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Covers, Mason
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English Hexagonal Ironstone Vases
Covers, Mason
s Ironstone or Ashworth
$8,500per set
£6,490.44per set
€7,389.60per set
CA$11,935.34per set
A$13,047.67per set
CHF 6,902.80per set
MX$156,136.29per set
NOK 87,828.24per set
SEK 80,397.87per set
DKK 55,195.72per set
About the Item
Eclectic Grandeur: Hexagonal Ironstone Potpourri Vases
Object: Pair of Potpourri Vases and Covers (Potpourri Jars)
Maker: Attributed to Mason's Ironstone or Ashworth (Staffordshire, England)
Date: Circa 1845
Medium: Ironstone Earthenware, Underglaze Blue Transfer, Overglaze Gilt
Dimensions: 22 inches high x 12 inches wide x 12 inches deep (55.88 cm high x 30.48 cm wide).
Mid-Victorian Fusion and Function
This elegant pair of hexagonal ironstone vases showcases the spectacular visual drama and eclectic taste of the mid-Victorian era. Decorated primarily in underglaze blue with scrolling peony and floral motifs, the pattern directly imitates high-quality 18th-century Chinese porcelain. This traditional blue-and-white print is dramatically highlighted with lavish gilded accents, transforming the quiet Eastern pattern into a bold, statement-making European centerpiece.
The form of the vase itself is a study in cultural and functional fusion. Its structure includes:
Chinese Iconography: The high, pierced covers are surmounted by intricate Foo Dog finials, traditional symbols of protection and good fortune in China.
European Classicism: The handles are fashioned in the form of stylized dolphins, a classical motif commonly used in Regency and Victorian decorative metalwork.
The combination of the durable, British-invented Ironstone body with these ornate global motifs made the vases highly desirable status symbols intended for the drawing rooms and sideboards of wealthy homes.
Historical Context: Ironstone and the Decorative Revival
These pieces are made from Ironstone China, a hard, opaque earthenware developed in the early 19th century by Charles James Mason. Ironstone's strength made it ideal for manufacturing large, heavily decorated objects that could withstand shipping and domestic use, positioning British potters to dominate the market for high-quality, imposing display pieces.
The vases' pierced covers confirm their original purpose as potpourri vases (or potpourri jars), which were functional items used in the Victorian home to hold scented dried flowers and spices, allowing the fragrance to permeate the room through the vented bell-form tops. This combination of size, mixed Eastern/Western motifs, and functional opulence perfectly represents the mid-Victorian revival of Chinoiserie and the luxurious scale of the period's domestic display.
Reference
Samlesbury Hall Anniversary Exhibition and Sale of Mason's Patent Ironstone China, 17th January–February 8, 1987, Lot 55 (For similar shape).
(Ref: NY10610-cirr)
- Creator:Mason s Ironstone (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 22 in (55.88 cm)Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)Depth: 12 in (30.48 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Early Victorian (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1845
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor structural damages. Small hairline in the neck on the back of one- see last photos.
- Seller Location:Downingtown, PA
- Reference Number:Seller: NY10610-cirr1stDibs: LU861041546742
About the Seller
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Description and Aesthetic
Medium: Porcelain with underglaze brown glaze and overglaze Famille Rose enamels.
Period: Qianlong (1736–1795).
Origin: Jingdezhen kilns, China, made for the European export market.
The collection comprises two large, two medium, and one small jar, intended to be displayed together as a garniture—a decorative set prized for mantelpieces and cabinets in opulent European interiors.
• The 'Batavia' Ground: Each piece is characterized by a luxurious, deep chocolate-brown glaze covering the exterior, a distinctive aesthetic known historically as "Batavia-ware" or descriptively as café au lait. This rich, monochrome ground was achieved by bathing the porcelain in an iron-rich slip before glazing and firing.
• The Famille Rose Reserves: The dark ground provides a dramatic backdrop for finely painted, leaf-shaped reserves (panels). These panels are adorned with exquisite floral sprays executed in the vibrant Famille Rose palette (meaning "pink family"), which was introduced to China from Europe in the early 18th century. The opaque enamels—dominated by the rose-pink created from colloidal gold—allow for subtle shading and realism, brilliantly depicting the peony (mudan), the Chinese flower of wealth, nobility, and honor.
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1. The Dutch East India Company (VOC): Batavia (modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia) served as the fortified administrative and trading headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Asia.
2. The Trade Route: Porcelain destined for the European market was collected from various Chinese ports and then centrally transshipped through Batavia. This particular style became famously associated with that major transit port among Western collectors, hence the name, which links the sophisticated manufacturing of China to the powerful trade infrastructure of the Dutch.
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The successful combination of the deep, rich brown glaze—which evokes a feeling of luxurious Eastern lacquer or polished wood—with the delicate, luminous European-inspired Famille Rose palette represents a brilliant convergence of East-West artistic demands at the height of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign.
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