THE TCC ENGLAND TOUR 2015: PART ONE - THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

"A Present From The Staffordshire Potteries" 7.25 inch pearlware plate, ca. 1825.  The plate is obviously an early souvenir!

I just returned from the Transferware Collectors Club Tour and Meeting in England.  We started in London and ended in the Staffordshire Potteries.   I thought I'd show you some of the highlights (to me).  I took 1324 photos, so I had to choose just a few.  This was hard, so I tried to focus on the pottery.  I also decided to cover the tour in more than one blog post. 

The Victoria And Albert Museum has a huge ceramics gallery (they also have a huge amount of everything else).   The ceramics are displayed as visible storage.

Sign in the V&A Ceramics Gallery

Glass cases filled with ceramics/A museum worker can access the pottery from the center of the storage/display.

This is what the display looks like from the outside (where we are). Lots of stuff! 

Mainly painted 18th century creamware teapots and printed 18th century creamware tea canisters and creamware plates. 

Early blue printed hollow ware and a variety of colored plates and pots lids.

A design and color mixture.  Can you spot the Wedgwood Water Lily plate?

One of my favorite pieces is this 30 gallon jug.  I first saw it in 1987.   

Thirty Gallon Jug, ca. 1830.  It was probably intended for display.  The pattern is known as Wild Rose for the border or Nuneham Courtney for the building in the background.  Nuneham Courtenay is located on the river Thames about five miles southeast of Oxford.

David is standing near the jug to give you a bit of perspective as to its size.

The museum showcased a special exhibit titled Blue and White: British Printed Ceramics.   It highlighted the connection between antique and modern printed ware.  The V&A sign gives you a bit of blue and white history.

Here is a case from the exhibit showing old and new transfer printed pottery.

A juxtaposition of old and new transfer printed pottery.

Below is a close-up of a pair of juxtaposed old and new transfer print.

John & Richard Riley soup plate on the left, "Goggerdan, Cardiganshire," circa 1825, shows an idyllic country scene with grazing cows.  The modern platter by Paul Scott, "Foot and Mouth no. 5," references the major foot and mouth outbreak of 2001.  "The motif of cows' legs pointing skywards on pyres of cattle became a defining image of the crisis.  The image is given additional potency (I would add poignancy) by its application to a meat serving plate made of bone china, a material of which animal bone is a constituent."

Take a look at the iconic and probably most recognizable blue transfer printed pattern; Willow.

Willow Pattern

Below see a case of both traditional Willow pattern ceramics, as well as modern interpretations.

Old and New/Notice the modern renditions of the traditional Willow pattern.  

A case filled with old and new flower and bird transfer printed ware.

Not all of the ceramics at the V&A are transfer printed (just kidding).

Redware and more

Creamware and more

More pots!

Figures!

Non-English ceramics

One last thing.  The entrance to the V&A has a gorgeous Dale Chilhuly glass sculpture hanging from the ceiling.

To Be Continued...