Coalport Urn with Landscape Cartouche and Jewelled Turquoise Ground

A Coalport covered urn, circa 1890, with a central landscape…
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A Coalport covered urn, circa 1890, with a central landscape cartouche on a gilded turquoise jewelled ground, flanked by moulded mask handles, underglaze factory marks and editioned to the base, 12.3 cm high

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  • Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
  • Cartouche - An ornamental panel in the form of of a shield, oval or rectangular scroll with curling edges. It may be carved into the back of a chair or the top of a sideboard, or present on a piece of silver or jewellery, and contain the initials of the original owner, heraldic symbols, or some other inscription, such as the details of a presentation.

    In ceramics the term defines the central area of a vase or similar with a decorative border in one of the shapes above, into which a decorative scene or figures have been painted.
  • Jewelled Decoration - Jewelled decoration on ceramics is a technique where small, colourful, and often metallic beads or "jewels" are applied to the surface of ceramic objects to create intricate and highly decorative designs. This technique has been used throughout history and across different cultures, but it was particularly popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially in Europe.

    The jewelled decoration is usually applied by hand, one bead at a time, onto a base glaze or enamel. The beads can be made of glass, porcelain, or even precious stones, and are often set in a metal setting, such as gold or silver. The end result is a highly decorative and often luxurious surface, which can add a lot of visual interest and value to the ceramic object.

    Jewelled decoration was used on a wide range of ceramic objects, including vases, plates, bowls, and figurines. It was particularly popular in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods, where it was used to create highly stylized and ornate designs.
  • Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.

    For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.

    Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.

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