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Henry II ware thumbnail 2
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On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Henry II ware

Ewer
1862 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This ewer is an example of Minton's 'Henri Deux' ware. During the 1850s there was great interest in the type of French faience known as 'Henri Deux' or 'Saint Porchaire'. The intricate decoration, combining painting and inlaid clays, was seen as a technological challenge for Victorian ceramic firms keen to revive tradtional and 'lost' techniques. Léon Arnoux, Art Director at Minton's, and a designer and chemist, succeeded in reproducing the 'Henri Deux' process in 1858. A group of 'Henri Deux' wares was shown, to great acclaim, at the London International Exhibition of 1862, from which this ewer was purchased by the South Kensington museum (later the V&A). This ewer is a copy of an original French renaissance piece. Very few pieces using this expensive inlaid technique were made.

Many nineteenth-century European designers and craftspeople were greatly inspired by other cultures and historical periods. This ranged from exact copies of existing objects to eclectic designs catering to contemporary taste. Leading commercial manufacturers, such as Minton's, became strongly associated with historicist styles, producing high-quality wares for an international market.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleHenry II ware (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Earthenware inlaid with coloured clays
Brief description
Ewer, 'Henry II Ware', earthenware inlaid with coloured clays, probably designed by Léon Arnoux, made by Minton, 1862
Physical description
Earthenware ewer with an inlaid pattern of coloured clays
Dimensions
  • Height: 40cm
  • Width: 23cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • cipher mark for 1862 (cross atop a diamond) (incised but very faint as partly concealed by glaze)
  • quatrefoil mark (incised but faint as partly concealed by glaze)
Gallery label
(23/05/2008)
Ewer ''Henry II ware''
Probably designed by Léon Arnoux, made by Minton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, 1862
Unmarked
Earthenware, with an inlaid pattern of coloured clays

8109-1863

Shown in the International Exhibition, London, 1862
Object history
Shown in the International exhibition, London, 1862. Purchased
Summary
This ewer is an example of Minton's 'Henri Deux' ware. During the 1850s there was great interest in the type of French faience known as 'Henri Deux' or 'Saint Porchaire'. The intricate decoration, combining painting and inlaid clays, was seen as a technological challenge for Victorian ceramic firms keen to revive tradtional and 'lost' techniques. Léon Arnoux, Art Director at Minton's, and a designer and chemist, succeeded in reproducing the 'Henri Deux' process in 1858. A group of 'Henri Deux' wares was shown, to great acclaim, at the London International Exhibition of 1862, from which this ewer was purchased by the South Kensington museum (later the V&A). This ewer is a copy of an original French renaissance piece. Very few pieces using this expensive inlaid technique were made.

Many nineteenth-century European designers and craftspeople were greatly inspired by other cultures and historical periods. This ranged from exact copies of existing objects to eclectic designs catering to contemporary taste. Leading commercial manufacturers, such as Minton's, became strongly associated with historicist styles, producing high-quality wares for an international market.
Collection
Accession number
8109-1863

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Record createdMarch 31, 2008
Record URL
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