ceramics, timeline, 19th, century
Camel teapot , England, Staffordshire, about 1750. Museum no. 414/989&A-1885
White salt-glazed stoneware
Museum no. 414/989&A-1885
Given by Lady Charlotte Schreiber
The years around 1750 were extraordinarily creative and prosperous for the Staffordshire potteries. Potters responded to widening markets and changes in dining and drinking habits both at home and abroad. They developed new designs, materials and techniques.
Salt-glazed stoneware, of which this teapot is made, was one of the major product lines. It was remarkably tough and could be cast into complex shapes.
Man and woman dining outdoors, Germany, Munich, 1759–60. Museum no. C.21-1946
Man and woman dining outdoors
Made at the Nymphenburg porcelain factory; modelled by Franz Anton Bustelli (died 1763)
Museum no. C.21-1946
Bought with the Murray Bequest Fund
The work of Franz Anton Bustelli is distinguished by the elegantly contorted poses of his figures. He combines this with naturalistic detailing, angular drapery and abstract rococo scrollwork. This group, designed to be seen from all angles, must have been made as a centrepiece for a dining table.
Punchbowl with ship, England, Liverpool, 1765–70. Museum no. 3615-1901
Punchbowl with ship
Possibly painted by William Jackson
Tin-glazed earthenware, with decoration painted into the glaze and enamelled details
Museum no. 3615-1901
Punchbowls painted with ships were a speciality of the Liverpool potteries. Punch had been introduced to Europe from south-east Asia.
English potters had produced tin-glazed earthenware since the 16th century. It was later painted in the style of Delft pottery, as here, and so became known as 'delftware.'
Tea and coffee service, England, Staffordshire, about 1775. Museum no. 414/1155 to C-1885
Tea and coffee service
Made at Josiah Wedgwood's factory; transfer-printed in Liverpool by Guy Green (died 1799)
Creamware, transfer-printed in enamel
Museum no. 414/1155 to C-1885
Given by Lady Charlotte Schreiber
This selection from a Wedgwood tea and coffee service illustrates two of England's key contributions to ceramic history: creamware, a type of tough earthenware, and transfer-printing, an invention that revolutionised ceramic decoration worldwide.
Creamware was cheap, durable and well-suited to dinner and tea services. It was hugely popular between 1765 and 1820. Transfer-printing, perfected around 1750, enabled manufacturers to achieve high-quality decoration at a low cost.
Dessert plate of Catherine the Great, France, Sèvres, 1778. Museum no. 449-1921
Dessert plate of Catherine the Great
Made at the Sèvres porcelain factory; painted by Vincent Taillandier (1736-90); gilded by Jean-Pierre Boulanger (1722-85)
Soft-paste porcelain, painted in enamels and gilded
Museum no. 449-1921
Bequeathed by D.M. Currie. Formerly in the collection of Catherine the Great, St Petersburg
This plate is from one of the most expensive services ever made at the French royal factory of Sèvres. Comprising 800 pieces and serving 60 diners, it was commissioned by Catherine the Great of Russia. It was the first service made in the new Neo-classical style at Sèvres. Catherine herself closely supervised the pattern, and the plates alone were redesigned eight times before she was satisfied.
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, France, Sèvres, about 1788. Museum no. C.367&A-1983
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
Made at the Sèvres porcelain factory; Louis XVI modelled by Louis-Simon Boizot (1743-1809).
Museum no. C.367&A-1983
The use of biscuit (unglazed) porcelain for ceramic sculpture was a major innovation of the Vincennes and Sèvres factories in the 1750s. Sèvres biscuit figures were originally intended as dessert table decorations, but were also displayed in room interiors from the 1760s. They were more expensive to make than glazed and enamelled figures, as flaws in the modelling or firing could not be concealed.
Presented to Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore, India, in 1788
The Portland Vase, England, Staffordshire, about 1790. Museum no. Circ.732-1956
The Portland Vase
'First edition' made at Josiah Wedgwood's factory; modelled by William Hackwood (1757?-1839) and Henry Webber (1754-1826)
Jasper with black 'dip' and white reliefs
Museum no. Circ.732-1956
J.A. Tulk Bequest
Jasperware was the greatest technical innovation of the influential Staffordshire potter, Josiah Wedgwood (1730-95). It is a fine-grained stoneware, developed by Wedgwood following thousands of experiments in the 1770s, which could be stained a range of colours as a background for applied white reliefs.
Wedgwood's copy of the Portland Vase reproduces a Roman cameo-cut glass vase, which was then one of the most celebrated Classical antiquities.
Creamware jug and basin, England, Staffordshire, 1808–15. Museum no. C.44:1,2-2005
Creamware jug and basin
Designed by George Bullock (died 1818); possibly made at Enoch Wood & James Caldwell's factory
Creamware, painted in enamels
Museum no. C.44:1,2-2005
Purchased with funds provided by the Contributing Members of the V&A
George Bullock designed pieces similar to this for Napoleon's use in exile. The bold classical style is unusual for English ceramics of the time and is closer in style to silver and furniture of this date. This is because Bullock was not a traditional ceramics maker, but a furniture designer, sculptor and upholsterer.
