THANKSGIVING 2014

"Peace And Plenty" child's plate, ca. 1840

The text on the plate above says the things I wish for all of us this year.  What could be better than that?

Maybe Mary's mincemeat pie.  Wish I could share it with you.  The crust is the best.  Mary has been making the pie since the '50s.  Notice the Willow sauce tureen behind it.

My 2013 Thanksgiving table features Spode "Blue Italian" plates.  My plates were new in the 1970s, but the pattern was made by Spode from about 1816 to 2009.  I never use a tablecloth.  I really enjoy the beautiful quarter sawn oak table top.  No need to hide it.

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Ralph & James Clews "Peace and Plenty" 16 inch platter, ca. 1825

I am ending this post with another "Peace and Plenty" transferware pattern.  We can always hope for both.  If you want to see more Thanksgivingish patterns, read my Thanksgiving post from last year.

WINEMAKERS REDUX

Winemakers pattern, ca. 1820

I recently posted a photo of the Winemakers pattern on the Facebook page of the Transferware Collectors Club.  It is one of my favorite patterns.  Take a look at the post I wrote about the Winemakers in May 2013.  To my pleasant surprise,  Becky Wallis of Great Britain found the source print for the pattern in the superb database of the British Museum.  The print is also in the Metropolitan Museum archives.  The engraver was Giovanni Girolamo Frezza (1659-1741) after the artwork of Carlo Maratti (1625-1713).  The print date is 1704.

Source print for the Winemakers pattern, 1704

The Latin text is from Proverbs 3:9-11; "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase; So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."

A lovely proverb for the Holiday Season! 

WHAT IS A CUSTARD CUP?

Early 19th century transferware custard cups

Here are some questions I have asked myself about custard cups, as there appears to be some confusion.  What is a custard cup?  It is not a syllabub cup or a punch cup.  Does it have a saucer?  No.  What is custard?  It is a smooth and creamy dessert made with eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla.  Is it what Americans call pudding?  Yes (sort of).  According to the The Dictionary of Blue and White Printed Pottery 1780-1880, Vol. I,  by Coysh and Henrywood,  p. 100, "Up to and including the early 19th century it was common practice to serve custard as part of a sweet course in separate little glass cups with handles.  Pottery custard cups, some of which have lids, are not uncommon and examples are known from major factories such as Spode and Wedgwood.  These cups are made in a variety of shapes; one is shaped like a comma."

Etruscan pattern comma-shaped 2 inch by 2.5 inch custard cup, ca. 1820/Notice the wraparound pattern and serrated edge

Another view of the Etruscan pattern custard cup

Another view of the Etruscan pattern custard cup

A Spode  (1770-1833) Greek Pattern (border only) 3.5 inch high custard cup with lid, ca. 1820

Chinoiserie pattern 2.5 inch by 3 inch custard cup

Ralph Hall (1822-1849) Select Views 2.5 inch by 3.25 inch custard cup/only the border is used/see the other side in the group photo above

Feeding Chickens 3 inch by 3 inch custard cup

Dark blue 2.5 inch by 2.5 inch custard cup

I have one more question.  The spoons must have been small.  Is there a custard spoon?

If you are tempted to make custard, here is an easy and delicious recipe. If you want to learn some custard/pudding history, look here.

PRESENT FOR MY DEAR BOY'S FIRST BIRTHDAY!

Child's 2.5 inch mug For My Dear Boy, ca. 1820/What is the dog doing to the preacher?

Liam is one today.  I wrote about his birth in Present For My Dear Boy, where I showed some children's patterns intended as gifts for loved boys (Christening, doing well in school, good behavior and just because).   Here are some more patterns.  All are from the first half of the 19th century.

Child's 2.68 inch alphabet mug For A Good Boy

Child's 2.62 inch mug A Present for A Good Boy

Child's 2.5 inch mug For My Dear Boy

Child's 2 inch mug Present For My Dear Boy/A fox carrying off a goose by its neck is to me an inappropriate pattern for children!

Child's 7.5 inch plate For a good Boy

My Dear Boys

TRANSFERWARE TREASURES AND LADY GODIVA

I bought three things at the Show and Sale at the Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the Transferware Collectors Club; The Rabbit On The Wall, Cameleopard, and Godiva And Peeping Tom Of Coventry.

