Antiques

In 1793, Thomas Minton, now a master potter having just finished his apprenticeship with Josiah Spode as a copper plate engraver, opened his small Staffordshire pottery at Stoke-on Trent, the very heart of the English ceramic industry.  This small beginning was to grow into a major ceramic manufacturing company with an international reputation.

Everyone knows of the famous “Willow” pattern, but did you know that Thomas Minton is regarded as the one who first engraved this well known print!  Minton is said to have been inspired on hearing the old Chinese legend of the rich Mandarin’s young daughter eloping with his secretary.  As the pattern shows, the young lovers are pursued by the enraged father, however, the goddess of mercy, seeing the drama, turns the fleeing couple into swallows who fly away together.

Thomas Minton’s son, Herbert, (1793–1858), succeeded his father as head of the firm and to him was due its development and reputation as a leader of porcelain production.

In the 1820’s he started production of bone china.  This early Minton is regarded as comparable to French Sèvres, by which it was greatly influenced. 

Our Minton lamps shown were made in 1863 and are typical of the very high standards reached by this time.

An extremely rare pair of 19th century, English Minton vases as table

lamps. The lamps imitating the design of oriental water jars.

The lamps glazed in an even pale celadon with moulded and applied white porcelain “rope”. The necks of the lamps with a continuous band of open cut-work in the style of traditional Chinese window screens,

the lamp necks designed to allow the celadon glazed porcelain

to be viewed through the screens!

The lamps skilfully modelled to appear as if tied in white knotted rope.

The bases of the lamps with a continuous band of scrolling cut-work,

with evenly spaced round headed pegs as ties for the rope.

The lamps with gilded, turned, solid bronze bases and caps.

This stunning pair of lamps, the quality of which is self evident,

are in remarkable condition considering the complexity of the design.

In private correspondence with the UK Wedgwood/Minton museum, this

pair of lamps were described as “highly important”.

The shape was exhibited by Minton at the 1862 London International Exhibition where they were described as “a pair of vases, glazed celadon ground, rope festoons in white, perforated neck and perforated foot”.

The vase shape was registered in 1863 as “in the Chinese style”.

Overall height (including shades)   25″/63cm

The Antique & Vintage Table Lamp Co specialise in antique table lamp lighting with an on-line range of over 100 unique, antique and vintage lamps on view.

Lamps are shipped ready wired for the U.S, the U.K and Australia.

Saké is a traditional Japanese liquor made from rice and water.  It is produced from a fermentation and filtration process.  Known in the west as “Saké” but in Japan as “Nihonshu”, Saké is a general term for alcohol.

The fermented Saké is initially a milky colour but is filtered by pressing through a mesh to produce a clear liquid.  The Japanese production of Saké is an ancient tradition with evidence as far back as the 3rd century B.C.  As with so many Japanese traditional practices, Saké has its own specialised ceramics.  The central shape being the Tokkuri or 

Saké bottle

These containers were developed into a ceramic art form and many were produced by small family potteries.  The majority were produced as earthenware specifically known to the Japanese as “stone textured”.  Very often the brewer ordered the Tokkuri from the potter, who then wrote the name of the brewer in Japanese characters or in flowing script.

As today, when the customer returned the empty Tokkuri to the brewer, he received a rebate on the refill!  The Tokkuri were constantly recycled and used for oil, lamp oil, vinegar and for a wide range of domestic uses. 

Saké is normally consumed cold in the summer and warm in the winter.  Warming is today achieved by standing the now small porcelain Tokkuri in a container of hot water.  In earlier times the stone textured Tokkuri were also warmed in hot water but were commonly suspended over a low coal fire to heat the Saké.  The Japanese block print illustrated, circa 1820, shows this traditional method.

In the vast Japanese literary tradition, the Haiku or 16 syllable poem is found “in praise of the Tokkuri.

Two Tokkuri

The misty world

Seems to float

Anon

 and this haiku by Issa’s – 1824

Living alone

Just one Tokkuri

For drinking away the years

This haiku refers to an end of year drinking party, but in this house, (Issa’s), every day is new years eve!

The Antique & Vintage Table Lamp Co currently have 3 tokkuri table lamps.  Two are stone textured in the traditional “Rosuku” shape and one rather elegant smaller version of monochrome glazed earthenware.  These “robust and honest” lamps have a timeless ability to fit very comfortably into both the traditional and contemporary interior, being at home in either setting

The traditional wheel potted Tokkuri virtually disappeared after 1945 along with many typical Japanese domestic art and craft form

 A 19th century Japanese stoneware sake bottle or “Tokkuri” as a table lamp.
The bold black characters, the name of the brewer

The table lamp on a turned & polished maple wood stand.    Early Meiji – Circa 1880    Overall height (including shade) 21″/53cm

The long history of Chinese culture has produced a great number of original and distinctive artistic styles.  One of these is “Cinnabar Lacquerware”.  Quickly recognised by its distinctive red colour and sometimes referred to as “China Red”. This treatment has been used artistically in China for over 1000 years.

Lacquerware refers to any facade which has been coated with lacquer, resulting in a hard, durable surface.  The natural source of lacquer is a tree, the Lac, or, varnish tree, the sap of which is collected in the same manner as rubber tree sap; small cuts made into the trunk of the tree and the sap collected.  The name “Cinnabar”, however, is derived from a natural red mineral pigment which is blended with the Lac tree sap after which a rich red lacquer is produced

The initial stage in the production of cinnabar lacquer ware begins with the first coat of red lacquer; this first coat can be the first of literally hundreds of coats to follow!  Each coat is given time to dry before the next, until the desired thickness of red lacquer is achieved.

The second stage in this long process is the deeply carved ornate decoration.

This is left to the hands of a highly skilled carver, who, with razor sharp carving tools begins the slow process of intricately carving the now hard layer of red lacquer..

Antique and decorative arts take many forms and are developed to enhance and beautify our lives.

Remember, that red is the color that we pay the most attention to. It is the warmest and most energetic color in the spectrum. In China, red symbolizes celebration and luck, used in many cultural ceremonies, New Year, weddings and birthdays.

In interior design, red is usually used as an accent and lamps are the most practical of all accents.  Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect, since it will attract attention! A colour you just can’t miss.

The Antique & Vintage Table Lamp Co specialise in antique table lamp lighting with an on-line range of over 100 unique, antique and vintage lamps on view.