Royal Worcester Limoges Enamel Ewer and Stand, Dated 1866

A Royal Worcester porcelain 'Limoges Enamel' decorated…
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A Royal Worcester porcelain 'Limoges Enamel' decorated exhibition ewer and stand, dated 1866 and 1867, the enamel decoration by Thomas Bott, Snr, the ewer of classical baluster shape on a circular foot, modelled with a Neptune mask beneath the spout and a handle in the form of a winged melusine holding a dove to her chest, cobalt blue ground with gilt handle, mouldings, and details, the gilding by Josiah Davis, the body finely decorated all round in white enamel with classical figures in various scenes, the shoulder and foot with classical portrait medallions and dolphins, the stand circular on a raised foot, its well accommodating the foot of the ewer within moulded borders decorated with cartouches and fields of mythological figures battling sea creatures and other classical designs, the ewer and stand both signed 'T. Bott', the signatures respectively dated 1867 and 1866, the stand also with printed factory mark dated 1866, the ewer 30 cm high, the stand 4.5 cm high, 31 cm diameter. Provenance: Walter Horace Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted (1882-1948), thence by descent. Exhibited: the Exposition Universelle, Paris, 1867. Literature: the Art Journal illustrated catalogue of the universal exhibition, Paris, 1867, Virtue & Co., London and New York. Condition: the ewer's handle has been broken through the wing tips, where the wings meet the body, through the waist and through the tail, and cleanly reglued. A 3 cm x 6 cm section of the spout has been broken off and restuck., smaller areas of restorations to the moulded decoration to the neck of the ewer., the stand has a 12 cm restored crack running to the centre and down the foot, and encircling approximately one third of the well., under Uv light the stand also presents three stabilized hairline cracks and one smaller hairline. The largest hairline measures 6.5 cm., professionally restored by Ms Sarah Peek of Brighton England, minor losses to gilding in areas, and a small scratch to the blue ground to the verso of the stand

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  • Ewer / Pitcher - A type of jug with a narrow neck bulbous body and wide spout, originally used for carrying and storing liquids such as water or wine. In medieval times they were the source of water to wash ones hands during and after a meal. later the shape was used for vessels in silver, gold, glass and ceramics.

    In Victorian times they were made in ceramics and occasionally glass with a matching basin, and sometimes other accessories such as a soap holder or toothbrush holder. Their purpose was to provide facilities for personal washing In the early 19th century were often enclosed in purpose built stands, and later resided on a washstand..

    Sometimes the words "ewer" and "pitcher" are used interchangably, but a pitcher is generally considered to be a jug, and would have a wide mouth, and a gently tapering body.
  • Verso - Verso is the "back" side of a sheet of paper, art work, coin or medal. The front side is "recto".
  • Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.

    For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.

    Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.
  • Firing Crack - A firing crack is a crack in a porcelain or stoneware item that occurs whilst the item is in the kiln.They are usually caused by faulty design, where one part is thicker than the surrounding area, and being thicker it cools more slowly, setting up a stress with the surrounding area. Firing cracks are not often seen on modern mass produced porcelain, as the damaged items are discarded during prooduction. However they are seen in earlier items and artisan-produced objects.

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