Fig. 754.—Bristol Vase, belonging to Mr. Francis Fry.
Amongst the finest known productions of the Bristol works are the series of splendid vases in the possession of Mr. Francis Fry, F.S.A., to which I alluded in my account of Plymouth china. One of these is engraved on Fig. [754]; it is 12¼ inches in height, and of hexangular form. The landscapes are exquisitely painted, and it has well modelled female busts on two of its sides, from which hang festoons of raised coloured flowers. The other vases in Mr. Fry’s possession, one of which has a perforated neck, though differing in form, style, and ornamentation, exhibit the same excellence and skill in workmanship and in decoration which are so remarkable on this specimen. That these vases were painted by the same artists as the highest class of Plymouth china is very apparent to those who are conversant with their works. The birds are clearly “of the same family,” and the general style of decoration bears evident mark of coming from the same hands. They are not marked, and therefore a doubt very naturally arises as to whether they were made before the works were removed from Plymouth, and so brought as part of the “stock” to Bristol, or whether they were really made after their establishment in that city. They are, however, of a finer and higher quality than the marked Plymouth example, and therefore there can be no reasonable doubt that they are Champion’s production. Vases are distinctly spoken of in the evidence of John Britain before the House of Commons in 1774. He said “that he has great experience in several China manufactories, and has made several Trials upon all those which had been manufactured in England, and finds that all of them, except that of Bristol, were destroyed in the same Fire that brings the Bristol to Perfection. And he produced to your Committee several Samples of the said kinds of China, which shewed the effects upon china severally; and said, that they have not been able to bring the Bristol China to a marketable commodity, so as to furnish an Order, until within the last Six Months, but that sometimes they succeeded, and at other Times not, but that now they can execute any order. That they have lately made considerable improvements in the said Manufacture, and particularly are endeavouring to perfect the Blue, in which they have not as yet entirely succeeded, though they have now a Gentleman who has succeeded in a small Way, in which they have been at a considerable Expense; that the witness thinks the Manufacture is capable of further improvements; that they can afford it at a price equal to Foreign China of equal Goodness, and that they have made some Specimens equal to good Dresden; that he has not seen any Dresden ornamental China equal to the Vases produced to your Committee, nor any Thing in Biscuit equal to the Biscuit in those Vases, and other Ornaments; that the Gilding stands well; that the Seve China differs from this; the Ornamental is more of a Cream colour, but the Glaze is so soft that it will not bear using; that he believed the enamel of the Bristol China is as hard as the Dresden, and harder than the Chinese,” &c. Mr. Champion also spoke very markedly upon this improvement when he wrote these words; “Mr. Champion can assert, with truth, that his hazard and expense were many times greater than those of the original inventor. Mr. Champion mentions this without the least disparagement to the worthy gentleman, Mr. Cookworthy, who is his particular friend; he gives him all the merit which is due to so great a discovery; he deserves it for finding out the means of a manufacture, which will, in all probability, be a very great advantage to this country; but yet Mr. Champion claims the merit of supporting the work, and, when the inventor declined the undertaking himself, with his time, his labour, and his fortune, improved it from a very imperfect to an almost perfect manufacture; and he hopes, soon, with proper encouragement, to one altogether perfect.”
The vases under notice fell to the lot of Mr. Fry’s grandfather at the time of the close of the works, and have never been out of the possession of the family. They are therefore attested as coming from Champion’s establishment. In Mr. Fry’s possession is also a remarkably interesting “waster” vase of the same general form and character, which has apparently been spoiled by smoke in the kiln. This vase, I believe, was purchased by its present possessor from a family in Bristol, in whose possession it was stated to have been for seventy years. Other vases of equal merit, all said to be Bristol, are in the possession of Mr. Edkins, Mr. Nightingale, and Mr. Walker. Of services, and portions of services, many fine examples exist in various private as well as in the national collections. Many of these are of extreme beauty in design and of remarkably good workmanship.
Of these marvels of ceramic beauty Mr. Owen thus speaks:—
“Some of these are painted with exotic birds of brilliant colour and landscape backgrounds, delicately panelled. The design of others exhibits considerable ingenuity. One painted with Chinese figures in medallions has a pencilled ground selected with good taste from a natural object—shagreen, or dressed shark-skin—often chosen by the Chinese for a similar purpose; the hexagonal pattern of which has been felicitously used as a ground with singular success. There is such a similarity in the colour and handling when compared with similar pieces of ware bearing the Plymouth mark, that some of them must have been from the same pencil. One of these vases is of special character, with perforated neck. It is hexagonal, with landscapes exquisitely painted in monochrome,—two in lake, two in blue, and two in green on several sides with good effect. Besides these, Mr. Fry has another series that cannot be doubted are Champion’s, although they want the same undeniable evidence of having passed directly from the factory into the possession of his family. We engrave one of them that has a cover, Fig. [751]; it is so artistically identical in paste and glaze, touch and colour, with those preserved by Mr. Joseph Fry as to need no other voucher for its paternity. The same opinion may be given of a fine vase, Fig. [752], the property of Mr. J. E. Nightingale, The Mount, Wilton, with a strong additional argument in support of it—one side bears the same design enamelled in blue—the draw-well—that is painted on Mr. Fry’s vase, Fig. [754]. Mr. Edkins also has a Bristol vase, similar to some in Mr. Fry’s collection, though somewhat different in decoration. It is identical in form with Fig. [752], but without the modelled sprays and leaves. Four of the sides are painted with landscapes in colour, two others in blue monochrome, all exquisitely pencilled. The gilded border round the upper portion beneath the neck is a rich arabesque of elegant design. This is a charming example, in perfect condition. The vase engraved (Fig. [753]), is one of a pair, exquisitely decorated with birds and insects in panels on a blue salmon-scale ground. They are similar in character to Mr. Fry’s example, with a shagreen ground, already described. Some former proprietor has had them mounted in ormolu. The design of the metal work is rich and graceful, and in perfect harmony with the gilded arabesque borders, framing with panels. The height of all these vases is about twelve inches, and, with cover, sixteen inches.”
Figs. 755 and 756.—Bristol Bisque Plaques.
