Figs. 406 to 415.
“The other decorations in relief are the basket pattern, overlapping leaves, vertical bands overlaid with scrolls, ribbed cups and basins, a biscuit candlestick in form of a vine-leaf, another of different pattern painted blue. In this extensive collection we find milk-pots, cups, cans, and saucers, open-work baskets, octagon plates, cup-handles, lion’s-paw feet, small pots for colour or rouge; but not a single piece has any mark which can be assigned to the fabrique. One of the cups has the name of ‘Norman’ written on it in pencil—perhaps the name of one of the painters. Among other relics are pieces which have been injured in the kiln by falling into ugly and distorted shapes, plates and saucers that have inadvertently gone in contact with each other and could not be separated.
“There is a great variety of china biscuit knife-handles, some plain, others with rococo scrolls in relief, heightened with blue; two specimens are here given (Figs. [414 and 415]).
Fig. 416.
“Some few pieces of an ornamental character are among the débris. The foot of a salt-cellar beautifully modelled in biscuit, formed of three shells, with smaller shells and seaweed between; the upper shell, to hold the salt, is wanting. A sketch of it is here given (Fig. [413]). To these may be added the foot of a large centre ornament of the same character as the last, to hold sweetmeats, also modelled by hand in shells of all sorts, rock-work, coral, seaweed, &c., with three escalop shells: this has had one or more tiers above, but broken off at stem. Some natural shells were found which served as copies. There are two pug-dogs nearly perfect, with collars, on which are roses. Two handles, in form of female heads, in high relief, for tureens and other large bowls (Fig. [416]); and a man’s head, with a high cap and feather, nicely modelled (Fig. [417]); also the body of a female figure in biscuit, with laced bodice.
“The Bow paste is exceedingly hard, and the fracture very close and compact; consequently the pieces, as a rule, are very heavy for their size, but many of the cups and saucers are almost of egg-shell thickness. The colour is a milky white.”
Fig. 417.