Posted 11 years ago
vetraio50
(751 items)
The op shops here in Sydney have been a wasteland recently. I have had to change tactic in order to find anything interesting to my eye. A week ago I resisted the temptation to get up early and head off to the Saturday morning market in Surry Hills. But just before midday I thought I would go and have look if only to say hello to the people that I have met there for the last twenty years. It is a social event, too.
I saw nothing of interest to me that I could or would afford, but ...... on one of the tables I found this vase at midday for $8.
By midday it should have gone at that price, surely?
What was it?
It looked like a nicely potted piece of simple shape ...
Nice frieze decoration of old English roses ....
Aesthetic Movement .....
Signed nicely with a mark I do not recognise ...
Torquay, Watcombe ....
A bit battered ....
Nice foot.
Nice colours.
Just not my 'thing'. But ....
"At that price, I will take it, thanks. I like it"
And off I went home. It had marks underneath but they were not immediately familiar. The rose decoration was in high relief. But I did not recognise the marks. The impressed mark was so faint on the bottom the glaze had totally covered it. I kept coming back to it for a week and finally got out the blue light torch to see if that would help to see under the glaze.
I made out an oval shape with two bumps to each side. I could see 1883 in the centre. There were letters but they were took faint.
Off to the net and I searched through the Torquay marks, the French marks and finally decided to just go through the English marks page by page. And there it was ... the oval shape I was looking for. Doulton? Impasto? Impasto described the frieze technique of the roses exactly.
I googled "Doulton Impasto" and knew I was on the right track finally. I saw that there was a vase here in Sydney at the Powerhouse Museum with the same rose frieze; a bigger better vase though. Same year and by Fannie J. Allen.
F.J.A. in a monogram!
Description
Aesthetic taste vase, earthenware, impasto decoration by Fannie J. Allen, Doulton and Co., Lambeth, England, 1883
Cylindrical body with a yellowish glaze inside, the body painted in green with a frieze decorated with sprays of white, yellow and grey blossoms. Doulton Impasto Vase.
Made: Fannie J. Allen; Lambeth, England; 1883
Made: Doulton & Co (Lambeth works); Lambeth, England; 1883
Marks:
On base, impressed: "Doulton Impasto" mark with "1883" in centre. "C". Incised: monogram of Fannie J. Allen, "849".
Doulton Impasto Ware was launched at the Lambeth Studio in February 1879. The technique involved slip painting on the raw clay to create a richly textured effect. High-fired vitrified non-porous salt-glazed ceramic made of a hard grey-brown material (stoneware) on which designs were drawn, a part or the whole then being richly coloured. These wares were made until 1914.
Doulton became Royal Doulton in 1901.
High : 11 cm or 4.3"
Wide: 9 cm or 3.5"
Many thanks mustangT, nldionne and to you too for those kindest of words Sean B!
great story vetraio....and an even greater find!!!
Many thanks Phil, Bhock, bratjdd and czechman too!
Many thanks petey!
Wow what a detective story! Intrigue, romance, and finally the who done it!
Just terrific. Great one V!
Many thanks eye4 and to you too Amber!
You just have 'the eye' vetraio!!! Gut feeling, whatever - you just have it!! Wonderful find! Don't you just love it when that happens?? :) You get home, start researching - then discover a whole new world around the item just purchased! Wonderful!!
As soon as I win the Lottery I will fly you over and have you do some detective work for me!! Good work on that great Vase!! Even Fannie is smiling down at you!
BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Hi all and thanks to you for these kind comments. My eye has done me well on this occasion. Fanny and the other Doulton artists of the period did some great work. There is still so much to learn.
Thanks Geno, Toracat, Moonstonelover, eye4, TedS, austro, justanovice, gargoylecollector and CW too!
Many thanks mikelv85!
Many thanks miederman!
Many thanks musikchoo!
Beautiful ! Good eye you found a treasure after reading all your work you did to determine maker . Love it
I Love it!! Got a few pieces.
Many thanks Mani and to you too musikchoo! Love to see 'em!
Lovely!..:-)
Many thanks inky!
AWESOME! Beautiful impasto glaze, nice form, great story!
Thanks for all of it!
Many thanks Tonino!
Many thanks JayHow!
Wow! Awesome find and it is very pretty!
Many thanks for the love and the kind comments betweenthelens!
Many thanks SEAN68!
Your welcome KevinG:)
Many thanks Chi Treasures!
Many thanks Agram!
Many thanks yet again moonstoneL!
Many thanks donnaj!
Many thanks AGRAM!
Many thanks AGHCOLLECT!
Well done' although unfortunately I can't see the Doulton on it. It must be quite warn or sat with water underneath...lovely...
You really should go and see that collection when they run it...it's amazing what they got. I've referenced it before in here. It's mainly John Slaters collection, his own personal collection, which included exhibition pierces , it's just amazing...he was the Art Director at Doulton for most of the last 1/4 19th century and until he died in1911 from memory.
The colour is a good lambeth colour and afan ys design is beautiful, you've done well...
Hi ANNE! I went to the Doulton Exhibition here in Sydney in 1979 at Centrepoint Tower if I remember. It was amazing. It was there I saw these Impasto pieces for the first time, I think.
Believe me, if the dealers who sold me this had noted the mark they would never have sold it. It took me to see it clearly? with a loupe but it is that early oval mark.
I would appreciate it if you would put that link to the Slater Collection here.
Thanks yet again!
Shall do when I'm on laptop tomorrow......
I'd also contact the museum and tell them you are doing a report for Collectors Weekly, the Slater contingent. There are some photos available as well, some in black and white. I'll do a feature on the ones that are currently available. They are unfortunately mainly in black and white. I'm not sure if they have them in postcards but if they do let you go see it can you grab me some and I will fix you up...I've got someone's name from there, I'll try and hunt it out.
Sorry about the earlier typos, couldn't find my glasses..lol
Many thanks KIVATINITZ !!!!!!
Beautiful, and I'd have the right spot for that vase!!!
Many thanks AURA & RADEGRUNDER !!!!!
Many thanks IRAS !!! !!! !!!
Many thanks RÜCKLCZGLASS & MYFAVORITETREASURES !!!!!!!
Many thanks HO2 CULTCHA !!!!!
Many thanks RADEGRUNDER !!!! !!!! !!!!
Many thanks NEWFLD!.!.!!.!.!
Many thanks KWQD & MALKEY !!.!!.!!
Many thanks BLAMMOAMMO !.!!!!.!
Many thanks COKEMAN !.!!!!!.!
Many thanks VCAL!!!!!!
Kevin I didn't see this post because 10 years ago I wasn't using CW. Very interesting content and I guess holding the piece in your hand and feeling the temperature, weight and texture must be quite an experience.
Many thanks KIVATINITZ !!!!!
It was a little beauty but I moved it on about four years ago.