Pitseleh: Two New Collections

I would like to use this blog post to formally announce the beginning of a two new collections:

Flow Blue:

Jasperware by Wedgwood:

Image courtesy of Wedgwood

I love all things blue and white. That is well known. I have been collecting Blue Willow china for many, many years now and I already have quite the collection, which I use both to display as well as to eat off of. My collection has grown so large and complete that I have decided to start a couple of new blue and white ceramic collections. Though - just for the record - I will never stop collecting Blue Willow.

The blurriness of the pattern that is the hallmark of Flow Blue was either the accidental result of volatilizing chlorides left in the kiln during the firing process or an intentional method of camouflaging the seams created by the process of transfer printing that had become fashionable in 18th century England. At first, these pieces enjoyed great popularity in England, but as the English began to lose interest in the novelty of the blurred transfer, the manufacturers shipped the leftovers to America to be sold at low cost. Almost immediately, Flow Blue became the "china for the masses; the common man's porcelain." American copies were made and sold at an even lower cost, which essentially put the original English manufacturers out of business. More recently, Asian knock-offs have flooded the market. Genuine English Flow Blue can be quite expensive, because of the rarity of high-quality, non-chipped pieces and the degree of "flow" can affect the price as well.

Image courtesy of DeFina Auctions

Image courtesy of O'Gallerie

Image courtesy of Dargate Auction Galleries

Something that I did not know before doing (a second of) research for this blog post is that Josiah Wedgwood, of Wedgwood Jasperware fame, is commonly credited with developing the flow blue technique. Jasperware, unglazed stoneware with molded reliefs, was one of a string of major successes for Wedgwood and what the company is best known for today. Jasperware with a blue background and white bas relief is the most popular design (and my favorite), but the ceramics come in every color and vary from Greek scenes to florals to simple bands of pattern. Even in the blue and white category, there is a variety of background tints ranging from light, pale blue to a slate gray-blue to dark cobalt. I like them all.