Saturday, February 6, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
THOUGHT PROVOKING EDITORIAL
I'm often asked to appraise items of Wedgwood and other ceramics, frequently dinnerware, and the subject of getting rid of our accumulations of "stuff" comes up. Yesterday I was giving a talk to a group of ladies on a very narrow historical china subject and the dinnerware styles and values subject emerged during the question and answer period. I find myself telling the story of a set of "Edme" dinnerware, about as masculine and classic a pattern as one can imagine. I gave my son a set when he moved into his first apartment after college, of course arriving there dinnerware-less. A few weeks later I was at the apartment seeking a plate, and lo and behold I spotted a set of unfamiliar plain white dishes in the cabinet! When I asked he said, "Oh yeah, I got those at Target, the Wedgwood is in the hall closet boxed up for you to take home." This story illustrates the situation quite a few [million I suspect] of us are facing, our kids don't want the fine things we've collected when we are ready to divest ourselves of them. In my case, my 30somethings won't take their OWN "stuff" let alone the silver, crystal and china I want them to take! This month's Editor's Letter in The Magazine Antiques is a thought-provoking treatise on this exact subject. Elizabeth Pochoda observes that our fretting about the dearth of young collectors may not be so dangerous as we fear. She feels their time to collect will arrive when they are ready. But she brings up another point, that being the possibility that the "culture of collecting" could die out. Her comment that "The digital world has eroded our physical environment" really set me to thinking. Certainly iPods, Kindles and other new gadgets are replacing books; dishwasher safe dishes replacing dinnerware which may require more care and be "fancier" in style and shape is another danger, not part of the digital world, but certainly a casualty of modern technology. She also reminds us that at the magazine they must "worry about how we can widen the circle of people who are passionalte about Shaker boxes and Wedgwood creamware."
Ms. Pochoda suggests to us that giving young people antiques, especially family heirlooms, to help them connect their past to their present and future is a logical step we older collectors can take to encourage the collecting habit. Further she says, "And while there is no digital replacement for a great piece of scrimshaw [Wedgwood] , the habit of accumulating objects may not come naturally to the next generation." This is a valid observation and one upon which I expound often in my business life. Her quotation from Ezra Pound, Canto 81, rings very true:
"What thou lovest well remains, the rest is dross
What thou lov'st well shall not be reft from thee
What thou lov'st well is thy true heritage...."
I've been pondering this subject for quite awhile, and this particular letter ever since my December issue of TMA arrived. However something is absent from her missive, and nearly slipped my own mind. How many of us have chosen to collect something, or many things, not because of the thing, but because of the urge to collect? I'm thinking this is a genetic anamoly, it's in the genes. There are people who just want/need to collect, and if they're lucky, something wonderful emerges from an image, a texture, a scent, a shape, an experience, even a memory perhaps and strikes their fancy inciting them to accumulate that particular thing. Think about the people in your family - I'll bet you'll find another collector hanging around in your family tree....
Me? Oh yes, my kids collect nothing, my mother nothing but recipes because she loved to eat, but that was all. My father? Coins and stamps from his childhood until he died at age 75. My grandmother? Dishes, little boxes, ancestors and matching hats & purses. So, perhaps some of our worry about the lack of young people wanting our china and other "treasures" will turn out to be unfounded, once they have finished their educations, amassed some capital, established their lives, and realized the itch to collect is there...trains, post cards, antique chairs, Wedgwood, they'll all find a way to satisfy that itch! Maybe my girl friends are right, I just have to wait a bit... only worry is that I was already collecting, bottle caps & the color photos on the cover of our newspaper TV listing booklet, by the 3rd grade. Then post cards by 4th, Avon bottles by 7th or so and I had fallen in love with my first Wedgwood (blue jasper of course) by the 8th. Okay, back to my original premise, collecting is in my blood, but probably not my kids'... I often say I wish I had borne more children, not because the two I have aren't wonderful, but for the variety! I wish you all at least one child with the collecting gene! Perhaps if we each give away something old and meaningful this week we'll start a trend!
