Early 19th Century Castleford-Type White Stoneware Coffeepot, Blue Lined, English Regency

Details

Description

Castleford-Type White Stoneware Coffeepot, Blue Lined, English Regency
England, circa 1820

A tall, architectural white stoneware coffeepot with the kind … Read more Castleford-Type White Stoneware Coffeepot, Blue Lined, English Regency
England, circa 1820

A tall, architectural white stoneware coffeepot with the kind of quiet confidence that carries a whole shelf. The body is boldly reeded around its lower half, steps in at the shoulder, and rises to a high domed cover with a fluted crown and a small button finial. Every structural line is drawn in cobalt blue enamel, and two bands of crisp relief ornament — a repeating palmette under a foliate arch — run around the neck and the cover, with a molded rope-twist between them picked out in blue.

The material is what makes it: a hard white stoneware fired with feldspar and given only a whisper of glaze, so the molding stays sharp and the surface keeps a soft, matte, almost marble-like finish rather than a shine. It reads as neoclassical and as modern at the same time, which is why it sits so easily with contemporary pieces.

At thirteen inches it is a genuine statement object. Try it alone on a kitchen island or open shelving against a dark cabinet color, on a sideboard flanked by plain white ironstone, or on a hall or library table where the blue lines can pick up a rug or a stack of blue-bound books. It is also a natural anchor for a blue-and-white grouping without being blue-and-white itself. Best kept as a decorative piece rather than in service.

Dimensions
Height: 13 inches (33 cm)
Width: 12 inches (30.5 cm)

Condition
The coffeepot is in good antique condition, with typical light wear to the blue enamel lines.

A Little History
Wares like this are called Castleford-type after the Castleford Pottery in Yorkshire, run by David Dunderdale & Co. from 1790 to 1821, which became famous for white feldspathic stoneware. Several other potteries in Yorkshire and Staffordshire made the same thing, and most pieces — including this one — were never marked, so the whole class carries the Castleford name. Nearly all of what survives is teapots and their matching jugs and sugar bowls; a coffeepot on this scale is a good deal harder to find.

(Ref: NY08367-cmm) See less