Ceramics

Ceramics are among the most frequently collected antiques. Items made from earthernware (pottery) or porcelain (hard or soft paste) can serve functional roles such as tablewares, serving implements, vases and jugs or as ornaments, especially figures.

They usually have some form of decoration, either painted or transfer-printed, that is covered in transparent or coloured glaze. Ceramics are often catalogued by the name of their manufacturer or factory such as Meissen, Worcester, Doulton, Wedgwood and Sèvres.


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Vase designed by ‘father of art pottery movement’ makes 16-times estimate at Hansons

20 July 2020

This large 16in (40cm) high baluster faience vase, sold by Hansons (25% buyer’s premium) in Teddington, is by ‘father of art pottery movement’ Joseph-Théodore Deck (1823-91).

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Ceramics and glass: Market reboot helps to break the mould

13 July 2020

The market for traditional British and Continental ceramics did not lie idle for three months. As ATG reports, a renewed enthusiasm greeted the first major UK sale since lockdown

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Liverpool creamware tureen with image of Nelson comes to Maine sale

13 July 2020

This 14in (35cm) early 19th century Liverpool creamware tureen and ladle marked for the Herculaneum factory is transfer-printed in black with portraits of Nelson.

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18th century dentist's delftware ointment jar gives added bite to auction

13 July 2020

This rare 2in (5cm) English delftware ointment pot, c.1775, carries the inscription in manganese 'The Queen’s Dentifrice'.

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Highlights from Shelton New Hall at Elstob & Elstob

13 July 2020

The New Hall China Manufactory holds an important place in the history of English porcelain. Active from 1781-1835, it was effectively a cooperative between several Staffordshire earthenware makers, who acquired the Bristol porcelain patent and financed a factory together, first at Tunstall and then at Shelton New Hall in Hanley.

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Meissen from a Worcester collection brings international competition at Adam Partridge

13 July 2020

International bidders competed online and by phone against the UK trade and collectors for a group of 18th century Meissen figures offered at Adam Partridge (20% buyer’s premium) in Macclesfield.

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Rijksmuseum delivers the winning punch for Ansbach bowl

13 July 2020

The Rijksmuseum was in action at the Drouot to carry off a 9½in (24cm) wide porcelain punchbowl from the Ansbach factory.

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Paris porcelain plates with views of the Bosphorus draw interest in Dutch sale

13 July 2020

This set of 40 Paris porcelain cabinet plates, c.1850, decorated with views of Constantinople, sold for €36,000/£32,730 (estimate €20,000-30,000) at a recent sale held by Dutch firm Oriental Art Auctions (28% buyer’s premium) in Hattem.

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Four Staffordshire figures underlining the market trends

13 July 2020

Staffordshire flatback figures have been off the boil for a while.

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Meissen figure groups make key contribution to auction of Müller-Frei collection

13 July 2020

The sale of the Müller-Frei collection of paintings and decorative arts held by Koller (25% buyer’s premium) in Zurich last month included two early 18th century Meissen figure groups that outstripped their estimates.

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Copeland footbath and garden seat bring bidding in English regions

13 July 2020

Large, bold and decorative, transfer-printed pottery footbaths have an appeal that goes beyond collectors of 19th century ceramics.

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Sohn's Danse Macabre turns heads at Lempertz

13 July 2020

Pictured here are five from a near-complete set of 41 polychrome terracotta figures of the Danse Macabre offered by Lempertz (25% buyer’s premium) in Cologne. They are typical of the work of Anton Sohn (1769-1841), who settled in Zizenhausen near Stockach in 1799.

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Drummer boy jug from Fidelle Duvivier’s month in Worcester surfaces in Exeter

13 July 2020

This spiral-moulded cream jug decorated with a drummer boy is from a well-documented Caughley tea and coffee service painted with figural subjects by Fidelle Duvivier during a brief period of work at the Chamberlain factory in Worcester in October 1792.

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Böttger stonewares on offer at Bonhams

13 July 2020

Bonhams will sell the third tranche of a substantial private collection of Meissen on July 22. It includes a number of Böttger stonewares with this 4in (10cm) head of the Emperor Vitellius, c.1710-13, estimated at £4000-6000.

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Works of art with aristocratic connections feature at Christie’s new The Collector sale

11 July 2020

Christie’s has launched a new cross category auction as part of its Classic Week sales featuring many items with aristocratic connections.

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De Morgan sets house record in Fife

06 July 2020

This 12½in (31cm) ruby lustre jar and cover, a textbook piece from William De Morgan’s Sands End Pottery (1888-1907), was the star at a recent sale at Bowler & Binnie (16% buyer’s premium) in Dunfermline.

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Obituary: Commemorative ceramics collector Robin Watson Simpson (1940-2020)

06 July 2020

Well known for an encyclopaedic knowledge of British history, Robin Simpson (who died in February) was the leading collector of commemorative ceramics.

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Studio ceramics as a way of life

29 June 2020

Collector’s philosophy for his compulsive pottery buying chimed with Buddhist beliefs

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Tiffany’s inspired Cypriote brings demand at German sale

29 June 2020

It was a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art sometime in the 1880s that inspired Louis Comfort Tiffany to produce his so-called Cypriote range of art glass.

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The web shop window: Coalport porcelain clock

22 June 2020

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

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