Coalport Porcelain Trinket Box, Japonism, Birds by John Randall, 1865-1870

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Coalport Porcelain Trinket Box, Japonism, Birds by John Randall, 1865-1870

About the Item

This is a beautiful and rare trinket box made by Coalport probably between 1865 and 1870. It was painted with birds on their nest by the famous porcelain bird painter John Randall, and it is an exceptionally beautiful example of Randall's style in his later years of his long career with Coalport. The sides of the box are painted in a cobalt blue and gilt Japonism style. This is a true collectors’ item. Coalport was one of the pioneers of English china production alongside other great potters such as Spode, Davenport, Minton, Ridgway and others and they created very high quality tea and dinnerware. They were located in Shropshire, just over the border of Staffordshire, which was a major English porcelain centre. Coalport was a new town named after the canal that was dug in the late 18th Century to carry coal to the industrial “black country” of Staffordshire and the Midlands. The brothers John and Thomas Rose built their porcelain factories at opposite sides of the canal, John eventually buying out Thomas and this would later become the famous “Coalport” factory. John Randall was born in 1810 and trained in his uncle's decoration establishment, which was famous for decorating imported French wares in the Sèvres style, passing them on for Sèvres in the English market. He later moved to Coalport, where he spent nearly 50 years being one of Coalport's most celebrated painters. Apart from being a brilliant artist, he was also an amateur geologist and historian, wrote several books, and once his eyesight failed him, he spent the last years of life as the local Postmaster. Randall died in 1910 at the ripe age of 100, reportedly still a witty man with a bright mind. Michael Messenger perhaps best described Randall's genius as an artist, describing his earlier, more traditional style: "These stylised birds are fairly easily imitated, of course, but already one can detect the beginnings of a distinctive style: the stippled foliage and, perhaps even more significant, the almost three-dimensional effect of depth through the dark tones used in the immediate foreground. No less apparent is the suggestion of suspended animation in the birds themselves, even in stylised forms such as these." (Country Life, 5th July 1973). This tiny box consists of a box and a lid in the form of a cross. The lid has a spectacularly detailed painting of two naturalistic birds in their nest; one brooding the eggs, the other on the look out. The rims are set off with a white stippled rim. The walls of both the box and the lids are painted with white flowers and cobalt blue foliage, left out of rich gilding. The inside of the box is simple white glazing. A box like this is very rare; Coalport made very few of these items. This little box would make a wonderful addition to a Coalport or John Randall collection. The box is not marked. Condition report: Both box and cover are in perfect antique condition without any damage, repairs, crazing or significant wear; there is only the slightest rubbing to the gilt as can be expected from an item of this age. Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account. There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures! Dimensions: 7cm (3") x 5cm (2.75"), height 3cm (1 .25").

Creator:
Coalport Porcelain (Maker),John Randall (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 1.25 in (3.18 cm)Width: 2.75 in (6.99 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Victorian (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1860-1869
Date of Manufacture:
1865-1870
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent condition, no damage, crazing or repairs and only very light wear.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: A-COA1451stDibs: LU4805119504942