware of more recent works on New Hall by Geoffrey Godden and  Anthony de Saye Hutton.    
 
    One last note on New Hall Type Pattern 185: 
 
One point which Seekers takes pride in is that sense of confidence and knowledge which accompanies a Seekers purchase.  This includes a statement of condition, some sense of time period of manufacture, country, region when relevant, and often identity of the potter.  When we purchased this piece, we were confident we could ferret out this information with a bit of detective work.  This piece from subject tableau to color palette corresponds to a vein of goods by the English potter, New Hall (1781-1835).  New Hall also used a distinctive hand painted numbering system for much of their production like that found on the back of this piece.  There are other New Hall earmarks as well.  The only drawback was that the list of identified pattern numbers in our references was incomplete.  Furthermore, after conferring with other ceramics dealers and collectors, we found a reference to  pattern 185 that did not correspond to our piece.  Therefore at this point, the manufacturer remains un-identified and designated "New Hall Type Pattern 185." 
 
In closing, special thanks to Mimi Levine and Stephen McMaster for their assistance in chasing after the elusive New Hall Type Pattern 185.  

Additional items illustrated above: 

New Hall Pattern #421, "Boy With Butterfly" Cup and Saucer   
/products/2560

S&J Rathbone "Tea House" Bone China Tea Plate 
/products/813