Pottery And Porcelain Of All Times And Nations

Preface

TKX years ago there were probably not ten collectors of Pottery and Porcelain in the United States* To-day there arc perhaps tern thousand. The exhibition in public, museums of tho iinei works e>f commie*, art loaned by tlio few collectors who possessed th<*m, re'voaleel for the, first tinm to the American public tho wealth of bewuty which is in uold china;11 and now in nearly oveiry city, town, and village in the* land more or less persons arc "collecting."

Tim nee«d of ft book of tho kind which 1 have endoavoml to maleo IUIB boon manifest fur wmv tinu1. What to will«tk,t and why, how to collect and cln&aify, an* ijtH'Htiorih asked by many, and answered only by Kuropctan works, in Fronc-h and Knxlish, which StKlt^l answer the questions better than this docs, but are unfortunately iiwceeHMibltt to th« American collector outside of our larger cities.

The preparation of the. needed volume* has not been a voluntary undertaking with mi*. It was with extreme reluctance that I yielded to the urgent request of (tho publisher** to wake* a book on Oerarnie Art for American readers, students, and collectors. The very idea of a book for these threw classes e>f people might well appall an author, looking at thei vast extent erf the subject. Those who are familiar with tlw art will npprotsiate* the impossibility of bringing into one volume even a condt'fitttul sketch of its history for the general reader, much more a critical examination of its products for tlw student, and a descriptive account of characteristics and tnarktt for the une* of the» collewte>r* For this art is the oldemt, the longest, tho most widely diffuwd e>f all human arts, It has boon usoei by cvejry tribe of man, savage and (tivtHastul* I'rotmhly the first fire which Adam kindled on a clay Boil taught him to make* wrtlwnware, ami his descendants have ever since used the art he discovered. Itft known history begins with the brickmakera on tho plain of Hhinar, and every ye»av of thiw ninejteettith century after Ohmt aelds material for new pages.

The tttwewt that can be*; iion« with sucJi a subject in one book is to relate briefly thoflo portionn of tlie* liiHte>ry which neem niost important te> tho American public whe> bftv« ne>t access te>t «v the time te> rend and ntuely, tho many learned and valuable worktt of Europe on the various department* of the art, and to add to thia a

PREFACE.

short statement of the date of foundation and the characteristics of fabrics of the factories whoso products may fall into the hands of American collectors. This I have endeavored to accomplish. Much has, of course, been omitted which Homo will think ought to be found here, and space has been devoted to departments which others will think unimportant. Probably no author could avoid this. I have exercised my best judgment, seeking always to keep visible the connecting links in the long history.

No one will imagine that this book can be intended to supersede the learned and invaluable works of Messrs. BIRCH, JACQUEMART, MABKYAT, OHAWKKH, FOIIT- NUM, and others, to whose investigations we are largely indebted for the mini of our present knowledge of ceramic art, and whose books have necessarily furnished a large amount of the material in the present volume. The student who begins the subject with what I furnish him will, of course, go to them as more thorough teachers. An attempt to give credit to each authority from which I have taken a statement so embarrassed the pages with foot-notes that I must express hero my general indebtedness, to the authors above named especially, and also to others whoso works are mentioned below; and this the rather that in many instances, finding the same important fact in the same words in various books, it was impossible to determine the proper credit.

The tables of marks and monograms at the end of the volume aro based on Mrs. Bury Palisscr's Hand-book, in European departments, and on the, Manual of Messrs. Hooper & Phillips, in Chinese and Japanese art. The compilation of these extensive dictionaries is the result of the labor of very many students whcmo works are mentioned in tho list below. The catalogue of authorities consulted is j^iven not alone for the purposes of this acknowledgment, but also for tho information of those who may desire to pursue tho study of tho subject Tho attention now given to ceramic art is such that every public library should contain thoBO books, •

I have written on the theory that tho reader knows nothing even of tho rudiments of the art, and have tried to give a simple and intelligible account of tho several depaitments, so that the book maybe of interest and valuo to tho inexperienced possessor of a few inherited specimens of old chiua or crockery, a& woll aa to tho laborious collector. In selecting specimens for illustration from my own and other collections, and from European works, it seemed to give greater practical value to the book to illustrate, generally, characteristic work of various countries atul factories, such as collectors may hope to meet with, rather than curioita, rare, £rtd superb products of the art.

