Jug
ca.1820 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This jug bears a distinctive lustred decoration. Lustres are microscopically thin metallic layers fired onto the surface of glazed ceramics and have been employed across the world for many centuries.
Historically there are different means of achieving a lustre finish but in 1805, Staffordshire potters developed a new and relatively cheap technique of adding a metallic layer to ceramics. They applied a resin-based liquid containing a suspension of gold or platinum dissolved in aqua regia (a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids). During firing, the resin burnt away, causing a localised reduction and leaving a brilliant film of pure metal.
Resist patterns of the type used on this jug were aqueous solutions of gum or honey. They were painted onto plain white-glazed earthenwares or over enamelled decoration. The resist was washed away after the application of the lustre, but before the pot was fired, revealing the plain or painted earthenware below.
Historically there are different means of achieving a lustre finish but in 1805, Staffordshire potters developed a new and relatively cheap technique of adding a metallic layer to ceramics. They applied a resin-based liquid containing a suspension of gold or platinum dissolved in aqua regia (a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids). During firing, the resin burnt away, causing a localised reduction and leaving a brilliant film of pure metal.
Resist patterns of the type used on this jug were aqueous solutions of gum or honey. They were painted onto plain white-glazed earthenwares or over enamelled decoration. The resist was washed away after the application of the lustre, but before the pot was fired, revealing the plain or painted earthenware below.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | lead-glazed earthenware |
| Brief description | Jug, earthenware with lustre, probably Staffordshire, about 1820. |
| Physical description | Jug, with painting in green, red, yellow and purple enamel colours and in platinum 'silver' lustre. Globular body, short neck and pointed lip-spout; scrolled handle. Painted with an all-over design of grapes and vine leaves with tendrils reserved on the lustre ground; at neck and foot formal borders, chiefly in red and lustre, between bands of yellow. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'WS' (impressed) |
| Credit line | Gift of Mr Eric Bullivart |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This jug bears a distinctive lustred decoration. Lustres are microscopically thin metallic layers fired onto the surface of glazed ceramics and have been employed across the world for many centuries. Historically there are different means of achieving a lustre finish but in 1805, Staffordshire potters developed a new and relatively cheap technique of adding a metallic layer to ceramics. They applied a resin-based liquid containing a suspension of gold or platinum dissolved in aqua regia (a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids). During firing, the resin burnt away, causing a localised reduction and leaving a brilliant film of pure metal. Resist patterns of the type used on this jug were aqueous solutions of gum or honey. They were painted onto plain white-glazed earthenwares or over enamelled decoration. The resist was washed away after the application of the lustre, but before the pot was fired, revealing the plain or painted earthenware below. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.142-1932 |
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| Record created | May 22, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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