Prattware Pearlware Pottery Plaque of Lions

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The Majestic and the Mundane: A Prattware Plaque of Folky Lions

This oval Prattware pottery plaque, dating from the Georgian/Regency … Read more The Majestic and the Mundane: A Prattware Plaque of Folky Lions

This oval Prattware pottery plaque, dating from the Georgian/Regency period (Circa 1800-1840), offers a compelling glimpse into early 19th-century English folk art and ceramic production. Measuring $8 3/4 inches long by 10\ 1/2 inches wide, the piece is relief-moulded with a striking depiction of two recumbent lions. Its aesthetic—a blend of sophisticated molding and rustic, charmingly naive painting—defines the unique appeal of Prattware.

Historical Context: The Rise of Prattware

Prattware refers to a distinctive type of English earthenware produced primarily in Staffordshire and Yorkshire between the late $18 century and the mid-19th century, named after the leading family of potters, the Pratts of Fenton.

Key Characteristics:

Color Palette: The pottery is renowned for its limited, high-fired, underglaze colors, typically featuring shades of ochre, orange, dark blue, green, and brown. The lions' folky blue dot decoration and bright orange manes on this plaque are classic examples of this characteristic palette.

Molding and Relief: Prattware often utilized detailed relief-molding to give texture and form to its designs, as seen in the clear definition of the lions and the raised, beaded border.

Subject Matter: While it included figures and jugs, flatware like plaques and dishes often depicted narrative, commemorative, or domestic scenes. The inclusion of lions speaks to the era’s fascination with exotic animals and heraldry, often interpreted through a naive or "folky" lens that was accessible to the working and middle classes.

The decorative approach—combining the formal relief with the informal, hand-painted floral branches—reflects a period when mass-produced ceramics were bringing decorative art to a wider market. The reference provided (Prattware, John and Griselda Lewis, Page 208) confirms this plaque's stylistic importance, noting a similar example housed at The Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City.

Symbolism and Style: The Folky Lion

In European art, the lion is a centuries-old symbol of royalty, power, and courage. During the 19th century in Britain, this symbolism was especially potent, representing the strength of the British Empire. However, the Prattware interpretation subverts the purely grand and formal depiction.

The recumbent posture of the lions suggests a relaxed, domesticated majesty rather than aggressive power. More notably, the use of folky blue dot decoration on their bodies transforms the imperial beast into a piece of charming domestic folk art. This style of spot painting is characteristic of Prattware's tendency to simplify and popularize sophisticated subjects, adding a unique, often whimsical, charm to a majestic motif. The surrounding floral branches further soften the image, creating a balanced decorative piece suitable for display.

This plaque, therefore, serves as a beautiful and robust example of how English potters translated traditional, powerful imagery into a distinctive, affordable, and beloved style of earthenware.

(Ref: NY7396-nurr) See less