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

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Majolica Spoon Warmers and Spooners

A tradition that has come and past, the Victorian spoon warmer, defines the formality of an age of dining long ago. Made from either metal or ceramic, these archaic beauties of formal elegance have left a legacy of a time when it was proper for those of the finest taste to warm your serving utensil in water before serving, lest it affect the temperature of the food being served.

Closely related in name though not in function are Victorian spooners which acted as spoon holders when serving. Such spooners were included with coffee and tea sets to keep spoons on display for convenience as well as a show of affluence. Unlike spoon warmers which were frequently made of metal, these were often made from ceramic or glass. They were popular in the United Kingdom and in the United States. 

Spooners differ from spoon warmers in their shape as well as function. Where spoon warmers are often larger and broader to hold serving utensils, spooners are small and upright in shape much like small vases to hold teaspoons. These spoon warmers and spooners made in majolica are those we will be looking at here. 

Let’s begin with spoon warmers. The prominent English majolica potteries made large, elaborate, beautiful spoon warmers for the table in marvelous shapes, often with water related themes.

Minton majolica shell spoon warmer.

Minton boat spoon warmer

Registration photo for Minton majolica spoon warmer


Minton majolica spoon warmer

Minton majolica grotesque spoon warmer

Minton majolica spoon warmer registered design

Wedgwood Ocean majolica spoon warmer
Minton majolica triton spoon warmer
George Jones majolica barrel shaped spoon warmer

George Jones majolica crane spoon warmer

George Jones majolica spoon warmer
George Jones majolica spoon warmer

Brown-Westhead Moore majolica egg shaped spoon warmer
Holdcroft majolica.boat spoon warmer, a copy of Minton

Copeland majolica spoon warmer
Copeland majolica spoon warmer
Copeland majolica spoon warmer 

Brownfield majolica spoon warmer

Royal Worcester majolica spoon warmer

Royal Worcester majolica spoon warmer

Bells Pottery majolica dolphin spoon warmer

Spoon warmer attributed to Adams & Bromley

Gerber & Stephan majolica spoon warmer
Lonitz majolica spoon warmer
Unattributed covered metal and majolica spoon warmer
Unattributed majolica spoon warmer

Unattributed majolica fish spoon warmer

Bretby majolica bird and egg spoon warmer

Burmantofts grotesque majolica spoon warmer

Burmantofts majolica grotesque spoon warmer

Bermantofta majolica grotesque spoon warmer

Leeds Art Pottery grotesque spoon warmer

Then we have the spooners, which were included with many Victorian tea services.

Shorter & Boulton majolica Fan spooner

Wardle majolica Fan spooner

Unattributed English majolica spooner

Unattributed English majolica spooner

Forester wild rose and rope spooner

Holdcroft majolica rustic spooner

Wardle or Lear majolica water lily spooner

Wardle Sunflower spooner

Unattributed majolica spooner

Etruscan Majolica Bamboo spooner

Etruscan Bamboo Ivory Ware spooner

Etruscan Majolica Bird spooner

Etruscan Majolica Shell spooner

Spoon warmers disappeared from dining tables during the Edwardian period. Today they are mostly collected for their novel beauty or used as vases. Spooners lasted a bit longer, remaining popular through the first quarter of the 20th century. Today these too are often used as small vases.

Saturday, March 5, 2022

The Majolica of Adams & Co. and Adams & Bromley

Adams & Bromley majolica corn platter

One of the most prolific makers of majolica in Staffordshire was the Adams & Bromley pottery at Victoria Works. First operating under the name of John Adams & Co., the two potteries made majolica from 1860 to 1885. The name though is not well known outside of ceramic circles because of their choice to not mark the majority of their ware. The company’s output, however is familiar to anyone with an interest in Victorian pottery.

Born in 1834, John Adams grew up in the pottery trade. His father worked at Wedgwood where he later also took a position. There he met two of the  men who would later join to form Adams & Co. 

In 1863 he entered into a partnership with John Bromley and Henry Cartledge, who were these coworkers at Wedgwood and designer Thomas Greenbatch to create Adams & Co. They manufactured a variety of wares at the Victoria Works in Hadley. including majolica. In 1869 the partnership was reorganized after Greenbatch left the firm. 

