THE WHITBY BOWL, J 77-

Transcription

1 THE WHITBY BOWL, J 77-

2 LIVERPOOL DELFT SHIP-BOWLS. By Philip Nelson, Ph.D., F.R.S.E. Read 28 November DELFT ware is that type of earthenware, which, made at Delft in Holland, was characterised by having an opaque white tin-glaze, upon which the desired decoration was painted, usually in cobalt, prior to its final firing. Delft pottery was later manufactured in England, at Lambeth, Wincanton, Bristol and Liverpool. In Liverpool, Delft was produced throughout the first three-quarters of the eighteenth century, until it was displaced in popular esteem by the more finished creamwares. There would appear to have been a considerable migration of artists between Liverpool and Bristol, the same artists decorating pottery at both places, and this is notably so in the cases of specimens in the so-called " Fazackerly style." In Liverpool, many potters were employed, the principal pot-works being situated about the end of Dale Street, where Alderman Thomas Shaw, ob. 1779, and his son, Samuel Shaw, ob. 1775, had their factory. On Shaw's Brow were the works of Seth Pennington, who probably was responsible for many of the later ship-bowls, the earlier ones coming from the factory of Alderman Thomas Shaw. The large " Golden Lion " bowl in the Mayer Collection, Liverpool Public Museums, was made, in 1753, at Shaw's factory, as a gift to Captain Metcalf, by his employers, I

3 U4 Liverpool Delft Ship-Bowls. on his return from a voyage to the Greenland whalefisheries. This bowl, which has an orange-red rim, is of importance, since it enables us to give an approximate date to bowls so adorned and also to allocate them to the Shaws, We also know that the two " Fazackerly " tankards, , now in the Mayer Collection, were also produced in the Shaws' works, which thus gives us an important land-mark. This " Fazackerly style " of polychrome floral decoration appears as late as 1767, since it occurs on the " Fetter " bowl 1 in the writer's collection. This would seem to suggest that the " Fazackerly " artist was also responsible for the decoration of such ship-bowls as present this type of flower-work on their exterior. From the Pennington works came such large bowls as the example now in the Hanley Museum, which measures 20^ inches in diameter, and was decorated by John Robinson. In the centre of the bowl are several brigs, beneath which is : Succefs to the Africa Trade George Dickinfon. and within, around the edge, are various artillery trophies. This treatment of cannon-shot also occurs on the exterior of the large bowl (20^ in.) in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and on the Whitby bowl. The earlier type of ship-bowls, viz. those having an orange rim, would appear to have been made at the Shaws' works between Of this style the following seven examples are known to the writer : 1 Rackham and Read, English Pottery, PI. IX, p. 63.

4 Liverpool Delft Ship-Bowls. 115 * The Liverpool Merchant. 1 [The Golden Lion]. 2 The Windsor. 3 * The Falcon. * The Love of Whitehaven. The Seaton Galley. * Success to Trade and Navigation. * AH these have " cotton-wool " clouds and waves. The following are the inscriptions on the above : The Liverpool Merchant of Liverpool.... D. io in. SUCCESS to ye WINDSOR..... D. 10 in. Succefs to the Falcon D. 8 - in. Succefs to the Owners of The Love OF Whit Haven Joseph Haile Master... D. gj in. SUCCESS TO THE SEATON GALLY. D. loj in. Hemming. Succefs to Trade and Navigation. D. 10-^ in. Warrington Museum. The later type of Liverpool Delft ship-bowls were made during the third quarter of the eighteenth century and the bowls are divisible into two groups : I. Dated bowls, II. Undated bowls, Of the former, nine examples are known to me and of the latter nineteen. These bowls are as follows : /. Dated. Eagle I754. 4, Friendship Emsworth The Dobson Prussian Hero The Gainsborough Monmouth The Whitby Thomas and Hannah, Captured between 1739 and Manufactured Captured c * Liverpool Privateer,

