a large antique sunderland purple lustre jug with a single staple repair.
height 190mm
the jug is transfer printed with the sailors return, the mariners compass and a verse.
Sunderland lustre is a type of pottery, primarily dating from the 19th century, known for its iridescent metallic like glaze often in pink, orange, yellow and sometimes purple or violet hues. It features transfer-printed decorations of local landmarks like the Wearmouth Bridge, ships, and mining scenes, nostalgic scenes such as the sailors return and the sailors farewell and poetic verses, which were then overpainted. The term is now used to describe any lustre pottery from the region, regardless of the exact place of manufacture.
purple or violet sunderland lustre jugs were primarily made at the Newall pottery in general Sunderland lustre jugs were made by several potteries in the North East of England, with prominent makers including Dixon & co., Anthony scott and carr and patton. other potteries involved in their production were scott, ball, garrison pottery, maling and dawson.
the jug has a very old and at the time costly metal staple repair to the neck of the jug, the repair gives the jug an even more charming appeal, it has its own unique 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 stitches" 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.
