Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 138, The Harry and Carol Djanogly Gallery

Coffee Pot

ca. 1820 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In the late-18th and early- 19th centuries increased travel and exploration during the Napoleonic Wars and archaeological discoveries, at sites in Greece, Egypt and Italy, led to a revival of interest in ancient and classical decoration as shown on this coffee pot.
The Cyples Pottery specialised in producing 'Egyptian black’ basalt pieces such as this coffee pot. Black basalt is a hard black vitreous stoneware, named after the volcanic rock basalt. The colour of black basalt came from 'Carr', an oxide of iron suspended in water that flowed through coal seams and mines. It was manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood from about 1768 and other manufacturers soon followed. Black basalt does not need to be glazed and can just be polished to a dull sheen. The use of the engine-turning lathe was first introduced into the Staffordshire pottery industry by Josiah Wedgwood I in 1763 and quickly adopted by other potteries. This coffee pot displays a bold design, the combination of high sheen accentuating the striated cutting.


Object details

Category
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Coffee Pot
  • Coffee Pot
  • Cover
  • Coffee Pot
Materials and techniques
black basalt, moulded and engine turned
Brief description
Coffee pot, black basalt with engine-turned decoration, Cyples Pottery, Longton, Staffordshire, c.1820
Physical description
Coffee pot and lid, black basalt with engine-turned decoration
Dimensions
  • Whole height: 21.7cm
  • Whole width: 24.3cm
Style
Credit line
Gift of Laura Fransella from the collection of her late mother Erica Propper
Summary
In the late-18th and early- 19th centuries increased travel and exploration during the Napoleonic Wars and archaeological discoveries, at sites in Greece, Egypt and Italy, led to a revival of interest in ancient and classical decoration as shown on this coffee pot.
The Cyples Pottery specialised in producing 'Egyptian black’ basalt pieces such as this coffee pot. Black basalt is a hard black vitreous stoneware, named after the volcanic rock basalt. The colour of black basalt came from 'Carr', an oxide of iron suspended in water that flowed through coal seams and mines. It was manufactured by Josiah Wedgwood from about 1768 and other manufacturers soon followed. Black basalt does not need to be glazed and can just be polished to a dull sheen. The use of the engine-turning lathe was first introduced into the Staffordshire pottery industry by Josiah Wedgwood I in 1763 and quickly adopted by other potteries. This coffee pot displays a bold design, the combination of high sheen accentuating the striated cutting.
Bibliographic reference
This example is unmarked but not uncommon for this manufacturer. The same design is illustrated in Diana Edwards 'Black Basalt’ p 147, with ‘CYPLES’ mark.
Collection
Accession number
C.8-2013

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Record createdJanuary 24, 2013
Record URL
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