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From 2010-2011 I completed a yearlong post-graduate fellowship at Winterthur, funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. The aim of the fellowship was to study polychrome enamel technology developed in the Staffordshire potteries at the height of production in the 18th-19th centuries. While enamels on porcelain (Asian, Continental European) had been subject of in-depth research and technical study, English enamels had never before been given the same scrutiny.
For the basis of my research, I used Winterthur's collection of Staffordshire figures, the largest of its kind in an American museum and representing all types of decoration used at Staffordshire, including colored slips, glazes, under- and over-glaze enamels. After first conducting a survey on the entire collection and completing extensive research that included consulting historical enamel recipes and other technical studies, I then carried out analysis (XRF, Raman, SEM-EDS) on a representative group of figures in the collection. |
Staffordshire figure of Purity, c. 1790-1810, lead-glazed earthenware (pearlware) with polychrome overglaze enamels, 73 cm x 25.4 cm x 25.4 cm, Winterthur 2002.0030.097 (Courtesy of Winterthur Museum)
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The results of my research pointed to distinct differences between English enamel technologies and those happening at the same time in other parts of Europe, such as Germany (Meissen), France (Sèvres), and Austria (du Paquier). Probably the most exciting finding was a previously unknown compound that Staffordshire enamelists used to create the vibrant orange that is distinctly unique to Staffordshire enameled earthenwares.
This research is published in the conference proceedings of the ICOM-CC Glass and Ceramic Working Group's 2013 interim meeting in Amsterdam (click to view paper), as well as in the 29th volume of Ars Ceramica (click to view paper).
I invite you to view the slides below, which is what I presented in Amsterdam in 2013. (Please note that the slides are best viewed on a screen larger than a standard smart phone.)
I invite you to view the slides below, which is what I presented in Amsterdam in 2013. (Please note that the slides are best viewed on a screen larger than a standard smart phone.)