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Antique Aesthetic Movement 9 Dinner Plates 'Perak' By James Beech, Swan Works

Stock No

11323

Member since
2010

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Item Description

Antique Aesthetic Movement earthenware dinner plates, a set of 9 in the `Perak` design, brown transferware by James Beech, Swan Works Factory, 1880`s, English.

This set of 9 antique plates have been gently cleaned while respecting the aged patina and are ready to use.

It is fortunate to have a set of 9 earthenware dinner plates nearly 150 years old. In this `Perak` design the complex collection of exotic images are helped by the neutral white & chocolate brown tones. The look of the brown transferware plays right into today`s `Cottagecore` aesthetic & neutral colour trends. They could be used as dinner plates or placed on a wall,  would complement a range of interiors such as Antique, Arts & Crafts, Traditional, Country, Hollywood Regency or Contemporary.

This antique plates are in the Aesthetic Movement style which flourished in Britain between 1860-1900. This was an Art Movement of diverse artists who collectively believed art should provide refined sensuous pleasure, rather than convey `Victorian` moral messages. Art only needed to be beautiful and this could be achieved through suggestion, sensuality & symbolism.

`Perak` is the pattern name and also the name of a state in Malaysia. Since the pattern pictures inserts are of various Southeast Asian scenes, the area may have been the inspiration for the pattern. In this design there are three cartouches containing: flowers, a quiet secretive buildings and a Malaysian sailboat on a mountain lake. In the background there are flowers, leaves and sunbursts. Along the rim there is a wonderful geometric design.

Looking at the underside these plates are all marked with the pattern name `Perak` and the Swan trademark containing `JB`. James Beech was a partner in Beech, Hancock & Co., which operated Swan Bank Pottery in Burslem, Staffordshire, England from 1851. James Beech became the sole proprietor of the business in 1877 and operated Swan Bank Works under his own name `JB` from 1877 to 1889.
 
Earthenware is fired at a lower temperature than Stoneware and Porcelain, it readily absorbs water if not glazed, and does not allow light to pass through it. To overcome its porosity the fired object is covered with finely ground glass powder suspended in water and is then fired a second time. During the firing, the fine particles covering the surface fuse into an amorphous, glasslike glossy layer.
 
This set of nine plates is in good condition for their age. They all have antique patina and some age discoloration in places, rubbing and crazing but no major chips or scratches, the glaze finish still very glossy. Four plates have minor hairlines (two hardly noticeable) and one plate has a couple of very tiny nibbles around the trim. All in line with age & wear as expected for an antique piece.
 
Packing is offered free of charge. We take special professional care while packing. For safe transport the plates would be wrapped separately in bubble wrap, foam and an outer layer of card. Together these items would easily fit into a box with loose fill packing nuts, safe for posting with a courier. We ship with reliable couriers (signed for, tracked & insured).
 
MAIN DELIVERY CHARGES:
 
Within London UK: £ Free
UK Mainland: £ Free
European Union: £ 95
United States/Canada: £ 175
Japan: £ 225
Australia: £ 300
Rest of the World please enquire.
 
TRANSFER PRINTING HISTORY
 
Transfer printing as a decorative technique was developed in England, in the mid-18th century. The process starts with an engraved copper plate which is used to print the pattern on tissue paper. Then the tissue transfers the wet ink to the ceramic surface. The ceramic is then fired in a low-temperature kiln to fix the pattern. The process produces fine lines similar to the engraved prints in old books. Before transfer printing ceramics were hand painted, a laborious and costly process.
 
AESTHETIC MOVEMENT HISTORY
 
The Aesthetic Movement in Britain covered the period of 1860 to 1900. Artists designed to escape the Industrial Revolution Age, by concentrating instead on producing art that was beautiful rather than having a deeper meaning: `Art for Art`s sake`. These new bohemian Aesthetic artists included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, Christopher Dresser & Frederic Leighton.
 
The Aesthetic Movement initiated extensive artistic & design changes. Its eclecticism, modern concepts of middle-class lifestyle and domestic environment prepared the way for the art movements of the 20th Century, resonating even into our own time.

 

Item Info

Seller

ROOMSCAPE

Seller Location

London, London

Item Dimensions

H: 25.8cm W: 25.8cm D: 2.6cm

Period

1880's ca, English

Item Location

United Kingdom

Seller Location

London, London

Item Location

United Kingdom

Seller Contact No

+44 (0)795 6645492

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