British Enamels.
It was not until the art of enamelling had been perfected at Lillè and other places on the Continent of Europe, that an attempt was made to produce similar trinkets and a few more important pieces, such as candlesticks and inkstands, in this country. The works established at Battersea by Mr. S. T. Janssen about the middle of the eighteenth century soon gained notoriety, and it was not long before the enamels made there were eagerly sought after. In addition to those articles mentioned, they consisted chiefly of tea-canisters, snuff-boxes, spirit labels, and patchboxes, the copper being coated over with an opaque white enamel, which was coloured over and then decorated with floral and other designs. Rose tint afterwards became one of the favourite ground colours at Battersea. Among the rarer examples may be classed inkstands and writing-table appointments. The inkstands usually include an ink-container, a pen-box, and a sand or pounce pot, for Battersea enamel inkstands were made before blotting-paper was invented, and the wet ink, chiefly applied with a quill pen, was dusted over with pounce to prevent blotting, and when dry the surplus was dusted off. The collector finds much to interest in the little patchboxes of enamel, of which there were many varieties. They remained useful when the fashion of wearing patches declined, for then they came in handy for cosmetics, salves, and pomades. These curious little boxes were frequently given by admirers and friends, as may be imagined from the mottoes and sentimental inscriptions upon them. Among the commoner varieties seen in a collection are little oval boxes on which are pictured two love-birds, sometimes accompanied by a bird's nest. Others will have imitations of needlework pictures, such as the fair ones worked in those days. Sometimes a little church is seen in the distance, and in the foreground a boy and girl exchanging love-tokens. "This gift is small, but love is all," is a favourite motto. "Virtue fair, manners sweet, Together in my fair one meet," are two oft-quoted lines, and another favourite verse is:
"If you, my dear,
Accept of this,
Reward the giver
With a kiss."
Some boxes, however, have evidently been the gifts of those who could only claim "friendship" or acquaintance with the recipient, for they bear such sentiments as "A token of my respect," "Accept this as a token of my esteem," and "Esteem the giver." Some appear to have been made for sale as place souvenirs, for they are inscribed "A trifle from Bath," or other town where they had been procured. Battersea portrait placques were made between 1750 and 1760, among the favourite subjects being the then Prince of Wales (afterwards George IV), the Duke of Cumberland, and statesmen, among whom Horace Walpole was evidently one of the most popular.
English enamellers in other places, such as Bilston, attained some fame, but the Battersea works held their own, and not only produced the trinket boxes and other toilet-table appointments referred to, but many useful sundries, such as spirit and wine labels, little trays, and the like. None of these, although beautiful indeed, equalled the French enamels in the delicate miniature paintings and scenes such as those produced by the celebrated French painter, Petitot, who gave much attention to the decoration of exquisite toilet boxes and trinket trays.
FIG. 90.—FINE ALTAR SET OF CLOISONNÉ ENAMELS (CH'IEN LUNG PERIOD).
XIX
MISCELLANEOUS
METAL
CURIOS
CHAPTER XIX
MISCELLANEOUS METAL CURIOS
Tobacco-boxes and pipe-stoppers—Snuff-boxes—Handles and Handle-plates—Horse trappings—War relics—Tiny curios—Replicas.
The collectable curios in metal include many which cannot be classified. They are isolated specimens of copper and brasswork representing some special household utensil or workshop appliance which, in the course of time, has become obsolete or has been superseded by more modern contrivances of other materials. Copper was almost exclusively used in works where acids and other chemicals prevented the use of iron until enamelled wares, aluminium, and zinc were available; but such workshop appliances are not usually very attractive, and seldom come within the scope of the collector except as museum specimens. Among the various sundry objects of interest, those mentioned in the following paragraphs are worthy of notice, especially as many of them are quite inexpensive, and can readily be obtained from curio-shops and occasionally picked up cheaply from cottages and farmhouses in out-of-the-way places.