Ephemeral Beauty: A Bookmark from the Family Druggist

You must click on the image to see the larger picture since it's very attractive.  I insist.  

A chinoiserie-inspired scene on a celadon background, this antique bookmark mimics the look of the japanned objects and furnishings which were so popular in the mid-to-late Nineteenth Century while incorporating the “it” colors of the 1880s—minty green, rust, coral and umber.

It’s a dandy little thing. I love the color palette. If given this bookmark/trade card by my local druggist today, I’d surely save it and use it. I think its inherent loveliness is the very reason that it’s survived well over a century to end up in the collection of some guy in Texas in 2012.

EVERARD H. KELLEY, FAMILY DRUGGIST handed out these cards. I wonder if he liked his name. I’ve never heard the name “Everard” before, but you can rest assured it’ll pop up in "A Recipe for Punch" or some of my other projects. Mr. Kelley’s apothecary shop was located on the Post Office Block of Lawrence, Massachusetts. That’s not too specific is it? Well, I suppose if you lived in Lawrence in the 1880s that was as specific an address as was necessary. I’m sure everyone knew Mr. Kelley. I’m sure Everard was the president of some local organization—the Elks or the Loyal Order of Anteaters or, perhaps, he was a member of some group like one which we had here in my hometown in the 1880s—the ‘Possum and ‘Tater Club. Everyone probably knew him, and everyone probably liked him. I’ll bet the men thought he was “aces” and the ladies admired his taste and gentle spirit. Or…maybe he was a real jerk and everyone cringed every time they went to buy a Scrofula tonic. “You know, Midge, he’s bitter about his name. That’s why he’s like that.”

Either way, for some reason, this card has been preserved, and I’m glad it has because it’s awfully pretty. And, that’s the sort of thing I think about here in my house full of old paper.

Unfolding Pictures: The Emily Beauclerk Fan, 18th C.

Click image to enlarge.
Hand Fan
French or British, Eighteenth Century
Watercolor on paper leaf with ivory sticks and guards.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, a variety of hand fans were imported from the East into Europe. China exported a vast array of fans into England and Europe and, soon, the Chiense style became quite fashionable for hand fans. European artists strove to emulate these Chinese fans in order to keep local business going. This fan, made in the Eighteenth Century, probably comes from either Britain or France and is a clever take on the Chinese style which was growing in popularity at the time.

With expertly carved and pierced ivory sticks, the fan sports a paper leaf which has been hand-painted with a watercolor Chinoiserie landscape. However, instead of depicting the usual Chinese figures in Eastern dress, the men and women in the scene are show in fashionable European dress. Their faces, nevertheless, are meant to look Asian. One of the figures, a woman, is shown holding a paper fan with a floral pattern in pink which nearly replicates the flowers which have been painted on the reverse of the leaf. 

The fan was donated to the V&A by one Emily Beauclerk, its last owner.

Unfolding Pictures: The Emily Beauclerk Fan, 18th C.

Click image to enlarge.
Hand Fan
French or British, Eighteenth Century
Watercolor on paper leaf with ivory sticks and guards.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, a variety of hand fans were imported from the East into Europe. China exported a vast array of fans into England and Europe and, soon, the Chiense style became quite fashionable for hand fans. European artists strove to emulate these Chinese fans in order to keep local business going. This fan, made in the Eighteenth Century, probably comes from either Britain or France and is a clever take on the Chinese style which was growing in popularity at the time.

With expertly carved and pierced ivory sticks, the fan sports a paper leaf which has been hand-painted with a watercolor Chinoiserie landscape. However, instead of depicting the usual Chinese figures in Eastern dress, the men and women in the scene are show in fashionable European dress. Their faces, nevertheless, are meant to look Asian. One of the figures, a woman, is shown holding a paper fan with a floral pattern in pink which nearly replicates the flowers which have been painted on the reverse of the leaf. 

The fan was donated to the V&A by one Emily Beauclerk, its last owner.

Unfolding Pictures: A Pair of “Pen Work” Hand Screens, 1800-1825

Hand Screen
Wood, Pen Work, Lacquer
1800-1825
The Victoria & Albert Museum

As we know, hand screens (or face screens) served a dual purpose. Not only were they employed to protect a lady’s makeup from the heat of the fire, but also were displayed on a mantelpiece as decoration.


In the early Nineteenth Century, Chinese-inspired designs dominated the style of face screens which were made of wood, upholstered card or papier mache. This pair of wooden hand screens dates between 1800 and 1825 and is an excellent example of Pen Work.

Pen Work was often used to replicate the look of black Chinese lacquer with gilded adornment. Chinoiserie items were often quite expensive. Pen Work allowed for the look of these dear objects without the cost. All that was needed was a little skill.

