ENGLISH DELFTWARE (BLUE & WHITE) POTTERY

Among the foremost patrons of the early London and Lambeth delftware potters were the apothecaries who required great numbers of special vessels to contain the various powders, pills, ointments, confections, and syrups in use up until relatively modern times. Some spouted drug jars contained Syrup of Chicory with Rhubarb. Other similar jars in the Baker collection once held Syrup of Ginger, Syrup of Quinces, and a special concoction called simply "EXPECTORAL" (expectorant syrup). These everyday products of the potter are superb examples of the throwing technique - foot, body, and spout all being made on the potter's wheel. The decoration is similar to contemporary Dutch examples and only the fact that so many of these jars were found in excavations of London streets and are clearly from a period when importation was illegal authenticates their English origin.

In 1683 the Temple Pottery, an offshoot of Brislington, was founded in near-by Bristol, the city which became one of the leading delftware centers of the eighteenth century. Plates with the delightfully naïve portraits of King William III and Queen Mary may have been made at Bristol, and on some specimens the extensive crazing of the glaze may indicate a newly opened pottery.

The Dutch influence on English pottery reached its height at the end of the seventeenth century. Large bulbous mugs are decorated with contemporary scenes of a gentleman addressing a seated lady, flanked by oriental birds perched on flowering branches above. In most cases, the border is made up of a band of Chinese ]u-i heads. It is interesting to note that the drawing is done with a blue-black outline, known in Dutch as ‘trek’ and used in England for only a decade or two.

The French influence of the mid-eighteenth century was also felt, especially in the charming landscapes attributed to John Bowen, a Bristol decorator. For example, a large, impressive, footed vase with lion and mask handles shows his characteristic tall slender trees in the foreground, and figures in contemporary dress drawn with a quick, sure brush. Probably by another skilled painter is a small, this time done in soft tones of manganese purple instead of blue.

It should be stressed, however, that the English Potteries tried very hard to avoid copying, although not always successfully. Although the Chinese style was in fashion in England, as elsewhere, throughout the eighteenth century, they did not often reproduce Chinese pieces, but adapted the motifs and subject matter to contemporary life and the tastes of their patrons. Blue and white coloring was used all through the century, while strong baroque colors prevailed during the first part and were followed later by the softer tones of the rococo.

Many of the innovations and developments of the Bristol delftware of the mid-eighteenth century were formerly attributed to Joseph Flower, who, though trained as a potter, was for most of his life a "China-man," or dealer in china and glass. One of these English developments is the so-called ‘bianco sopra bianco’, an attractive white floral scroll border on a pale blue or blue-gray ground, which was based on an Italian majolica technique. This style was used in all leading delftware centers, Lambeth and Liverpool as well as Bristol, and is also known on French and Swedish wares. From fragments found on factory sites specific designs can be attributed to the different localities.

Some pieces may also be attributed to Bristol with some assurance. These are usually decorated in soft blue in the Chinese style, but is quite unusual to find complete and intact pieces these days. The use of slip casting was introduced to England about the middle of the century, used mostly for tea caddies and flower pockets. Most are painted with Chinese flowering trees and pagodas in a delicate blue outline and the curved chamfers of the corners are treated with reserved scrolls in the Chinese manner. Cornucopia flower holders were made at Liverpool, which first produced delftware early in the eighteenth century but rapidly developed into one of the leading manufacturers and exporters. In fact, the soft polychrome is typical of the Liverpool painters and can also be seen in punch bowls with the delicate village landscapes and reminds one of the contemporary English water colors.

Though it has been recently gaining in popularity, English delftware is still too little known to American collectors. It deserves to be appreciated for its own merit in craftsmanship, color, form, and decoration rather than compared with the sophisticated Holland "Delft" or Meissen porcelains which were made for a completely different market.