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'Owl' vase: C.51-2023

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

'Owl' vase

Maker(s)

Factory: Burmantofts Pottery
Leeds Fireclay Company

Entities

Categories

Description

Cream earthenware, thrown and tube-lined, painted with coloured glazes.

Ovoid earthenware vase with very narrow base, tight neck and bowl-shaped mouth. Stylised, ‘partie-colour’, tube-lined decoration of four green and brown owls set against a starry sky in shades of turquoise blue. Patterned bands in turquoise, royal blue and brown at base and around shoulder and neck. Interior undecorated and clear glazed. Underside slightly indented and clear glazed, inside narrow foot-rim.

Notes

History note: Lent by Rita Smythe

Legal notes

Bequeathed by Ian and Rita Smythe, 2023

Measurements and weight

Height: 23.3 cm
Width: 14.7 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Leeds (Yorks.) ⪼ Yorkshire ⪼ England

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (2023) by Smythe, Ian and Rita

Dating

19th Century, Late-20th Century, Early#
1887 CE - 1904 CE

Note

Decorative faience products was introduced alongside existing brick and pipe products at Burmantofts from c.1879, initially using bright metallic-compound glazes over high fired buff earthenware on architectural wares, jardinières and vases. Later, more ambitious glazes, sgraffito decoration and ornate designs were adopted. V Kremer and B.Sicard, two French ceramicists trained by Palissy revivalists, joined c.1881 and introduced applied decorations and Anglo Persian designs. Many workers came from the Linthorpe Pottery, which closed in 1889, often producing similar styles. The Burmantofts name continued on ornamental wares after merger with the Leeds Fireclay Company in 1889 and the decorated products sold well into the early 1900s, and production of architectural wares continued into the 1950s.

Components of the work

Decoration composed of lead glaze

Materials used in production

Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Throwing

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: BF monogram / ENGLAND
  • Location: Underside of base
  • Method of creation: Impressed
  • Type: Mark
  • Text: 2069
  • Location: Underside of base
  • Method of creation: Impressed
  • Type: Mark
  • Text: T
  • Location: Underside of base
  • Method of creation: Impressed
  • Type: Mark

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.51-2023
Primary reference Number: 238729
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Tuesday 22 October 2019 Updated: Thursday 23 November 2023 Last processed: Wednesday 13 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "'Owl' vase" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/238729 Accessed: 2024-11-02 20:30:40

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/238729 |title='Owl' vase |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-02 20:30:40|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-238729

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