Lidded Soap Dish
MakerMade by
William Davenport & Company
(English, 1835 - 1887)
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Sarah Maria Raymond
(American)
Dateabout 1845
MediumMold-formed buff-colored earthenware with a blue-tinted glaze, black underglaze decoration, and overglaze enamels in orange, yellow, pink, and green
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height including lid x width x depth of soapdish): 3 1/2 x 5 1/4 x 4in. (8.9 x 13.3 x 10.2cm)
Component (height x width x depth of liner): 1 1/8 x 4 1/2 x 3 1/4in. (2.9 x 11.4 x 8.3cm)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineGift of Mrs. R. B. Marean and Miss Ida A. Green
Object number1959.48.6a-c
DescriptionRectangular, buff-colored earthenware, lidded soap dish with a blue-tinted glaze, a type of ceramic known as pearlware. The soap dish is part of a larger partial toilet set, consisting of a washbowl (.1) and pitcher (.2), two matching pitchers (.3 and .4), a shaving mug (.5), a soap dish (.6a-c), a toothbrush holder or razor box (.7a,b), and a lid (.8). The entire set is decorated with a floral pattern and border. The naturalistic floral pattern consists of variously sized flowers transfer-printed in black beneath the glaze, with green, pink, and light orange enamel highlights hand-painted over the glaze. The remaining decoration consists of a scalloped border made up of a printed, underglaze, black, scalloped band, next to an overglaze, hand-painted, orange, scalloped band. This orange and black border is interrupted periodically by a group of elaborate scrolls of various sizes and widths and highlighted in green enamel. The scrolls surround a roughly diamond-shaped, scalloped-edge decorative element that is painted with light orange enamel. Finally, on all the objects in the set, the blue-tinted glaze has pooled around the printed decorative elements and raised or recessed portions of the ceramic's surface, giving the set a pearly blue and white appearance.
The soap dish consists of three pieces, the dish itself (.a), a pierced liner (.b) that hangs down about an inch from the inside of the rim, and a lid (.c). The dish (.a) is decorated at the foot with an uninterrupted black and orange border. The same border is repeated at the rim, but is interrupted periodically by a group of elaborate scrolls of various sizes and widths and highlighted in green enamel. Groups of flowers are printed and hand-painted between the scrolls and orange decorative elements on the borders. The flowers cover about two-thirds of the swelled sides of the dish. The pierced liner (.b) has one large hole in the center, surrounded by smaller holes. The rim of the liner, curved outward to sit on the rim of the dish, is decorated with an uninterrupted black and orange border. The lid (.c) is decorated in a similar manner as the dish, with the orange and black scalloped border interrupted periodically by a group of elaborate scrolls of various sizes and widths and highlighted in green enamel. Small groups of flowers are printed and hand-painted between the scrolls and orange decorative elements on the borders. The lid has two pierced holes and an oval finial that is decorated with a variation of the scalloped orange and black border.
Both the pierced liner (.b) and dish (.a) have crazing, which has yellowed on the liner only. The liner is also missing a corner at the rim.
The soap dish consists of three pieces, the dish itself (.a), a pierced liner (.b) that hangs down about an inch from the inside of the rim, and a lid (.c). The dish (.a) is decorated at the foot with an uninterrupted black and orange border. The same border is repeated at the rim, but is interrupted periodically by a group of elaborate scrolls of various sizes and widths and highlighted in green enamel. Groups of flowers are printed and hand-painted between the scrolls and orange decorative elements on the borders. The flowers cover about two-thirds of the swelled sides of the dish. The pierced liner (.b) has one large hole in the center, surrounded by smaller holes. The rim of the liner, curved outward to sit on the rim of the dish, is decorated with an uninterrupted black and orange border. The lid (.c) is decorated in a similar manner as the dish, with the orange and black scalloped border interrupted periodically by a group of elaborate scrolls of various sizes and widths and highlighted in green enamel. Small groups of flowers are printed and hand-painted between the scrolls and orange decorative elements on the borders. The lid has two pierced holes and an oval finial that is decorated with a variation of the scalloped orange and black border.
Both the pierced liner (.b) and dish (.a) have crazing, which has yellowed on the liner only. The liner is also missing a corner at the rim.
Status
Not on view