Polito’s Menagerie, England, Staffordshire, about 1830. Museum no. C.128-2003
Lead-glazed earthenware, painted in enamels
Museum no. C.128-2003
Purchased through the Julie and Robert Breckman Staffordshire Fund
This mantelpiece ornament shows the entrance to a famous travelling menagerie. Although made of inexpensive earthenware, the elaborate moulded and painted decoration would have made it more costly than other pieces. It marks a high point in quality before Staffordshire potters began making cheaper, simpler moulded figures.
Thirty gallon jug, England, Staffordshire, about 1830. Museum no. 53-1870
Thirty gallon jug
Made by Bourne, Baker & Bourne
Lead-glazed earthenware, transfer-printed before glazing
Museum no. 53-1870
Given by Mrs Illidge. Formerly in the London showrooms of Messrs Neale & Bailey
Although not intended for use, this tour de force of Staffordshire pottery illustrates a typical product of 19th-century ceramics: blue-and-white, transfer-printed earthenware.
In transfer printing, a design was printed onto paper and then transferred to the surface of an unglazed pot. The technique transformed the Staffordshire industry and the market for cheap, earthenware pottery worldwide.
Plate, England, Staffordshire, about 1851. Museum no. 460-1851
Designed by A.W.N. Pugin (1812-52); made by Minton & Co.
Bone china, transfer-printed in enamels
Museum no. 460-1851
The pioneering Gothic revival architect, A.W.N. Pugin, designed this plate for the British ceramic firm, Minton & Co.
Their collaboration led to several innovations in ceramic manufacture and design. Here the plate is printed in solid areas of coloured enamels without lines. This printing process was developed by Mintons and was particularly suited to the flat patterns of Pugin's style.
Shown at the Great Exhibition, London, 1851
Alhambra vase, France, Paris, 1862. Museum no. 18-1865
Made by Joseph-Théodore Deck (1823-91)
Earthenware, inlaid with coloured clays and painted
Museum no. 18-1865
This vase is a faithful replica of a celebrated lustreware jar recovered from the Alhambra, the palace fortress in Granada of the last Islamic dynasty to rule Spain. Tourists visited the Alhambra in the early 19th century, sparking a craze for 'Alhambra' design. Théodore Deck was a leading French potter and designer. He worked in a range of oriental and historic styles.
Shown at the International Exhibition, 1862
Elephant coffee pot, France, Sèvres, about 1862. Museum no. 8055-1862
Elephant coffee pot
Made at the Sèvres porcelain factory; designed and decorated by Marc-Louis Solon (1835-1913)
Porcelain, with pâte-sur-pâte decoration and gilded
Museum no. 8055-1862
Between 1851 and 1915, nations from across the world competed in vast international exhibitions, where they displayed their country's products.
This coffee pot was made for the London 1862 exhibition. Like many such exhibits, it was designed to showcase its manufacturer's skills. The inventive design by Marc-Louis Solon features the pâte-sur-pâte technique, in which he achieved low relief by applying successive layers of liquid clay.
Renaissance-style ewer, England, Staffordshire, about 1862. Museum no. 8107&A-1863
Made by Minton & Co.; designed by Pierre-Emile Jeannest (1813-57); painted by Thomas Allen (1831-1915)
Earthenware, painted before glazing and with majolica glazes
Museum no. 8107&A-1863
Minton & Co. exhibited this Renaissance revival ewer and stand in 1862. Mintons pioneered the use of majolica glazes inspired by the Renaissance pottery of Bernard Palissy. The glazes are translucent and brightly coloured, and usually flow in broad areas of colour over moulded forms. Here, however, they are used alongside fine underglaze painting copying 16th- and 17th-century prints.
Hebe, Denmark, Copenhagen, 1871. Museum no. Misc.124-1921
Made by Bing & Grøndahl; modelled by C.O.A. Schjeltved after Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844)
Museum no. Misc.124-1921
Given by Her Majesty's Commissioners. Shown at the International Exhibition, London, 1871
This life-size sculpture is probably the largest porcelain figure ever made in a single piece. Hebe was the Greek goddess of youth and a cup-bearer for the gods.
The figure was modelled after a sculpture of 1816 by the Danish Neo-classical artist Bertel Thorvaldsen. The Danish firm of Bing & Grøndahl specialised in making replicas of famous statues in biscuit (unglazed) porcelain.
Jar with streaked glaze, Japan, Tsutsumi kilns, 1800–1900. Museum no. FE.15-1985
Jar with streaked glaze
Japan, Tsutsumi kilns
Museum no. FE.15-1985
This massive, dramatically streaked jar is typical of the rustic pottery made at Japanese regional kilns in the 19th century. The Tsutsumi kilns were located in the city of Sendai in north-eastern Japan. Their products have been much admired since the 1920s by followers of the Japanese folk craft movement.