The company enjoyed wide success both with their majolica and their jasperware selling both domestically and abroad. They exhibited in international exhibitions such as those in Paris and London, increasing their reputation for creating quality ware. In 1873 The company changed its name to Adams & Bromley and continued manufacturing large quantities of majolica.

Adams & Bromley majolica Lion Pillar Fountain

Adams & Bromley cattail jardiniere

Adams & Bromley majolica cupid centre

Adams & Bromley trade ad

The majolica made by the company is variable in quality. Designs are usually created for table or garden use. The company submitted few designs through the English Registration system. They developed a glaze color palette of yellow, green and brown that was used on most pieces with cobalt, turquoise and lavender used less frequently. Linings of hollowware were usually majolica pink, while bases were mostly sponged brown and/or solid golden ochre. 

One of the two reverse glaze treatments most commonly 
found on Adams & Bromley majolica.

As mentioned earlier, the majority of ware was unmarked. When a mark does appear it is unusual, so the primary means we have of identifying their pieces is through this afore color palette or style similarities with known ware. To complicate matters of identification, many designs, like their corn ware, water lily or pineapple, were contemporarily copied by other Victorian potteries. 

Adams & Bromley impressed mark

Adams & Bromley jardiniere and stand, 
also made by Brownfield

Adams & Bromley dissolved their partnership in 1885. John Adams then opened a tile manufacturing plant while John Bromley continued operating the pottery and acquired in addition the defunct Victoria Pottery which he operated until 1893. Potter Thomas Heath then purchased the molds of the potteries and continued producing the shapes at the Albion Works in Longton.

Adams & Bromley made a number of well known majolica designs. Some originated with Adams & Co. and were continued through the company's name change. Since the company underwent changes in name and ownership we have no way of knowing which designs originated with Adams & Company, or Adams & Bromley unless they are specifically marked as such. To complicate matters, the molds having been sold to a third party after the close of the pottery, we have no way of knowing which pieces continued manufacture after 1893.  For the sake of simplicity, I will identify them all here as Adams & Bromley. 

Let's begin with their pineapple series.

Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple tea set
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple butter pat
Adams & Bromley majolica Pineapple bread tray
Adams & Bromley pineapple butter dish
Adams & Bromley pineapple sardine box
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple dessert stand
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple carafe
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple trivet
Adams & Bromley majolica pineapple dessert plate
Adams & Bromley pineapple condiment set

Another well loved pattern is their corn themed ware, certainly one of the most sought after designs in the cannon. The jug, an original registered design of James Ellis & Son, the mold was purchased by Adams & Bromley after the company failed

Adams & Bromley majolica corn bread tray
Adams and Bromley majolica corn cheese bell

English registration photo from Ellis & Son

Ellis & Son parian corn jug with cover

Adams & Bromley registered corn jug, a copy of one
 made by Ellis & Son

Adams & Bromley majolica corn vase

Their swan themed series is most unusual for its pieces with swan handles.

Adams & Bromley majolica swan handledcenter bowl
Adams & Bromley majolica swan teapot 
Adams & Bromley majolica swan wall pocket
Adams & Bromley majolica swan 
Adams & Bromley majolica center bowl
Adams & Bromley majolica swan centre

Adams & Bromley majolica Émail Ombrant swan cake tray

The company made a popular, often copied, series of pond lily pieces.

Adams & Bromley majolica pond lily plate
Adams & Bromley majolica beard tray
Adams & Bromley small majolica heron compote
Adans & Bromley fruit/water lily majolica dessert stand
Adams & Bromley tall heron compote
Adams & Bromley intermediate size heron compote

They also made a series of pieces with apples and pears on it, currently being reproduced by Mottahedeh. Here is how it, and the pineapple design, were described in the November 1 issue of Pottery &  Glass Trader's Journal

"Adams and Co., Hanley, have recently commenced to manufacture tea ware in Majolica. The articles have rather a novel appearance and are well calculated to please. Only two designs have present been got out, consisting of apple fruit and foliage, and pine apple fruit and foliage. For choice, perhaps the former will selected. This design has the most taking appearance, and will no doubt find favour in the eyes of the ladies. The service, which is complete, is decorated with a very bright brown ground, pink lining, with fruit and foliage in relief, colored naturally."

