Perfect Pieces Specialists in British Pottery

I’ve blogged about the demise of Poole Pottery before, and of the risk to the nearby Swan Inn - a wonderful example of architectural ceramics.

I came across this picture (click here) today which encapsulates what has happened perfectly - how can such a historic pub in this location (with loads of residential housing nearby) not be a viable business?

And why won’t the council support it as part of Poole’s heritage?

N.B. I believe the tiles were from the old Poole Pottery / Carter & Co. company, but am not certain of this. They certainly look right for Poole - especially those swans.

To learn more about the closure of Poole Pottery and what has happened to the company since it closed last December, click on the “Poole Pottery” tag below.

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the Antiques Roadshow? How much preparation goes into each valuation?

Wonder no more!

Ipswich Evening Star reporter James Marston took some of his family heirlooms along to the Antiques Roadshow when they filmed in Suffolk recently. In this article on the newspaper’s website, he gives the low down on what happens behind the scenes and what it’s like being on the receiving end of a real valuation.

The good news is that it seems a lot more genuine than some of the other programmes -at least in our experience.

Check out Marston’s article here for all the details.

As you might guess, our newsletter this month takes a look at the all-important subject of understanding and interpreting pottery marks.

There’s often more information available on the base of a pot than you expect- they’re a bit like the DNA of a human being (well, almost…) Certainly most marks usually provide enough information to give a fairly clear picture of the age, design and manufacture of the piece.

Take a look here to read the newsletter itself, or check out our database of pottery marks, here.

You’ve got to laugh. Today’s Sun has an interview with Michael Aspel in which he reveals that “There are a lot of lustful ladies on the roadshow - they get very physical.”

The 74-year-old silver-haired presenter goes on to admit that despite having stalkers of both sexes in his younger days, he believes the secret to the longevity of his career has been his blandness, saying that as people didn’t remember him, “they didn’t get bored”.

Aspel has now handed over the reins of the Antiques Roadshow to newsreader Fiona Bruce, but does not admit to being retired, saying that “you only retire when the phone stops ringing”.

This article follows on from Part 1, which explains how you should check the age, authenticity and identity of your piece. In Part 2, we look at how you can find any damage, wear or restoration on antique
ceramics.

1. Crash, Bang, Wallop…

While it’s important to check the age and authenticity of a piece, your biggest concern should probably be its condition:

1. Ping the piece with your fingernail. Different materials and shapes make different noises - from bell-like to fairly dull. However, a restored piece will give an utterly-lifeless clonk when pinged.

This test is always a good starting point.

2. Run your fingertip around any edges on the piece - you will often find small chips in this way that you’d miss by just looking at the edges.

3. Examine the piece carefully and look for changes in colour, texture or the line of a curve - all of which are tell-tale signs of repair or restoration.

For example, you may sometimes find that a curved edge has a flat spot on it - this is where a small chip or fault has been ground down and painted over, to conceal it and prevent it worsening.

4. Check any gilding carefully - original gilding may be tarnished with age but should basically be shiny, perfectly smooth and have straight edges.

Gilding that has been applied by hand to restore the original will normally have a duller sheen, will often show brush marks and not have perfectly straight edges, or be as fine.

Again, once you have seen a few you will instinctively recognise restored gilding.

5. Cracks, hairlines, etc. They may be the most obvious of faults, but finding them can be hard. Don’t be afraid to try and find some decent light for this - sunlight is best, but failing that a good artificial
light.

If it’s china/porcelain (e.g. a tea service), try holding the piece up to the light. If it’s pottery, slowly examine the whole piece and look for any lines across the glaze. It can be hard to tell the difference
between general crazing and a crack - as a guide, most people will consider it a crack if it goes the whole way through or if you can get your fingernail in it - it’s a bit of a grey area…

A crack won’t necessarily stop a piece pinging - so don’t rely on a ping test to decide whether a piece is free of cracks.

4. All Worn Down…

While a little natural age adds to a piece’s charm and authenticity, excessive wear can ruin a piece, especially if it affects the pattern badly.

Wear can take a number of forms - depending on the type of piece and the decorating style that’s been used on it. Here are a few examples:

• Gilding wear - can be partial, which is quite obvious, or gilding can be completely missing, which is sometimes hard to see. Look for a slight “shadow” where the gilding used to be and the background colour is slightly darker than elsewhere.

• Enamel wear - piece decorated with coloured enamels overglaze can sometimes have whole pieces of enamel missing. These can just flake of cleanly, leaving no trace behind. Look for any gaps or uncoloured sections of the pattern.

• Glaze wear - rubbing, scratching and sometimes fading can all occur. It’s down to you to decide whether the level of wear is acceptable or not. If the piece is rare enough and the price is right, then why not
go for it?

On the other hand, common pieces in poor condition make poor purchases, as a general rule.

I hope this guide has been useful - there is no substitute for experience when buying antique and collectable ceramics, but knowing what to look for and having the confidence to do so is half the battle.

You can see the first part of this guide - how to check for identity, authenticity and completeness - here.