Staffordshire Antique Copper Luster Jug Pastoral Scene

This Naïve Hand Painted Relief Copper Luster Jug is unmarked and is of Staffordshire manufacture. It dates approximately 1850. It measures 3 1/2" High.  Most copper lusterware pieces of this vintage are unmarked and are attributed to the various Staffordshire potteries.

The rural scenes on each side are hand painted overglaze and are prone to wear or peeling.

The Jug has a rural scene on each side, one with a little farm girl surrounded by a group of cows, the other side has a little farm boy also surrounded by cows. The girl is wearing an orange frock and the boy is wearing burgundy pants. Both scenes are on a band of dark blue. There are three beaded rings around the circumference of the jug as well as three ribbed rings at the base.

COMMENT: This attractive pastoral lusterware jug can easily enhance any Victorian copper luster collection!

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: This little antique polychrome lusterware jug is in very good condition except for some wear to the enamel high points or relief . This is normal for such wares especially of this antiquity. This is not really considered as damage. However because of this minimal wear we are offering this jug to you in "as is" condition.