Old Horse Amulets. Group 1.
Plate XLIII.
In regard to the bowl I am about to reveal a secret known to very few outside my own family circle. The bowl was given (not thrown) in with several other things I had bought, as it had a piece broken out. It is gaudily painted inside, and having the letter “N” on the bottom I determined to make the most of it. I had a wooden block cut, grooved to just fit the jagged edge when the bowl was on its side, and fitted with a back support which took in the bottom, then a piece of wire holds the bowl always in position. This is a bit of camouflage that has only been noticed by one collector visitor, and the bowl has often been admired. On the top shelf, [Plate XLI], you will see two teapots very similar in decoration, the practically perfect one is Newhall and soft; the other, without a handle, is Chinese and very hard. I bought the latter to demonstrate how nearly the English artist copied the Oriental, but the faces always give the show away; the fact is, you cannot make a Chinese mug out of an English face. When I bought this broken pot the following remarks were exchanged:
“I never thought anyone would be soft enough to buy that thing.”
“Ah! but I collect teapots without handles; then they cannot be broken off when they are used at home.”
“But how can they pour the tea out when it’s hot?”
“Pump it out with a strainer.”
“How?”