5 n6 Liverpool Delft Ship-Bowls. II. Undated. Active. 1 King George. 2 Blundell. Lucy. 1 Expedition. Nancy. 1 Fanny. 2 Nancy. 1 Felicity. St. Peter. 3 George and William. Sally. Great Britain. Sally of Workington. John. 2 William and Mary. In addition to the large bowl at Hanley, two other bowls of large size came from the Pennington factory, viz. [The Mars] in the Victoria and Albert Museum and one, in the writer's collection, inscribed Succefs to Trade and Navigation. From the same works came a small bowl inscribed, on curving scrolls ; upon the outside : Succefs to Trade and Navigation And may they ever in triumph Ride upon the surface of the Waves. Whilst two bowls decorated on the exterior, in polychrome, with exotic birds are also from the Pennington factory. These are The Emsworth 1757 and The Monmouth The following details as to decoration may be noted. Waves coloured green : Eagle Fanny. Prussian Hero Lucy. Monmouth Sally of Workington. John. William and Mary, c Names of ships upon labels : Prussian Hero Nancy (Cupid's head beneath). Monmouth Fanny. WilTiamand Mary, c Dobson Liverpool Privateers, Captured between 1756 and Captured 1778.

6 Liverpool Delft Ship-Bowls. 117 Fazackerly polychrome flowers : William and Mary, c Sally of Workington. The following four bowls, having linear waves, appear to be by one artist in the Pennington factory : Thomas and Hannah, Dobson Gainsborough Whitby Another group of three is by a different Pennington artist, the waves being broken into disconnected masses. St. Peter. John and Mary, plate. 1 Nelson King George. Coll. Dated bowls with inscriptions : 1. SUCCESS TO THE EAGLE D. 12 in. 2. Success to the Emsworth. John Shepherd Master xxxxx D. io - in. 3. Success to ye Prussian Hero D. io in. 4. Succefs to the Monmouth God Prosper The THO S and HAN NAH Where Ever She Goes Success to the Friendship 1766 D. io in. D. 9 in. D. g;i in. Victoria and Albert Museum. 7. Succefs To The Dobson 1770 D. 10 in. 8. John Brokelbank Master of the Gainsborough D. ioi- in Sucefs to the Whitby Inscriptions on undated bowls 1. Succefs to the Active Joseph and Elizabeth 2. Succefs to the Blundell 3. Succefs to the Expedition. Cap' Jackson. 4. SUCCESS TO THE FANNY 5. Succefs to the Felicity. Peter Atkinson D. 10 in.? Staniforth. D. roj in. D. loj in. 1 Another is in the FitzWilliara Museum, in the Glaisher Collection,

7 n8 Liverpool Delft Ship-Bowls. 6. Succefs to the George and William D. io in. 7. Succefs to the Great Brittain Safe may She Stern the currant of the Main With Great Succefs and Safe Return AGain. A. STAFFELL. D. 8. SUCCESS TO THE IOHN.. D. 9. Succefs to the King George n. io in. Ifreal lames Matter.. D. lof in. SUCCESS TO THE LUCY.. D. 9^ in. THE NANCY.... D. icj in. Succefs to the Nancy Rob' MOORE, Commander.. D. 12 in. Succefs to the S' Peter.. D. gj in. Succefs to the Sally... D. loj in, SUCCEfs TO THE SALLY OF WORKINGTON D. 8 in. SUCCESS TO THE WlLLIAM & MARY SUCCESS TO TRADE AND NAVIGATION And may They ever in Triumph Ride upon The surface of the Waves. Inscription on exterior Succefs to Trade and Navigation Succefs to the Africa Trade George Dickinfon Succefs to the lohn & Mary lohn Spencer (Plate). D. lo'i ill. D. D. Glaisher. Thompson. Glaisher. Hemming. in. in. D. 2o in. Hanley Museum. D. 9 in. Glaisher and The ships represented on these Delft bowls fall into four groups, which are as follows : Sloops. Emsworth. Brigs. Falcon. Sally of Workington. Eagle. King George. Four Masts. Lucy. Full-rigged Ships. Hannah and Thomas. Felicity. Nancy (Robert Moore). Gainsborough. John and Mary (Plate). The remaining vessels, except George Dickinson's bowl.