The Victoria & Albert Museum

A scalloped, thin piece of light-colored wood was painted black, leaving the areas of the desired pattern unpainted. The pattern was filled-in with Indian ink and fine quill pen. Then, the entire screen was varnished. The unpainted parts of the wood would take on a golden hue which only became richer over time. After a few years, the finished product was almost indistinguishable from actual Chinese lacquer with gilt designs.

This technique was not just used in the making of hand screens, but was a staple of the decorative arts and furniture making. Such screens weren’t considered fashion accessories in the way that traditional folding fans were, but rather, were considered to be furnishings—part of the décor and usefulness of a room.

Figure of the Day: A Chinese “Pagod,” 1760

Pagod
Nymphenburg
1740-1760
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A “pagod” is, essentially, an idol. Here, we see a Chinese pagod of hard-paste porcelain and enamels dating to about 1760. The figure is the central piece of a table group of sixteen chinoiserie figures which was modeled by the great Franz Anton Bustelli for the Nymphenburg Porcelain Factory. The group also features figures of a priest, children and servants. Some are shown playing musical instruments, others are singing while some are shown bowing in worship.

The group was made during a period of great fascination with the orient. Meissen’s Kändler, a favorite of mine, began modeling chinoiserie figures in 1740 and the Nymphenburg factory followed suit.

Unfolding Pictures: The Chinoiserie Fan, 1760-70

Fan of Chinoiserie Design
French, 1760-1770
Mother of Pearl Sticks and Guards with a Vellum Leaf Painted in Watercolors
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Chinoiserie fan is an especially fine specimen of those made in France in the Eighteenth Century. Three vignettes are showcased in this complex design. The scenes depict Chinese fishermen, Chinese children playing on a see-saw, and Chinese children making music.

The images appear to be based on designs by Jean-Baptiste Pillement whose designs were published around 1758. In 1760, the year this fan was made, Robert Sayer incorporated Pillement’s designs into a designer’s source book, “The Ladies Amusement” which was meant to give painters complete scenes to use as a basis for their own works.

The fan leaf is mounted on a type of stick known by the French term “battoir” because their rounded, paddle shapes resemble battledore racquets or carpet beaters.  The leaf is comprised of vellum painted in watercolors.  The sticks are made of carved and pierced mother-of-pearl which also depicts Chinoiserie scenes.  These are inlaid with gilt and silver foil and adorned with paste stones.

Object of the Day: A Bookmark from the Family Druggist

You must click on the image to see the larger picture since it's very attractive.  I insist.  

A chinoiserie-inspired scene on a celadon background, this antique bookmark mimics the look of the japanned objects and furnishings which were so popular in the mid-to-late Nineteenth Century while incorporating the “it” colors of the 1880s—minty green, rust, coral and umber.

It’s a dandy little thing. I love the color palette. If given this bookmark/trade card by my local druggist today, I’d surely save it and use it. I think its inherent loveliness is the very reason that it’s survived well over a century to end up in the collection of some guy in Texas in 2012.

EVERARD H. KELLEY, FAMILY DRUGGIST handed out these cards. I wonder if he liked his name. I’ve never heard the name “Everard” before, but you can rest assured it’ll pop up in “Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square” at some point now. Mr. Kelley’s apothecary shop was located on the Post Office Block of Lawrence, Massachusetts. That’s not too specific is it? Well, I suppose if you lived in Lawrence in the 1880s that was as specific an address as was necessary. I’m sure everyone knew Mr. Kelley. I’m sure Everard was the president of some local organization—the Elks or the Loyal Order of Anteaters or, perhaps, he was a member of some group like one which we had here in my hometown in the 1880s—the ‘Possum and ‘Tater Club. Everyone probably knew him, and everyone probably liked him. I’ll bet the men thought he was “aces” and the ladies admired his taste and gentle spirit. Or…maybe he was a real jerk and everyone cringed every time they went to buy a Scrofula tonic. “You know, Midge, he’s bitter about his name. That’s why he’s like that.”

Either way, for some reason, this card has been preserved, and I’m glad it has because it’s awfully pretty. And, that’s the sort of thing I think about here in my house full of old paper.

Figure of the Day: The Pink Umbrella, c. 1773

Figure Group
Frankenthal, Germany
c. 1773
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made by the Frankenthal Porcelain Factory of Germany around 1773, this hard-paste porcelain figure group is the work of modeler Konrad Linck. 

The group, painted in enamel colors, depicts a Chinese man and woman. The man lies beside a tall vessel composed of overlapping palm leaves. His companion leans against this vase, shielding her face with a pink umbrella. The base shows Rococo influence with its relief mound of plants and cabbages.

