Sugar Bowl thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Sugar Bowl

ca. 1755-1760 (made)
Artist/Maker
Longton Hall Porcelain Factory (manufacturer)
Place of origin
Longton (made)

Longton Hall was the first porcelain factory to be established in Staffordshire. As such, it should have been hugely successful. There were cheap local fuel and abundant technical expertise. But despite all these benefits it soon closed down. Management failings and an unsatisfactory porcelain formula were to blame for its untimely demise.

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read Fooling the eye: Trompe l'oeil ceramics In the 18th century, a fashionable person's taste was always under scrutiny – from what they wore, to their home decoration, to the food on their table. One of the greatest representations of good taste at dinner came in the form of 'trompe l'oeil' ceramics.

Object details

Categories
Ceramics
Porcelain
Object type
Sugar bowl
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Sugar Tureen
  • Cover
  • Stand
Materials and techniques
Soft-paste porcelain painted with enamels
Soft Paste Porcelain
Painted
Brief description
Sugar bowl with cover and stand of soft-paste porcelain, painted with enamels, made by Longton Hall factory, Longton, ca. 1755-1760.
Physical description
Sugar bowl with cover and stand of soft-paste porcelain painted with enamels.
Credit line
Given by Lady Charlotte Schreiber
Object history
One of a pair with 414:332/C to E-1885 (Sch. I 444C to E)
The pair was purchased by Lady Charlotte Schreiber from Hamburger, Utrecht, for £5 in October 1879. In her Journals (vol. II, p. 216, 29 September) Lady Charlotte recorded: 'Went the round of the shops and picked up only one or two trifles; Hamburger's things are beautiful and we spent a long time over them. But his prices make them impossible for us'. On 6th October (p. 223), part of the entry reads: 'On our way back to the station we went round to Hamburger's and ... [bought] some Bow melons.'
Acquired as Chelsea porcelain.
Subjects depicted
Lettuce
Melon
Summary
Longton Hall was the first porcelain factory to be established in Staffordshire. As such, it should have been hugely successful. There were cheap local fuel and abundant technical expertise. But despite all these benefits it soon closed down. Management failings and an unsatisfactory porcelain formula were to blame for its untimely demise.
Bibliographic references
  • Hildyard, Robin. European Ceramics. London : V&A Publications, 1999. 144 p., ill. ISBN 185177260X
  • von Marschall, Isabelle, et al. From the origins of European porcelain to Art Déco style. In: Siemen, Wilhelm. From a king's dream to mass production: 300 years of European porcelain. Porzellanikon Selb and Hohenberg a.d. Eger: Catalogue of the Anniversary Exhibition. Hohenberg: Deutsches Porzellanmuseum, 2010. 4 vols., ill. One of a set of four catalogues published to accompany the exhibition held at the Porzellanikon Selb and Hohenberg a.d. Eger, 24 April - 2 November 2010. ISBN: 9783940027092
  • Siemen, Wilhelm. From a Kings dream to mass production: 300 years of European Porcelain. From the Origins of European Porcelain to Art Deco Style . Deutsches Porzellanmuseum: Hohenburg, 2010. p87. ISBN 978 3 940027 10 8
  • Siemen, Wilhelm, From a King’s Dream to Mass Production: 300 years of European Porcelain, Hohenberg: Deutsches Porzellanmuseum, 2010.
Other number
Sch. I 444 to B - Schreiber number
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
414:332/ to B-1885

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Record createdJanuary 14, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O182806/sugar-bowl-longton-hall-porcelain/
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