Vase with goshawk, Japan, Ōta, Yokohama, about 1875. Museum no. 308-1879
Vase with goshawk
Made by Miyagawa Kozan, Makuzu kiln
Japan, Ota, Yokohama
Stoneware, with crackled cream glaze and high-relief moulding
Museum no. 308-1879
Japan's Meiji period (1868-1912) was characterised by a programme of modernisation that included active economic and cultural engagement with Europe and the USA. Ceramic production thrived under a new drive to compete with industrial nations in the West.
This vase, with its unusual high-relief decoration, was made for export. It was intended to satisfy an extreme strand in Victorian taste.
Vase with copper glaze, France, Paris, 1890–2. Museum no. 1613-1892
Vase with copper glaze
Made by Auguste Delaherche (1857-1940)
Stoneware, with a high-temperature flammée glaze
Museum no. 1613-1892
The glaze effects on this vase exploit the unpredictable results of high-temperature firing. Derived from 18th-century Chinese court porcelains, such glazes were difficult to reproduce and their recreation acquired an almost mythic status.
Auguste Delaherche's choice of utilitarian stoneware as a material for artistic expression represented a radical departure, and was inspired by regional French and Japanese pottery.
Dancer, France, Sèvres, Designed 1898, dated 1904. Museum no. C.89A-1971
Made at the Sèvres porcelain factory; modelled by Agathon Léonard (born 1841)
Designed 1898, dated 1904
Museum no. C.89A-1971
With its flowing curves, this Sèvres porcelain figure captures the spirit of Art Nouveau. It was inspired by the sensational scarf dance that the American Loïe Fuller performed in Paris in the 1890s. Like many earlier figures of biscuit (unglazed) porcelain, it is from a set of table decorations intended to accompany dessert.
Jar with dragon, Korea, 1600–1800. Museum no. C.356-1912
Jar with dragon
Porcelain, painted before glazing
Museum no. C.356-1912
This jar, on which a scaly dragon chases a flaming pearl, shows Choson dynasty potting at its best. In 15th-century Korea, green-glazed wares had given way to white porcelain. Large porcelain pots were often painted with animal and plant designs in cobalt blue. However, when cobalt was scarce, brownish iron pigments were used, as here.
Hen and chick soup tureen, England, London, about 1755. Museum no. C.75 to B-1946
Hen and chick soup tureen
Soft-paste porcelain, painted in enamels
Made at the Chelsea porcelain factory
Museum no. C.75 to B-1946
Given by Stephen, 6th Baron Lilford in accordance with the wishes of his brother John, 5th Baron Lilford
Porcelain factories in continental Europe were often run under royal or aristocratic patronage. In England, however, factories were founded as commercial undertakings. They typically concentrated on cheaper wares.
The Chelsea porcelain factory was an exception. It frequently set out to rival continental productions with elaborate pieces such as this soup tureen, where the naturalistic design echoes Meissen's work.
Artist at his easel, France, Vallauris, 1954. Museum no. C.109-1994
Artist at his easel
Painted by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973); made at the Madoura Pottery
Tin-glazed earthenware, wax resist and decoration painted into the glaze
Museum no. C.109-1994
Allocated to the Museum in lieu of tax by the Secretary of State for National Heritage
Pablo Picasso produced a large body of work in clay at the southern French pottery of Vallauris from 1946. Imaginative pieces such as this vase had a major impact on ceramics in the 1950s. They offered an alternative to the oriental sources favoured by many studio potters and encouraged the use of painted tin glazes and sculptural work.
Grotesque bird, England, Southall, about 1887. Museum no. C.1151&A-1917
Made by the Martin Brothers; modelled by the Robert Wallace Martin (1843-1923)
Salt-glazed stoneware, with turned wood stand
Museum no. C.1151&A-1917
Given by Alfred R. Holland, Esq.
The eccentric stoneware of the Martin Brothers epitomises the energy and experimentation of the 19th-century art pottery movement. This jar, possibly for tobacco, illustrates the principle that pottery should be a means of artistic expression, rather than the result of industrial production.
The brothers drew on an eclectic range of sources. This piece may have been inspired by traditional English owl-shaped jugs with removable heads.
Unglazed vase, Spain, probably Guadix, 1872. Museum no. 981A to J-1872
Spain, probably Guadix
Museum no. 981A to J-1872
The potter probably made this complex vase to demonstrate his virtuosity. Essentially a container with nine cups attached, the design seems to follow a traditional form - a similar piece appears in a 17th-century Spanish still life.
Unglazed pottery was often used for water containers in Spain and the Mediterranean, as it permitted evaporation and so cooled the liquid inside.
The Music Lesson, England, London, about 1765. Museum no. 414/192-1885
The Music Lesson
Made at the Chelsea porcelain factory; modelled by Joseph Willems (1715-66)
Soft-paste porcelain, painted in enamels and gilt
Museum no. 414/192-1885
Given by Lady Charlotte Schreiber
Like the early French porcelain factories, those first established in England lacked the raw materials to make 'true' porcelains. Instead they made imitations, often of great beauty, known as 'soft-pastes'.
English soft-paste figures have a distinctive charm and character, though they often lack the crispness and glittering colours of German figures. The densely applied flower decoration here is characteristic of English taste.