To Project and Serve: A Meissen Sugar Box and Cover, 1723-4

Sugar Box and Cover
Meissen, 1723-1724
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This sugar box and cover would have been one small part of a lavish coffee or tea set.  Created by Germany’s Meissen factory between 1723 and 1724, the panels of the box are adorned in the delightful miniature Chinoiserie designed that were typical of the decoration developed by a new arrival at the celebrated factory, Johann Gregorius Höroldt.   

Johann Höroldt joined Meissen in 1720.  He was known as an ambitious young man (when he joined he concern, he was aged only twenty-three) who had been induced to abandon his position at a rival porcelain factory in Vienna with the promise of improving his fortunes at Meissen.

Höroldt was credited as developing a wide range of rich colors which were new to Meissen and he is known to have created a series of “Chinoiserie” figural designs which were adapted for use on a variety of different wares.  Later, Höroldt was rewarded for his hard work when he became an influential force in the Meissen factory's administration and management.  He died in 1775.

The box is designed in an octagonal shape, painted in enamels and gilded with Höroldt’s Chinoiserie figural scenes.  One depicts a man seated at a table, the other shows a man seated--holding a baby or a doll.  The cover  of this sugar box is of architectural form resembling the pointed roof of a pagoda.

The Home Beautiful: The Elephant Hall Chair, c. 1725

Hall Chair
c. 1725
Altered after 1762
This and all related images from
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A hall chair such as this one was made to give a waiting servant a place to sit without being too comfortable. They generally were arranged in the front hallway of a large townhouse or country estate. A footman would often spend hours waiting in the hall for his master to return home or even just to have a door opened. Still, even though such chairs were meant to be utilitarian and rigid, they were also expected to be stylish and handsome. Often, these chairs would display the arms of the owner of the home. 


This example, from about 1725, reflects the initial interest in chinoiserie. The lacquered backboard and seat-board were commissioned by a British furniture maker from a Chinese maker. The pattern for the coat of arms was surely sent out with the order. The individual pieces were shipped back to England where they were set into the carcass of the chair which had already been japanned in imitation of the Asian lacquer.

This chair reflects the complex patterns of trade and stylistic influence between Europe and East Asia in the 18th century. The lacquered back-board and seat-board were commissioned in Britain from China, and a pattern for the lacquered coat of arms must have been sent out with the order. The two boards could be packed flat to take up minimal space in the ship on its return voyage. On arrival they were assembled with the seat rails and legs, which were made in Britain and 'japanned' here in imitation of lacquer. Hall chairs of this type were fashionable in Britain in the 1720s-30s, and a number of similar examples survive. 

The original owner of this chair is unknown, as the original coat of arms has been altered. The existing armorial shield and elephant crest is painted in oils over the original lacquered arms. The existing crest is for Sir Herbert Pakington, Baronet, and his wife Elizabeth Hawkins. According to the V&A, “These arms must have been painted after Sir Herbert succeeded to the title in 1762 – a generation after the chairs were made.”

Unfolding Pictures: The Emily Beauclerk Fan, 18th C.

Click image to enlarge.
Hand Fan
French or British, Eighteenth Century
Watercolor on paper leaf with ivory sticks and guards.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, a variety of hand fans were imported from the East into Europe. China exported a vast array of fans into England and Europe and, soon, the Chiense style became quite fashionable for hand fans. European artists strove to emulate these Chinese fans in order to keep local business going. This fan, made in the Eighteenth Century, probably comes from either Britain or France and is a clever take on the Chinese style which was growing in popularity at the time.

With expertly carved and pierced ivory sticks, the fan sports a paper leaf which has been hand-painted with a watercolor Chinoiserie landscape. However, instead of depicting the usual Chinese figures in Eastern dress, the men and women in the scene are show in fashionable European dress. Their faces, nevertheless, are meant to look Asian. One of the figures, a woman, is shown holding a paper fan with a floral pattern in pink which nearly replicates the flowers which have been painted on the reverse of the leaf. 

The fan was donated to the V&A by one Emily Beauclerk, its last owner.

The Home Beautiful: A Dangerous Door Lock, 1761

Door Lock, 1761
William Walls
Presented to King George III, 1765
The Royal Collection

This attractive piece of hardware holds a deadly secret. Handsomely crafted of steel, brass and wood in 1761 by inventor William Walls, this lock features a charming Asian-inspired scene on its plate, and, more curiously, two pistols.


Yes, pistols. The lock was so designed that should it be tampered with or should someone try to open it without the correct key, bells (now missing) would sound and two tiny pistols would fire small bullets through the holes on either side of the keyhole. The barrels of the flintlock guns were accessible from the reverse so that they could be refilled and set in between shootings.

