Royal Worcester Fruit Potpourri Vase
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Oviform /ovoid - The outline loosely resembling the shape of an egg.
- 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.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- Platt, Peter (England) - Royal Worcester artists 20
-
Royal Worcester (England), item types
- other 3,563
- pot pourri 302
- vases, with covers 365
Visually similar items
A modern Royal Worcester large potpourri hand painted fruit jar and cover, painted with peaches, blackberry and cherries on a leaf and mossy ground, the reverse with a grape bunch, signed by the artist, Freeman, the internal lid with larger pierced crown f
A Royal Worcester lidded hand painted potpourri urn, painted with fruit and berries on a leafy ground to the entire body by H. Ayrton. The crown form pierced lid with unfurling finial enclosing the interior lid, lavishly gilded, signed, shaped 2048, printe
An impressive Royal Worcester potpourri and cover painted by Harry Ayrton, painted with apples and grapes on a mossy, leafy ground, a small bunch of grapes to the reverse, the base, rim and inner lid embellished with gilt decoration, the high elaborate pie
A Royal Worcester pot pourri vase, lid and cover, decorated with fruit painted by Harry Ayrton, signed, factory mark for 1950, model no. 2048. 24 cm high