Early 20th Century Minton Blue and White “Blue Willow” Porcelain Cachepot
About the Item
- Creator:Minton (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 8 in (20.32 cm)Diameter: 9.75 in (24.77 cm)
- Style:Chinoiserie (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1900s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. The piece is in excellent condition for its age and use — no cracks or chips. Minor crackling beneath the glazing, but nothing that affects the pleasing aesthetic or structural stability of this piece.
- Seller Location:Richmond, VA
- Reference Number:Seller: AR1stDibs: LU2398315469962
Minton
Pottery is one of the oldest decorative art forms, and Minton is one of its historical masters. For more than 250 years, the English company was a premier producer of porcelain and ceramic wares. Its factory was known for detailed and brightly colored Victorian tableware, including dinner plates and serving pieces.
Thomas Minton founded the Minton factory in 1793 in Stoke-upon-Trent, England. It initially made earthenware but introduced bone china in 1798. When Minton died in 1836, the company passed to his son, Herbert Minton. The younger Minton was a savvy businessman with an eye for design. He introduced glossy majolica earthenware to the factory’s repertoire and hired skilled artists and designers like Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, boosting the company’s reputation.
In 1851, Minton debuted its majolica at the Great Exhibition in London. It became a royal family favorite and was even used to tile the Royal Dairy at Windsor Home Park. Minton majolica was also displayed on the monumental Saint George and the dragon fountain at the 1862 London International Exhibition.
Colin Minton Campbell, a nephew of Herbert Minton, took over the family business in 1858. He led the company to the head of the 1870s English art pottery movement. In the 1890s, French porcelain artist Marc-Louis Solon helped modernize Minton with his Art Nouveau designs.
Minton ceased operating as an independent company when it merged with Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd. in 1968. It was the end of an era, but not the end of widespread appreciation for Minton ceramics.
In 1982, the ”English Majolica” exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum featured 75 Minton pieces. When the Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its British Galleries in 2020, it included a display of three colorful Minton majolica bird sculptures. Minton pottery was also on display from September 2021 to January 2022, along with other English pottery, at the Bard Graduate Center’s ”Majolica Mania” exhibition.
On 1stDibs, find exquisite Minton serveware, decorative objects, wall decorations and more.
You May Also Like
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Wicker, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Porcelain
Vintage 1920s Decorative Baskets
Reed, Willow
Early 20th Century French Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Porcelain, Paint
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Porcelain
Antique 1890s British Late Victorian Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Pottery
Antique 1880s English Victorian Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Bronze
Antique Early 19th Century English Rococo Vases
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Chinese Tribal More Asian Art, Objects and Furniture
Reed
