Collecting Antique & Vintage China
What is china, china is a product made up from china clay, a fine white clay with few impurities and terracotta, a coarser more abundant and cheaper material. The 2 items are mixed to make china, often this can be made into a slip, a cream like material which in the 19th century was used to mould items such as Staffordshire dogs, using a pre-formed mould of 2 halves, basically pouring liquid clay into the mould swilling around and pouring away the excess. Hence why staffordhire figures and all hollow ware items tend to have small hole in base or back to allow wet steamy air to escape when firing. These were then hand painted, hence why often, pairs of dogs etc don't quite match perfectly, and re-fired and then often did a third fire to add gold embellishments.
China or pottery tended to be more utilitarian, this doesn't mean substandard but due to the mix of china and clay stronger and therefore more longevity in a domestic setting. Ideally unless just buying for decoration or colour, or use if collecting one would prefer items perfect with no restoration. However if you want to collect 18th century English delft then you will need some latitude as 300 year old items and particularly in this brittle material will come with some knocks etc.The Victorian were keen on riveting cracked items with copper or lead rivet often beautiful work and collected especially in America in its own right .
We as a race have collected for years, most items such a tea pots etc, looking great in a collection, can be fun and affordable to collect! We sell often very good pretty china jugs for a pound or two, right through to a Moorcroft vase at 950gbp, let alone the 7 foot high Chinese vase sold last week for 1900gbp and a gazunda (goes under the bed) or potty can make a very good plant pot, but not sure if best used as a punch bowl though. The house clearance guy has a jug and bowl set including tooth pot and potty from 1930s for 25 gbp all perfect and ready to brighten up a bathroom and make a plant happy
More detailed blogs on this over next few weeks!
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