Bowl (one of a pair)

1912-1932

Maker

Charles Allerton & Sons (1831-1932)

Measurements

3-1/2 in x 6-7/8 in (dia)

Materials

Glazed, enameled, and luster-decorated white earthenware

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation, The David Wilson Mansion, Inc.

Accession Number

1971.1492

Inscription

“Allertons / EST. 1831 / MADE IN ENGLAND” is transfer-printed on the outside bottom, along with “F” in pink luster on 1971.1492.1 and “X” in reddish-brown on 1971.1492.2, probably denoting individual decorators.

Provenance

Ex coll. Mrs. E. Tatnall (Mary Corbit) Warner

Comments

This small bowl, one of a pair, stands on a simple foot.  It is decorated in a range of bright colors—reddish-brown or russet, deep blue, green, and copper luster—depicted in simple motifs that modern collectors have come to call “Gaudy Welsh.”  They are similar to “Gaudy Dutch,” another modern collectors term, although these are darker and incorporate pink and gold luster decoration.  Although much has been written about the origins of and markets for Gaudy Welsh, those narratives generally do not embody the level of historical accuracy and evidence detailed in the many studies of Staffordshire potters and potteries.

The pottery company was started by Charles Allerton (d. 1863) and continued by his sons and grandsons under various names until 1912, when it was operated as Allertons under another owner.