a charming Staffordshire pearlware cup dating from 1800-1810 with a staple repair to the handle. the cup bears a label on the base " bill dick collection, 3628 "
105mm diameter x 70mm high
bill dick, a Chartered Accountant by profession, was a serious collector. A chance purchase of a decorative plate in the middle 1970s led to a 40 year obsession with antique Spode. He was a long-standing member of both the Spode Society and Northern Ceramics Society, contributing articles to their journals and giving talks on his collection. He travelled the country searching out rare pieces and was well-known to auctioneers, traders and academics alike. Bill specialised in early 19th century blue and white, but also loved decorative ware and unique shapes and patterns.
not only is this an early example of a Staffordshire pearlware cup, it has an old and unique repair. the metal staple repair to the handle of the cup gives the piece a charming folk art appeal, the cup has its own personality, the repair gives us an insight into its history and the importance and value the owner held for it, the beauty is found because of the break and the subsequent repair, not in spite of it. The "scars and metal repair" are a testament to the object's history and resilience.
the use of staples to repair broken ceramics originated in china and was later adopted in england in the 18th century for the repair of important and valuable pottery, becoming widely used in the 19th century, the process dying out with the introduction of suitable adhesives.