Ms. Pochoda suggests to us that giving young people antiques, especially family heirlooms, to help them connect their past to their present and future is a logical step we older collectors can take to encourage the collecting habit. Further she says, "And while there is no digital replacement for a great piece of scrimshaw [Wedgwood] , the habit of accumulating objects may not come naturally to the next generation." This is a valid observation and one upon which I expound often in my business life. Her quotation from Ezra Pound, Canto 81, rings very true:
"What thou lovest well remains, the rest is dross
What thou lov'st well shall not be reft from thee
What thou lov'st well is thy true heritage...."
I've been pondering this subject for quite awhile, and this particular letter ever since my December issue of TMA arrived. However something is absent from her missive, and nearly slipped my own mind. How many of us have chosen to collect something, or many things, not because of the thing, but because of the urge to collect? I'm thinking this is a genetic anamoly, it's in the genes. There are people who just want/need to collect, and if they're lucky, something wonderful emerges from an image, a texture, a scent, a shape, an experience, even a memory perhaps and strikes their fancy inciting them to accumulate that particular thing. Think about the people in your family - I'll bet you'll find another collector hanging around in your family tree....
Me? Oh yes, my kids collect nothing, my mother nothing but recipes because she loved to eat, but that was all. My father? Coins and stamps from his childhood until he died at age 75. My grandmother? Dishes, little boxes, ancestors and matching hats & purses. So, perhaps some of our worry about the lack of young people wanting our china and other "treasures" will turn out to be unfounded, once they have finished their educations, amassed some capital, established their lives, and realized the itch to collect is there...trains, post cards, antique chairs, Wedgwood, they'll all find a way to satisfy that itch! Maybe my girl friends are right, I just have to wait a bit... only worry is that I was already collecting, bottle caps & the color photos on the cover of our newspaper TV listing booklet, by the 3rd grade. Then post cards by 4th, Avon bottles by 7th or so and I had fallen in love with my first Wedgwood (blue jasper of course) by the 8th. Okay, back to my original premise, collecting is in my blood, but probably not my kids'... I often say I wish I had borne more children, not because the two I have aren't wonderful, but for the variety! I wish you all at least one child with the collecting gene! Perhaps if we each give away something old and meaningful this week we'll start a trend!
WEDGWOOD TIDBITS FROM OUR FILES
In cleaning out some computer files today I found some tidbits that I thought I'd share in the "whatever its worth" department as my husband loves to say.
http://www.alexisantiques.com/
BISCUIT BARRELS
What Americans call cookies and crackers, the British call biscuits. Therefore, these cracker barrels or cookie jars to them are Biscuit Barrels! If you are a Hercule Poirot fan, you might have noticed that he has one on the top of his fridge in his London flat!
Most biscuit barrels are mounted in silver plate mounts, known as EPNS for electro-plated nickel silver. We always try to keep ours polished, but sometimes we fail! Sometimes they will not polish much better than what we have done. They CAN be replated; use a reputable silversmith, replater etc. Or simply enjoy them as they are, knowing they have been well loved by others in the past! You will note most of ours have the shiny glazed stoneware interiors, made to facilitate your using them for cookies! The silverpolish will not harm the jasperware body. We use Wright’s Silver Cream routinely on them with excellent success.
WEDGWOOD bas relief wares
Bas-relief ware is the name given to white stoneware body with jasper dip and bas-relief ornament. This method of production was introduced in 1817 as a substitute for solid jasperware when jasperware was discontinued for a time. The stoneware is glazed on the interior to limit porosity. Some bas relief ware is jasper dip over a gray white jasper. This type has a grainy feel to it and is easily distinguishable from the stoneware body.
The dark blue dip which is still so popular today was made from 1866 to 1941. Most of our pieces are identified as to approximate date.
