A Royal Worcester lidded hand painted potpourri urn, painted…
click the photo to enlarge
A Royal Worcester lidded hand painted potpourri urn, painted with fruit and berries on a leafy ground to the entire body by H. Ayrton. The crown form pierced lid with unfurling finial enclosing the interior lid, lavishly gilded, signed, shaped 2048, printed mark in black. Height 24 cm

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Finial - An architectural decoration, found on the upper parts of of an object. On furniture they are usually found on pediments, canopies and shelf supports. On smaller ceramic or silver items, such as spoons, they may decorate the top of the item itself, or the lid or cover where they provide a useful handle for removal.

    Finials have a variety of shapes and forms. They may be urn-shaped, baluster shaped round or spiral, but usually taper into an upper point. Many real life shapes may also be used as finials, such as pineapples, berries, pinecones, buds, lotus and acorns. Sometimes animals such as a lion are depicted, or fish and dolphins.
  • 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.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

A modern Royal Worcester large potpourri hand painted fruit jar and cover, painted with peaches, blackberry and cherries on a leaf and mossy ground, the reverse with a grape bunch, signed by the artist, Freeman, the internal lid with larger pierced crown f

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Royal Worcester lidded potpourri, fluted ovoid shape, painted with rose blossoms and buds in the manner of Kitty Blake, the neck and cover with tinted gilding and pierced. Green mark, shape H.278, c.1909. Height 13.5 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A fine quality Royal Worcester potpourri vase, of ovoid shape with pierced crown shaped cover and original internal lid, painted with fruit signed T. Platt, the borders richly gilded. Date marks 1960s. Height 24 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

An impressive Royal Worcester potpourri and cover painted by Harry Ayrton, painted with apples and grapes on a mossy, leafy ground, a small bunch of grapes to the reverse, the base, rim and inner lid embellished with gilt decoration, the high elaborate pie

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.