In expressing opinions, I have exercised that independence which I have sought also to inculcate in the American reader. The student has hero excellent oppor-

PREFACE.

tunity for forming independent tastes, since he is not apt to be guided by the established opinions which prevail where the subject has been long pursued, and collections have been formed according to prevailing ideas of beauty. Doubtless many will wholly disagree with the opinions expressed; and I have failed in my purpose if I liavo not impressed on the reader the importance, in art study, of forming opinions unbiassed by any dictatorial expressions of this or any other book. The study of art will do little good to those who profess to admire this or that specimen, class, or style, only because other people say it is admirable.

.Prominent defects of this work are due to the lamentable fact that America possesses so few public, collections of pottery and porcelain to which an author might from time to time refer. In "Phcnician and archaic Greek work the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has become the richest institution in the world by the acquisition of the Cypriote Collection of General L. P. Di Cesnola. The limits of this volume have forbidden an extended notice of those fabrics, and I have, only attempted a general classification by styles of pottery and decoration, as an aid to their study, indicating briefly the new and important light which they throw on the early history of Greek art.

In (Chinese and Japanese art, that museum has been happy in having for some time in tho loan department the admirable selections from the collection of S. P. Avery, Esq., forming nn illustrative exhibition not surpassed by any public or piivato collection elsewhere. The fine collection of Mr. Robert Iloe, Jr., has also been an important source of information.

In all other departments T have been compelled to rely on memories of European cabinets, and on my own imperfect collection, which is occasionally referred to as tho Trumlwll-IVhne collection, which name it bears in memory of its founder, who was, so far as I know, tho first lady, and perhaps tho first person, in America who made a special study of ceramic art. This collection has enabled me, in departments in which it is peculiarly rich, to add some facts to the general sum of knowledge on tho subject. Had I tho assistance of Lor superior information, pure taste, and unerring judgment, this would have been a much more valuable book; for to them I owo all that 1 know of the subject. If my work accomplish any good or confer any pleasure, it is due alone to that memory whose constant presence has made it a labor of love.

W. C. P.

LONESOME LAKB CABIN, August Sth, 1877,

AUTHORITIES CONSULTED.

AUTHOBITIES CONSULTED.

BIRCH (SAMUEL), History of Ancient Pottery. London, 1873 [An exhaustive work, of the greatest learning and ability ; does not include the late discoveries in Cyprus ]

BRONGNIART (ALEX.), Traite fas Arts Ceramiques. Paris, 1854 [In two volumes of text, and atlas of plates. A thorough treatise, with accounts of processes in various countries and factories, composition of pastes, preparation, and application of colors, methods of manufacture, etc. ; with historical notices.]

BRONGNIART (ALEX.) ET EIOCREUX (D.), Musee Oeramigue de Stores, [A catalogue o£ the museum at Sevres, with colored illustrations of many hundred specimens of ceramic art and glass. Valuable for reference. Early copies are the better colored,]

BOHN (H. G ), Guide to the Knowledge of Pottery and Porcelain, and Other Objects of Virtu, London, 1857. [A catalogue of the Bernal-collection sale, with prices, and an appendix by Mr. Bohn, himself an extensive collector. Valuable as a reference for prices.]

BINNS (R. W.), A Century of Potting in Worcester, London, 1865. [A now and enlarged edition, with additional plates, 1877. Large paper copies, with impressions from copperplates used for transfer-printing at Worcester and Oaughley. A complete history of Worcester porcelain.]

CAMPORI (G.), Notwe, etc., della Maiolica e della Porcelhna de Jfyrrara, etc, Modona, 1871. [The* Marquis Oampori has rendered important service in elucidating the early history of porcelain-making in Italy in the sixteenth century, the first European porcelain ]

CHAITFERS (WILLIAM), Marks and Monograms on Pottery and Porcelain, etc, London, 1876. [Mr. Chaffers's work is indispensable to the collector. It is a marvel of patient and careful labor, continued from edition to edition, the latest, of course, always the best. Ho has condensed the marks in a small hand-book ; but the large octavo is necessary to every student. Wo arc Indebted to it for much material in the present volume.]

CHAJWBRS (WILLIAM), The Keramc Gallery. London, 1872 [Five hundred illustrations of pottery and porcelain. Important for reference.]

(ATTGUSTJS), Chide de V Amateur de Fchmcea ct Porcelaines, etc. Paris, 1868* [A vory good book of reference for factories, with descriptions of characteristics ; especially thorough on Germany and Holland. Not to bo relied on for ancient or American work,] J. 0.), HMre <fa Kifaee* Mspaiw-Moresques. Paris, 1861« (J. 0.), HtMoire des Jfotonce*, <fo, de Mowtiers, Mwtttffa, «fe Paris, 1868,

D*U*Q» (BL), JfaswM da Twtes ley P&G& COMW*, da, de h Fatewe tfwncafa de JS&nK /I it Ditme tie Poicfam. Pari^l861.

