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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.
talks and publications
Fair, Lauren. 2018. “Shedding Light on the Colors of Staffordshire Figures.” In The Staffordshire Figure Association Newsletter (Fall 2018): 20-23.
Fair, Lauren, and Jennifer Mass. 2013. “Polychrome Decoration on Staffordshire Figures: Identification of a new enamel colourant and underglaze oxide.” In Recent Advances in Glass, Stained-Glass, and Ceramics Conservation 2013. Pre-prints of the ICOM-CC Glass and Ceramics Working Group Interim Meeting and the Forum of the International Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Stained Glass, Amsterdam, NL, 7–10 October 2013, edited by Hannelore Roemich and Kate van Lookeren Campagne, 281-293. ICOM Committee for Conservation.
Fair, Lauren, and Jennifer Mass. 2013. “Polychrome Decoration on Staffordshire Figures: The identification of a new enamel colorant and underglaze oxide recipes using technical analysis.” In Ars Ceramica 29: 6-39.
Fair, Lauren. 2012. "Under, Over, and In the Mix: A practical guide to telling the difference between types of polychrome decoration on English earthenware figures." Poster presented at Connecting to Conservation: Outreach and Advocacy, the 2012 AIC Annual Meeting.
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.)
Fair, Lauren, and Jennifer Mass. 2013. “Polychrome Decoration on Staffordshire Figures: Identification of a new enamel colourant and underglaze oxide.” In Recent Advances in Glass, Stained-Glass, and Ceramics Conservation 2013. Pre-prints of the ICOM-CC Glass and Ceramics Working Group Interim Meeting and the Forum of the International Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Stained Glass, Amsterdam, NL, 7–10 October 2013, edited by Hannelore Roemich and Kate van Lookeren Campagne, 281-293. ICOM Committee for Conservation.
Fair, Lauren, and Jennifer Mass. 2013. “Polychrome Decoration on Staffordshire Figures: The identification of a new enamel colorant and underglaze oxide recipes using technical analysis.” In Ars Ceramica 29: 6-39.
Fair, Lauren. 2012. "Under, Over, and In the Mix: A practical guide to telling the difference between types of polychrome decoration on English earthenware figures." Poster presented at Connecting to Conservation: Outreach and Advocacy, the 2012 AIC Annual Meeting.
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.)