A look at the design, market and legacy of Victorian pottery

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Swans, Cygnes, Schwäne, Hattyúk, Лебеди!

Swans. Who doesn’t love the elegant swan? Certainly potters loved them. There are few animals depicted on pottery more frequently than the long necked graceful beauties of the still waters. 

Long a symbol of love, strength and tranquility, the swan has been revered in cultures into antiquity. In ancient Greece it was associated with the two gods of beauty, Aphrodite and Apollo. Zeus transformed himself into a swan to ravish the most beautiful woman in the world, Leda. Their union birthed Helen, the woman whose face launched a thousand ships and set Greece to war against Troy. The ancient Celts saw the swan as a link to the mystical Otherworld. Hindus believed the goddess of wisdom Saraswati rode a swan as her vehicle. The British considered it a symbol of royalty and made it illegal to kill a swan. In the new world Native Americans have long associated it as a messenger of faith. Swans have even inspired musicians like Tchaikovsky with his Swan Lake ballet and Saint-Saëns who wrote his most beautiful work for cello, Le Cygne.

The pottery featuring the swan is also among the most lovely ever designed. George Jones used swans in their production in jardinieres, figurals and tiles, but the other majolica potters, British, American and Continental featured the beauty of swans in their work as well.

To my eye the most stunning use of swans belongs to a company that didn’t enter the majolica market until 1860, Wedgwood. This staggeringly beautiful monumental swan vase, attributed to Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, is an extraordinary achievement of the potter’s art.

Wedgwood majolica swan urn

It was also made in blue and white earthenware with painted decoration for the 1879 Exhibition in Sydney, Australia. The paintings on the side were done by John Holloway who had previously worked for Minton. Note the different lid from the previous example. Here we have a putto riding a swan.

Wedgwood earthenware swan urn

Wedgwood also created the stunning earthenware swan ewer. Clearly someone at Wedgwood loved swans!

Wedgwood earthenware swan jug

The other major potters created wonderful swan pieces as well. Minton created a glorious swan vase and a lovely posey holder.


Jones did a beautiful swan jardiniere, centerpiece and tile.



Holdcroft made a pretty posey holder and a swan jardiniere


Lonitz made two nice swan jardinieres and Brown-Westhead, Moore created a lovely stand alone swan piece. Copeland created a beautiful swan supported vase and a sweet smaller vase. The BWM swan mold was later used by Clarice Cliff with painted decoration.


Copeland majolica swan vase
Lonitz majolica swan

Brown-Westhead Moore majolica swan

Copeland majolica swan and cattails vase

Choisy-le-Roi made a large centerpiece that matched many of their shell wares as well as a beautiful vase. Eichwalt made a swan planter. 


Choisy-le-Roi majolica swan vase

Eichwald majolica swan

George Dreyfus created a charming swan egg basket complete with chick egg cups while several continental companies made swan plates. There is also a sweet swan butter pat!

Dreyfus majolica egg server






Royal Worcester made a swan and nautilus sweetmeat that was produced in majolica earthenware as well as porcelain.

Royal Worcester majolica vase

Brown-Westhead Moore made a very popular swan handled pitcher. Bevington also made a swan handled pitcher very much in the same style. Similar pitchers with swan handles are often attributed to Bevington although there is no scholarship to support that attribution.




There are numerous other swan pieces created by major potters like Holdcroft and Adams & Bromley and some by smaller potteries that I do not have an attribution for but all equally wonderful.

Forester majolica sardine box

Forester majolica butter dish

Adams & Bromley swan teapot 

Adams & Bromley swan bowl


Adams & Bromley émail ombrant platter

Adams & Bromley majolica swan centre
Adams & Bromley wall pocket
Adams & Bromley swan bowl

Adams & Bromley swan bowl

Vases attributed to Wardle

Unattributed swan vase, possibly Holdcroft 





Wasmuël majolica swan pitcher




French majolica swan lavabo


Orchies majolica swan jug

The Austrian company Kraus made an astonishing swan drawn sleigh quite unlike anything else I have seen. Other continental companies like Eichwald did swan sleds as well.


Eichwald majolica vase


Gerbing & Stephan majolica vase

WS&S majolica swan compote


And of course, that master of elegant naturalism, Massier also made several swan pieces as did other continental companies.

Massier majolica swans

Massier majolica swan jardiniere

Eichwald majolica swan vase

In America the wonderful Swan pieces from Griffen, Smith & Company are among the most lovely in their entire catalog: their Lily cheese dome, their Swan paperweight and Lily sardine box.



If I haven't included your favorite swan piece I apologize but the catalog of swan pieces is so large exclusions are inevitable. 

To view an interesting video on the Bevington swan pitchers go here.


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