19thC English W & R Carlton Ware Match Striker

Details

Description

A lovely example of a turn of the 20th century English Carlton Ware porcelain match striker. The piece features a … Read more A lovely example of a turn of the 20th century English Carlton Ware porcelain match striker. The piece features a center white, glazed well to hold wooden matches surrounded by a jasperware-type ring of white grapes and wines on a medium green gloss . The body is a textured sage green finish onto which one would strike the match and is visually grounded with a decorative wreath of matching grapevines at the base. This beautiful striker lends a soothing, elegant vibe to any decor.

The striker is surprisingly heavy for its size, perhaps as a way of countering any tendency to tip when struck or to ensure longevity of use in home or pub. That design decision was certainly was a success as this 100 - 130 year old match striker is amazingly well preserved with only 1 tiny edge chip on the inner rim, a shallow previously repaired glaze chip on the underside which is not seen when in use, and a small circle of faint discoloration (a fabrication flaw? sticker glue residue?) on one side.

The underside is glazed white with the fabricator's crown mark of W & R (Wiltshaw & Robinson) one of the earliest makers of "tinted faience", a technique of applying think layers of colored slip (liquified clay) to the exterior of a piece. Often this method was used to mimic the decorative aesthetic of jasperware, The company's crown mark was introduced in 1894 and discontinued in 1926, dating this piece to that period.

Excellent antique condition as noted above and shown in the photos.

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