STAFFORDSHIRE ANTIQUE COPPER LUSTER OPEN SALT

This Adorable and Fairly Scarce Copper Luster Pedestal Open Salt is of Staffordshire manufacture and is unmarked which is typical for these wares of this time period. This little treasure measures 3” Diameter by 2” Height and dates approximately 1860. The decoration is a naïve hand painted overglaze blue berry and spinach leaf on a caramel color ground band against the base luster.

COMMENT: This Unusual Copper Luster Pedestal Open Salt is a very fine example of Victorian English Country Cottage Pottery. This is indeed A Treasure Not To Be Pondered, Rather To Be Acquired!

HISTORY OF COPPER LUSTERWARE

At the time, there were a number of Staffordshire factories producing these luster pieces. Attribution to specific potters was not really possible since most lusterware pieces of this vintage were unmarked. However as we all know from experience and research, all of this ware was definitely from the Staffordshire district in England. Pieces that had relief with hand painting overglaze were as early as 1820 and continued up to 1850.

After 1850 luster pieces became less ornate and were using a “brush stroke” technique as a form of hand painting and were more naive in terms of decoration. By 1860 pieces were less ornate and molded relief/embossed work was almost a thing of the past. Now the potters were emphasizing hues of luster resist in terms of glazes and were complimenting their pieces with variations of multicolored banding with little brushstroke naïve florals as a technique to give the pieces a more alluring charm. Such lusterware pieces were referred to either as copper resist, copper luster and lusterware. Either terminology is technically correct. This original form of pottery production was basically terminated by 1880.

By 1890 other English factories began what we call technically “reproductions” of these earlier wares; however these were marked by the various factories and are substantially lower in quality and in value. One such company that began this resurgence was the factory of Allertons of Staffordshire. Again by 1930-1940, George Wade created flashy and gaudy reproductions quite “unlike” the originals. His creations were usually large gaudy flowers. The quality of clay ingredients were quite different and were a lighter earthenware and more porous.

The original copper luster was heavier and had more iron content. Some of the super early pieces that date 1820-1830 were exquisite and were executed on a “pearlware” medium. As we approached the 1840, most factories used a more weighty “ironstone” body for their medium of production to create their copper luster.

CONDITION: Excellent! It is in Superb Condition! Imagine, after all, this was once upon a time used by many hands at the dinner table and very few survived those clumsy hands.