Bas-relief ware pieces may be found in everything from cameo jewelry to large jardinieres.
CLEANING YOUR JASPERWARE
Almost every piece of jasper you see in our inventory, or ever will see there, has been or will be cleaned in a dishwasher. Because jasperware is a porous unglazed stoneware, it gets dirty – from dust, the dirt and oils on our skin, etc. For the same reason, its porosity, it loves a good scrubbing. Use Comet, Old Dutch, etc. and a soft brush or washrag; it’s tough, you won’t hurt it! But, if you have many pieces, carefully place them in your dishwasher and wash with your regular detergent. You will be pleased and amazed at how well they clean up!
DO NOT wash broken, cracked or repaired pieces in this fashion. Clean them in clear water, gently rubbing with your fingers to remove dust; spot clean with a rag or sponge but avoid any repainted places. Of course, be cautious in handling cracked or otherwise damaged/repaired pieces!
http://www.alexisantiques.com/
BISCUIT BARRELS
What Americans call cookies and crackers, the British call biscuits. Therefore, these cracker barrels or cookie jars to them are Biscuit Barrels! If you are a Hercule Poirot fan, you might have noticed that he has one on the top of his fridge in his London flat!
Most biscuit barrels are mounted in silver plate mounts, known as EPNS for electro-plated nickel silver. We always try to keep ours polished, but sometimes we fail! Sometimes they will not polish much better than what we have done. They CAN be replated; use a reputable silversmith, replater etc. Or simply enjoy them as they are, knowing they have been well loved by others in the past! You will note most of ours have the shiny glazed stoneware interiors, made to facilitate your using them for cookies! The silverpolish will not harm the jasperware body. We use Wright’s Silver Cream routinely on them with excellent success.
WEDGWOOD bas relief wares
Bas-relief ware is the name given to white stoneware body with jasper dip and bas-relief ornament. This method of production was introduced in 1817 as a substitute for solid jasperware when jasperware was discontinued for a time. The stoneware is glazed on the interior to limit porosity. Some bas relief ware is jasper dip over a gray white jasper. This type has a grainy feel to it and is easily distinguishable from the stoneware body.
The dark blue dip which is still so popular today was made from 1866 to 1941. Most of our pieces are identified as to approximate date.
Bas-relief ware pieces may be found in everything from cameo jewelry to large jardinieres.
CLEANING YOUR JASPERWARE
Almost every piece of jasper you see in our inventory, or ever will see there, has been or will be cleaned in a dishwasher. Because jasperware is a porous unglazed stoneware, it gets dirty – from dust, the dirt and oils on our skin, etc. For the same reason, its porosity, it loves a good scrubbing. Use Comet, Old Dutch, etc. and a soft brush or washrag; it’s tough, you won’t hurt it! But, if you have many pieces, carefully place them in your dishwasher and wash with your regular detergent. You will be pleased and amazed at how well they clean up!
DO NOT wash broken, cracked or repaired pieces in this fashion. Clean them in clear water, gently rubbing with your fingers to remove dust; spot clean with a rag or sponge but avoid any repainted places. Of course, be cautious in handling cracked or otherwise damaged/repaired pieces!
