This is a set of three little spill vases made by an unknown Staffordshire maker in about 1820, which was the Regency era. Two of the vases are cobalt blue, one is salmon, and all three have beautiful gilding and hand painted flowers.
Spill vases were used for match sticks to kindle the fire. Match sticks in 1820 weren't what they are today: they were short hand-cut sticks of wood and came in bundles. Everyone had a "spill vase" on the mantle piece or on a little side table next to the fire, so that the fire could be kindled at any moment.
In the early 19th Century there were at some point 300 potteries in Staffordshire, and artists would move from pottery to pottery, attracted by competitive wages. Unless items are clearly marked, it is often difficult to identify them and I have not been able to clearly identify these three spill vases as everyone made them.
The two cobalt blue vases are clearly from the same maker; the salmon coloured one is slightly shorter and different in shape, but basically the same. All have nicely shaped rims and three charming lion's claws as feet. There is beautiful gilding and stunning hand painted flowers in the reserves.
CONDITION REPORT All vases have some wear; one of the cobalt blue vases had a foot broken and restuck (this is stable and not very visible when in position) and the salmon vase probably has been broken and been repaired as there is epoxy visible on the inside; this is not visible from the outside. The blue vases are good to hold water, the salmon vase is not.
Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account.
There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures!
DIMENSIONS the blue vases are 12cm high (4.75") and the salmon vase is 11cm high (4.5").
SHIPPING I ship worldwide from the UK. I am happy to combine shipping charges on multiple items - please contact me to discuss. In principle I do not make a profit on shipping although for simplicity's sake I charge flat shipping fees. If the fee charged greatly exceeds the actual cost I will gladly refund you the difference - at the same time if it is slightly lower I will gladly make up the difference. Please note that due to the pandemic shipping costs have generally gone up steeply, and although I use only the most reliable couriers, there can sometimes be some delays.
Three Staffordshire spill vases, cobalt blue, salmon and flowers, ca 1820
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