Military Majolica

Schiller military majolica jardiniere 

On this Memorial Day I thought I would highlight majolica with a military theme.

There is no majolica with any American military personnel that I am aware of, but there are quite a few French and Austrian pieces with military themes mostly from the turn of the century.

The first one that I became aware of is probably one of the strangest majolica pitchers I've ever seen. It was potted by the Orchies company to commemorate the Russian encroachment on the Far East. The pitcher is of a large Russian polar bear grabbing control of a Korean soldier. This invasion of Korea in 1898 ultimately led to the Boxer Rebellion and the Russo-Japanese War.

Orchies Russian Korean bear pitcher

The majority of military themed items are less specific in nature and in smoke-related items. Some of these may have been famous figures that would have been familiar to the general population but I really don't know for sure.

Bernard Bloch Ottoman smoke stand

Continental majolica Asian soldier smoke stand

German Lieb Vaterland Magst Sein Franco-Prussian soldier

Austrian majolica figure humidor

Austrian majolica figural humidor

Fives Lille majolica humidor Hoche

There were also pitchers made of military figures or figures in uniform.

Onnaing majolica Réserviste pitcher

Sarraguemines majolica pitcher

Sarreguemines majolica Soldat Francois

Sarreguemines majolica Soldat Autrichien pitcher

Sanford Pottery Crimean War jug

Here is a Sarreguemines pitcher of Napoleon and another unmarked of same.

Here is an unusual tobacco jar of a tank dating from WW1.

Fives Lille majolica tabacco jar Char Renault

Of course there is Minton’s large Prometheus Vase with Roman military figures.

Minton majolica Prometheus Vase

A wonderful Onnaing plate commemorating the 1892 Franco-Russian military alliance treaty which led to the 1896 meeting between the two nation’s leaders..

Finally there is the wonderful Renaissance helmet pitcher made by Wedgwood.

Wedgwood majolica helmet jug

With Memorial Day we come to the end of the Spring antiques season. Some of you will be traveling to Great Britain and Europe to advance your majolica collections while others will be heading for the beach. Whatever you do, be safe and have a wonderful summer!

Happy Birthday to Majolica

It would be inauspicious for me to ignore the anniversary of the debut of Victorian majolica which occurred in Great Britain one-hundred-sixty years ago this month.

Happy birthday majolica!

Majolica Spotlight: Wedgwood's Lincoln Pattern

Wedgwood majolica Lincoln platter

Wedgwood's Lincoln pattern is certainly the least appreciated and most misunderstood of all of Wedgwood's majolica dessert patterns. In the 1870-80's while Minton and George Jones were finding inspiration in Classicism and the Art Nouveaux treatment of the natural world, Wedgwood embraced the radical new styles of Japanism that developed after the 1861 and 1878 International Exhibitions.

This Anglo-Japanese style was something that industrial designer Christopher Dresser championed during the development of the Aesthetic Movement and helped the style become one of the major influences on ceramic design in the last quarter of the 19th century. Where many smaller potteries utilized the style, Wedgwood was the only one of the three major British majolica manufacturers to develop majolica designs specifically featuring it. Its influence can be seen in Wedgwood's Fan, Palm, Alaska, St. Louis, Grosvenor and Chicago patterns, but it developed full flower in the Lincoln pattern. The Lincoln name, in fact, became the umbrella under which two similar Aesthetic Movement patterns were marketed. These became extremely popular for the company, with over 56 different wares marketed under the Lincoln name.

Wedgwood Lincoln butter dish

There are two similar dessert designs marketed under the Lincoln name that I am aware of. Both have similar decorative components and were designed to compliment the other Wedgwood Anglo-Japanese patterns. They mix very well.

An interesting aside to this is that the Lincoln cheese bell is often found with the Fan base as in the example immediately below. Perhaps this mixing and matching of bases and lids was common, we don't know. The correct Lincoln underplate, shown three photos down, looks very different with a flat profile and chrysanthemum feet.