DELABTGU, BoaNEMAH, ET SATTZAY, MmograpMe de VGSfatire de £ermrd Poft&y, etc. Paris, 186*2. [Plates designed by Carle Dek»ge and 0. Bomeman ; text by Sauzay and Henri DoUnge,]

DELAVGE, BORNEMAN, ET DABOEL, Jfauett de Faiences Jfadimnss, etc. Paris, 1869. [Plates toy Carlo Delange and 0. Boraeman ; text by A, Detrcel and Henri B^lajige. Th«s« superb wx)rk& of luxury illustrate in colors some hundred specfoieaB, Baany \A ML fofa of tW orfefotek't

DRAKB (W. JL), Notes on Vtnettm Cermte. London, 1868.

AUTHORITIES CONSULTED.

FILLON (B), Le& Faiences (VOiron Paris, 1862

FORTNUM (0. D. E.), Dtwnptiiw Catalogue of the Mqjohca, etc., in tJie South Kensington Museum. London, 1873. [This South Kensington catalogue is enriched with colored plates and wood-cuts, and still more enriched with Mr Fortnum's learned and clear notices of the Saracen and European potteries. It is the best single book for the collector in studying the origin and history of the Italian department of the art ]

GRAJSSSE (J. G. T ), Guide, etc., ou Collection Complete dc* Marques de Fabriques de Porcelains et de Poteries, etc Dresden, 1873. [A convenient hand-book of marks, by Dr. Graesse, the accomplished director of the Japanese Museum, and other collections, in Dresden.]

HASLEM (J.), 3f7w Old Dtrby China Factory, etc. London, 1876. [Devoted chiefly to personal recollections of workmen , contains colored plates of Derby patterns, and describes some products, omitting vases. Valuable for reference to colored plate of marks.]

HOOPER (W. II ) and PHILLIPS (W. 0.), Manual of Marks on Pottery and Porcelain London, 1876. [An excellent and convenient little hand-book for the use of collectors, to which we are indebted especially for Chinese and Japanese marks, not before given in other works ]

JULIEN (STANISLAS), IRstoire et Fabrication de la Porcelains CJtinoise, etc., augmente d*un Memoire sur la Poreelaine de Japan, par- J. Hoffman. Paris, 18G6 [See text, p. 233 ]

JACQUKMART (A ), Ihntoirc de la C&ramique Paris, 1875. [The collector will find in this work more information on the general and specific history o£ the art than in any other one volume. It has been translated and ropublished in England ; but the original edition is the better, on many accounts. "We are indebted to it for much historical matter,]

JKWITT (L.), Life of JbsiaJi Wedgwood. London, 1865.

MABKSOHAL (A, A.), Iconogrqphie de la Faience Paris, 1875.

MARESOIIAL (A. A,), La Fa'imee Populaire au XVIIIme. Siede. Beauvais, 1872.

MARBSOEAL (A. A.), Zea Faiences Ancionnes Gt Mbdernes, etc. Paris, 1873.

MAREBCHAL (A. A.), Assictte* d Emblem® Patriotism. Beauvais, 1869.

[The works of M Mareschal arc useful for reference, containing a large number of colored plates of ordinary wares of factories such as collectors are most likely to meet with.]

MARRTAT (J.), History of Pottwy and Porcelain. London, 1869. [The best English work on the general subject, to which we are indebted for much historical and descriptive matter.]

MAYER (J.), On the Art of Pottery -, with a History of its Progress in Jhverpool. Liverpool, 1873 [Local history of Liverpool potteries.]

MKTBTARD (ELIZA), The Wedtywood Hand-book London, 1875. [Indispensable to collectors of Wedgwood wares ; giving accurate descriptions, numerous private marks of workmen, and quite full catalogues.] ,

METE YAED (E&iXA), Memorials of Wedgwood. London, 1874. [Next to the possession of the originals, the collector will enjoy tho many exquisite illustrations in this elegant volume ]

OWBN (E.)) 2to Centuries of Oeramc Art in Bristol. London, 1873. [Local history of Bristol porcelaltt wad pottery,]

PASSBW (G-.), Mstoire de Pdnfares sur Mwotiques & Pesaro et les Environs. Paris, 1858.

PxocOMPAfifli. 2V* tibri deWArte del V<mto. [MS. in British Museum, cited by various writers; and the French translation, published in Paris, I860.]

POTTTEB (A,), BitfoiM &$ l& Fanned de Roum. Rouen, 1869 [Numerous colored plates.]

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