Description:
English creamware coffee pot with a domed cover with a reclining flower finial with trailing leaves and beaded molding around the rim edge; over a plain pear-shaped body with a beaded rim edge; double-intertwined strap handle terminating in flower, bud and leaf terminals, ribbed S-shaped spout with acanthus leaves molded around its base and a rococo scroll molded to look like a serpent's head at the tip; and a beaded band around the foot rim. During Historic Deerfield's Creamware Symposium, April 26, 2008, Thomas Walford and Diana Edwards attributed this coffee pot to Swinton Pottery based on the cover and handle terminals. The Swinton Pottery was founded in 1745 on land belonging to the 1st Marquis of Rockingham, and was in business until 1842. The Pottery was little more than a country potworks, producing black-glazed (Jackfield-type) and slip-decorated wares in the Stafordshire tradition. However, in 1768, William Malpass (c.1722-1807) entered a partnership with William Fenney (c.1700?-1795), updated the pottery, and introduced the production of white salt-glazed stoneware and creamware. After Fenney left the Pottery in 1776 and Malpass in 1778, it was operated by Thomas Bingley (1757-1832) and Willoughby Wood (b.1732) until 1785, when James Green (1742-1805), William Hartley (1751-1808) and their associates who controlled the Leeds Pottery about 30 miles away took out a 21-year lease on the Swinton Pottery in 1785 which lasted until 1806. It is difficult to distinguish creamware made at Swinton and Leeds during this period (even beyond the normal copying of shapes and decoration by creamware manufacturers which makes attribution very difficult) since many of the same designs for classic "Leeds" finials, knops and terminals are found at both sites. To further complicate attribution, the Cox article, "Swinton Creamware and Pearlware c.1770-1820", shows a 1774 Swinton teapot which has a "rose" knop used extensively at Leeds; it is yet undetermined if both potteries purchased block molds for this finial from the same supplier or if the finial was first used at Swinton and later adopted at Leeds. Finally, John Brameld (1741-1819) and his sons were the last owners from 1806-1842. The teapot (HD 2006.33.48) has the same terminals although a distinct difference in the color of the body (much darker cream) from this coffee pot, and has been identified as probably Yorkshire, possibly Swinton. Anita Campbell shows a similar coffeepot found during excavation of one of the archaeological sites in Place-Royale, Quebec City, which included the original foundations of several houses where some residents had large creamware dinner services, and tea and coffee wares.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2006.33.51 |