Ralph & James Clews Rabbit On The Wall 7.75 inch by 5.25 inch pie or vegetable dish.  The sides are printed with pieces of The Errand Boy.  Both patterns are part of the series titled From Wilkie's Designs.  Sir David Wilkie (1785-1841) was a Scottish painter.

Cameleopard 4.25 inch child's plate

Lady Godiva And Peeping Tom Of Coventry 7 inch plate

I have already written about The Rabbit On The Wall and Cameleopard, which are two of my favorite patterns.  However, this is the first time I have seen a Lady Godiva pattern.  It is printed in black on porcelain with Lady Godiva's famous ride through Coventry in the 11th century.  She was the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia.  Godiva is an historical person who is mentioned in the Doomsday Book.

The legend of the nude ride appears around the 13th century and is not considered plausible by historians, but the story was interesting enough to survive retelling for more than 8 centuries! It is also the subject of several Hollywood movies.  The people of Coventry suffered under the oppressive taxation of Godiva's husband.  She appealed to him to reduce the taxes, which he finally offered to do if she would ride naked through Coventry.  The caveat was that if anyone looked or jeered, the taxes would not be removed.  Because Lady Godiva was held in such high esteem by the people, no one looked except Tom (now known as Peeping Tom).  Tom, by the way, was struck blind!  Read more about the legend of Godiva, her ride, and Peeping Tom here.

My friend, Michael, said this is just the kind of pattern to get adolescent boys interested in transferware.  What do you think?

PRINTING ON CERAMICS

The theme of the fifteenth annual meeting (although this is a debatable point) of the Transferware Collectors Club was printing on ceramics. The meeting commenced with a lecture titled Perfecting Printing on Pottery by Pat Halfpenny.  Pat's lecture served as a springboard for the opening of an exhibit at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware titled Transferware: A Story of Pattern & Color.

David Hoexter, the TCC Internet Content Manager, at the Winterthur Museum Transferware exhibit

What is overglaze Printing?

Overglaze printing is exactly what is says; printing over the glaze!  Below are some example of overglaze printed items.

Overglaze items

Underglaze printing is, of course, applied under the glaze.

What is underglaze printing?

Underglaze items

In conjunction with the mortar and bricks exhibit at Winterthur,  the TCC and the Northern Ceramic Society launched an online exhibit on ceramics printing titled Printed British Pottery and Porcelain; http://printedbritishpotteryandporcelain.com/
The online exhibit is an education.  The answers to the questions of overglaze and underglaze are found by clicking on the link above.

What Did They Make?  page from the online exhibit Printed Pottery and Porcelain 1750-1900

Printed British Pottery & Porcelain 1750-1900

PHILADELPHIA AGAIN (AND DELAWARE)

I am going to Philadelphia again this year (I try to visit every year).  I lived there for the first 22 years of my life.  Even though I have spent more that 40 years in California, I still feel like a Philadelphian.   I certainly still sound like one!

Although I don't generally collect tranferware printed with American historical views, I do collect Philadelphia views (or at least the more common and less expensive items).  The Transferware Collectors Club shows 33 Philadelphia patterns (two more than last year) in its Pattern and Source Print Database, but I shall show you three of my favorites.  I shall also show some views of Delaware, where the TCC is spending a day at the Winterthur Museum as part of its 15th annual meeting.

The Dam and Water Works, Philadelphia by Henshall, Williamson & Co. (1790-1828), 10 in. plate

Fair Mount Near Philadelphia by Joseph Stubbs (1822-1834), 10 in. plate/Notice the eagles in the border

Below is a souvenir for a child.  It features a goldfinch.  I would love to find this mug in a souvenir shop!

Present from Philadelphia by Maker Unknown, ca. 1830, 2.25 in. mug

Here are some Delaware patterns.

Thomas Mayer (1826-1838) Arms of Delaware 17 by 13 inch platter, ca. 1825/This pattern is one of twelve in the Arms of the States Series.  New Hampshire, one of the thirteen original states, has never been found.

Present from Delaware souvenir mug, ca. 1830

Below is a screen shot from the most recent TCC newsletter that highlights two of the exhibitions that will open in conjunction with the TCC annual meeting.   The online exhibition will be available to view by all of you on October 17.

Read about the upcoming transferware exhibitions!

The free online exhibition can be found here: http://printedbritishpotteryandporcelain.com/