WEDGWOOD INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ANNOUNCES 2010 PLANS
Springtime in Colonial Williamsburg will be brighter this year when the members of the Wedgwood International Seminar gather from April 28 to May 1 for the 55th Annual Seminar at Colonial Williamsburg. This year's theme, Ceramics Artistry: Wedgwood, America, and Beyond boasts a varied agenda of lectures, dinners, receptions, opportunities to buy and visits to Virginia area sites of interest to ceramics collectors of many interests. CLICK ON THIS POST TITLE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE BROCHURE for joining and sign up details, plus a complete description of the well-planned activities, always well-executed by the WIS committee.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
WINTERTHUR PUBLISHES NEW CERAMICS BOOK
Word is out about a new book from Winterthur of interest to Wedgwood collectors. The title is Success to America; Creamware for the American Market. It is not shipping until end of March, but you may order it now at a considerable discount at the pre-publication price. The ordering process is very simple. Click on this post's title to go directly to the Winterthur order page. Regular price will be $75, now $48.75. Shipping to us in St. Louis is $11.49; don't know if that is a universal shipping price. Just in, we're grateful to one of our readers, Nancy from the WSWDC, who has advised that www.Amazon.com has the book at a tad bit lower pre-publication price and free shipping! The book should be an important addition to ceramics collectors' libraries as the authorship is stellar: S. Robert Teitelman, Patricia A. Halfpenny, and Ronald W. Fuchs II, with essays by Wendell D. Garrett and Robin Emmerson. Many of the Wedgwood collectors in USA have met the charming Mr. Emmerson in Liverpool; many know Pat Halfpenny as she is a popular speaker on the Wedgwood circuit and of course Wendell Garrett is well known by anyone who reads The Magazine Antiques.
Winterthur holds the wonderful Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens, bowls and other soup-related items, a collection which holds several Wedgwood examples. To me, the most important holding of Winterthur is its large, beautifully displayed, collection of George Washington's china set emblazoned with the insignia of the Society of the Cincinnati, which George founded. Still a going concern today, the Society is a symbol of the continuity of our blood lines through the ages, no matter from whom we descend. Winterthur sells reproductions of pieces of the Cincinnati service, beautiful work to grace any dining table, china closet or side table. We have a piece in our American Historical China category.
When I give my talk about George Washington's China I always tell the story of my visit to the Winterthur Cincinnati collection, while my Wedgwood Int'l Seminar pals were off to find the Wedgwood! I caught up later.....
I'm sure this book will be a wonderful reference to add to a few others on the subject of early American Creamware, certainly some of which was supplied by Wedgwood to the colonies, and to George & Martha at Mount Vernon, which he supported, even though he bore the moniker Potter to the Queen! I'd love to receive a review of this new book for posting on the blog from any of its readers among our own readers.
Winterthur holds the wonderful Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens, bowls and other soup-related items, a collection which holds several Wedgwood examples. To me, the most important holding of Winterthur is its large, beautifully displayed, collection of George Washington's china set emblazoned with the insignia of the Society of the Cincinnati, which George founded. Still a going concern today, the Society is a symbol of the continuity of our blood lines through the ages, no matter from whom we descend. Winterthur sells reproductions of pieces of the Cincinnati service, beautiful work to grace any dining table, china closet or side table. We have a piece in our American Historical China category.
When I give my talk about George Washington's China I always tell the story of my visit to the Winterthur Cincinnati collection, while my Wedgwood Int'l Seminar pals were off to find the Wedgwood! I caught up later.....
I'm sure this book will be a wonderful reference to add to a few others on the subject of early American Creamware, certainly some of which was supplied by Wedgwood to the colonies, and to George & Martha at Mount Vernon, which he supported, even though he bore the moniker Potter to the Queen! I'd love to receive a review of this new book for posting on the blog from any of its readers among our own readers.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Buten Museum Collection - Where it is now
Many of us Wedgwood collectors know about the former Buten Museum of Wedgwood, at one time located in the Buten home in Merion, PA. The saga of the collection's movements over the past years is also known to many of us, but here is a great article on its current home, the Birmingham Museum of Art. CLICK ON THE TITLE OF THIS BLOG POST TO CONNECT DIRECTLY TO THE ARTICLE.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Dr. Josiah Francis Wedgwood dies in Paris
Dr. Josiah recently attended the Opening Tea of the 250th Wedgwood Exhibit in DC, taking along his son. He was a member of the Wedgwood Society of Washington, DC and a collector. The medical and Wedgwood worlds will be diminished by his passing. Please click on this post's title to go to the newspaper story with all the details.
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