Wedgwood majolica Fan cheese bell

Lincoln cheese bell

The main components one finds across these patterns are abstracted blossoming Prunus branches against a simple, non patterned ground. A similar pattern, Alaska, uses the same iconography.

Wedgwood majolica Alaska salad plate

Wedgwood Lincoln salad plate

Wedgwood Lincoln dessert plate

The Lincoln design has the same greek key border seen in the Palm wares. Two feature the stylized chrysanthemums from the St. Louis pattern. Below is a page from the Wedgwood pattern book showing a design for the Lincoln umbrella stand.

Wedgwood pattern book illustration for the

Lincoln umbrella stand

Another one has a wicker ground covering a third of the design with insects resting on top of it; the same wicker also seen in the St. Louis pattern (shown in the oyster plate below).

This bold use of asymmetry was typical of the Aesthetic style.

Wedgwood Palm cheese bell

Wedgwood Argenta Palm cheese bell 

Wedgwood majolica Lincoln plate

Wedgwood Argenta Lincoln plate

Wedgwood Argenta St. Louis oyster plate

Wedgwood Argenta Grosvenor oyster plate 

Today these styles strike most of us as odd in their abstraction. It's actually hard to believe they were created over 130 years ago. Where the concept of "more is better" is the common credo behind most Victorian design, these are very modern looking but cool in their austerity and in the simplicity of their geometric lines-- the exact opposite of what most collectors look for in majolica. Perhaps this is why Lincoln pattern wares are not very popular among general majolica collectors. They have never brought high prices. If you put them in context of their times though, they were an extraordinary adventurous step towards the development of modern ceramic design, something for which we should all be aware.

Wedgwood majolica Lincoln jug

Wedgwood majolica Lincoln jug

Wedgwood Lincoln bread plate

Wedgwood majolica Lincoln platter

Wedgwood majolica Argenta Lincoln platter

Wedgwood majolica Argenta Lincoln condiment

Wedgwood majolica Lincoln butter dish

Wedgwood majolica Lincoln garden seat

Happy Anniversary to ME!

Today is the one year anniversary of this blog.

In the past year we have made 135 entries on everything from mocha majolica (above) to packing for a move. We've posted 1600+ photos and enjoyed every minute of it.

For those who have followed the blog in the past year I want to extend my thanks and to those who have written, I appreciate your correspondence. I've learned a lot this past year and I hope that you have found something here to enhance your appreciation of the pottery we all love, MAJOLICA!

China Display

Recently I came across an interesting blog by interior designer Joseph Davis called Master Class: JPD School of Design Palm Beach, Florida
It's an useful guide by a professional on decorating and all thing related. In it he discusses his philosophy on such things as decorating for children's rooms, cleaning silk flowers and cleaning up pet urine, among other things. It's a light-hearted blog full of useful information all illustrated with beautiful photos taken from his portfolio and from the Internet.

The entry that caught my attention was his thoughts on displaying china in the home for maximum impact, Let's Dish It Up! His entry on majolica was a bit elemental but his advise on display was excellent.

Here is his list of do's and don'ts on china display:

• NEVER display crystal or glassware in a cabinet. It doesnt have the color or interest and looks pretentious; clear items should be kept behind a closed door.
• NEVER wallpaper the insde of a cupboard which will have finely detailed china in it, the patterned paper overwhelms it.
• NEVER pack a wall-rack or hutch-top with so much china it heaves; it should have a "user friendly" look, not a "dont freekin' touch me or everything will crash to the floor" look...
• NEVER display miniatures with standard sized items, it'll look like "Alice in Wonderland".....stupid.
• NEVER put lots of different patterns of china in the same display vignette unless you have a good eye and design sense( too Sanford and Sons)
• NEVER, ever, let some one tell you your taste isnt good, or it's wrong.  Your taste makes you unique. Certainly the world is full enough of mindless followers...be urself, buy what you like. However, let someone offer to help you display, or offer advice on procurement or collecting...you dont have to do it, but they just may have an idea you hadn't considered...

Check out his blog! I think you'll like it.