Adams & Bromley majolica fruit plate
Adams & Bromley majolica fruit platter
Adams & Bromley fruit dessert stand

Adams & Bromley majolica fruit pitcher

Adams & Bromley fruit tea set

Adams & Bromley fruit trivet

They potted a group of popular fish themed pieces which included two different oyster plates.

Adams & Bromley majolica oyster plate with cracker well

Eight well Adams & Bromley majolica oyster plate

Adams & Bromley majolica fish platter

Adams & Bromley majolica fish cheese bell

Adams & Bromley squared majolica fish pitcher

Adams & Bromley majolica fish pitcher

Adams & Bromley majolica fish tea set

Adams & Bromley majolica fish Stilton cheese bell

Another pattern that is attributed to Adams & Bromley that was popular, based on the number of presently available examples, is a multicolored begonia or leaf pattern, sometimes plain and sometimes against a wicker ground.

Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker syrup

Adams & Bromley majolica wicker cheese bell

Adams & Bromley cake tray

Adams & Bromley majolica pitcher

Adams & Bromley majolica creamer

Adams & Bromley majolica jardiniere

Adams & Bromley majolica compote

Adams & Bromley majolica leaf plate

Adams & Bromley majolica leaf plate

Adams & Bromley majolica server

Adams & Bromley leaf plate
Adams & Bromley majolica leaf plate

Adams & Bromley begonia bread plate

Majolica leaf on wicker syrup attributed to Adams & Bromley

Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker mustache cup

Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker platter

Adams & Bromley majolica leaf plate

Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker plate

Adams & Bromley leaf on wicker butter pat

Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker platter

Adams & Bromley majolica leaf on wicker cuspidor

The company made numerous pieces in smaller series as well.

Adams & Bromley cow cheese bell


Adams & Bromley cow Stilton cheese bell

Adams & Bromley cow butter dish

Adams & Bromley majolica begonia tea set

Majolica rustic sardine box attributed to Adams & Bromley

Rustic jardiniere attributed to Adams & Bromley

Adams & Bromley majolica holly jug
Adams & Bromley corn and wheat garden seat 
displayed at the 1871 London Exhibition 

Adams & Co. water lily plate

Adams & Co. majolica lily plate

Adams & Bromley majolica cucumber jug
Water lily basket attributed to Adams & Bromley

Adams & Bromley majolica blackberry plate

Majolica fan tea set attributed to Adams & Bromley. Also made by Forester.

Fan mustache cup and saucer attributed to Adams & Bromley

Adams & Bromley majolica face teapot

Adams & Bromley majolica registered foxglove jug

Strawberry dish attributed to Adams & Bromley

Adams & Bromley majolica pear ink well

Gothic Revival bread plate attributed to Adams & Bromley

Adams & Bromley Egyptian majolica pitcher in 
commemoration of erection of Cleopatra’s Needle in London in 1877

Shell sardine box attributed to Adams & Bromley

Grape leaf on wicker attributed to Adams & Bromley


Majolica shell plate attributed to Adams & Bromley

Majolica shell low dessert stand attributed to Adams & Bromley

Bread plate attributed to Adams & Bromley

Ram's head pitcher attributed to Adams & Bromley

Adams & Bromley majolica farm platter 

Majolica émail ombrant type farm plate marked Adams & Co. 
and probably also manufactured by Adams & Bromley

Adams & Bromley majolica Renaissance Revival ewer

Holly cheese bell attributed to Adams & Bromley


Adams & Bromley majolica Passion flower plate

With the exception of a few pieces, Adams & Bromley is easily within the reach of the average collector. With the large selection of designs to choose from there is something to please any buyer. Unfortunately one does have to take heed that the popularity of their designs are supporting a burgeoning reproduction market today, primarily from Asia.