Though ingenious, the lock was not fool proof. In fact, the danger of such a device was the simple fact that if an unsuspecting innocent person should turn the proper key in the wrong way, or should accidentally fumble with the lock as one often does when in a hurry, he would immediately be shot for no good reason.

William Walls presented the lock to King George III in 1765. George III appreciated the lock as a scientific study, but it’s unclear whether or not the device was installed in any door. If it was, chances are, it was not set to fire.

To Serve and Project: The Minton Phoenix Dish, c. 1825

Click Image for Original Size Picture
Dish, c. 1825
Minton &  Co.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made at Minton’s Stoke-on-Trent factory, this porcelain plate is painted in enamel colors and adorned with fine gilding. Dating to about 1825, this oval plate features a high, shaped rim which frames the oval panel in the center which depicts flowering plants.

Two birds, based on Chinese paintings, adorn the plate. I’d guess they were meant to represent the phoenix. The sides come alive with panels of cloud ornament while the high rim is decorated with rosettes and a pattern of dots on a blue ground. Eight floral scenes punctuate the rim.

The 1820s, especially in England, saw a stylistic turn, a stylized nod to Asian themes, which found a comfortable spot in the home. Such Asian-inspired motifs adorned everything from porcelain to furnishings and offered an interesting counterpoint to the heavier, darker pieces which had long been in fashion. 

Her Majesty's Furniture: A Chinoiserie Settee, 1760-1770

Click image to enlarge

Settee
England, 1760-1770
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the mid-Eighteenth Century, wealthy English homes often featured pieces of furniture in the popular Chinoiserie style which was, at the time, associated with the work of famed cabinet maker Thomas Chippendale. Though Chippendale championed Chinoiserie, furniture in the delicate style was produced by a variety of furniture designers and makers. Chinoiserie saw a revival in the Nineteenth Century during which, between 1850 and 1900, a host of newer pieces were created using Eighteenth Century designs as models.

The piece pictured above, a settee, is likely to have been built during the earliest rise of the Chinoiserie look, perhaps sometime between 1760 and 1770. Since this settee has been made in one of the more prolific designs of the Nineteenth Century, some historians suggest that it’s a later piece. However, the carving and construction all point to Eighteenth Century creation.

The two-chair-back settee is made of carved mahogany, and features open arms and an upholstered seat raised on six square legs. The two raked chair backs boast one wide and two narrow panels of open fretwork which are framed by moderately splayed back stiles and a top rail carved with blind fret and a pierced pagoda cresting.

The Home Beautiful: Chinese Wallpaper, c. 1810-1830

Wallpaper
China, c. 1810-1830
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Alive with the colors of ripe fruits, flowers and birds, this wallpaper was made between 1810 and 1830 in Guangzhou, China. This was part of a set of exotic wallpapers which was designed for export to Europe to satisfy the growing demand at the time for Chinoiserie. Though this Asian-inspired style enjoyed new popularity in the early Nineteenth Century, the export of this kind of hand-painted wallpaper wasn’t new. The first painted papers exported to Europe from China arrived in the 1690s. Chinese craftsmen purposely included European ideals and fashions into their papers—combining their native styles with themes which they knew would appeal to European tastes and fashions. 

Figure of the Day: A Chinese Man and Boy, c. 1766

Figure Group
Germany, 1766
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Ludwigsburg, Germany, this figure group is meant to depict an East Asian man and boy. However, their costumes owe more to European fancy dress than they do actual Asian garments. Created in 1766, this work of hard-paste porcelain painted with enamels and gilding, this piece is one of the early nods to Chinoiserie that made the style so popular.

The bottom of the piece shows an incised mark of “Elbs” which serves to record the name as the workmaster.  The figures were modeled by Joseph Anton Weinmüller (born 1743 - died 1812).  

Unfolding Pictures: The Chinoiserie Fan, 1760-70

Fan of Chinoiserie Design
French, 1760-1770
Mother of Pearl Sticks and Guards with a Vellum Leaf Painted in Watercolors
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Chinoiserie fan is an especially fine specimen of those made in France in the Eighteenth Century. Three vignettes are showcased in this complex design. The scenes depict Chinese fishermen, Chinese children playing on a see-saw, and Chinese children making music.

The images appear to be based on designs by Jean-Baptiste Pillement whose designs were published around 1758. In 1760, the year this fan was made, Robert Sayer incorporated Pillement’s designs into a designer’s source book, “The Ladies Amusement” which was meant to give painters complete scenes to use as a basis for their own works.

The fan leaf is mounted on a type of stick known by the French term “battoir” because their rounded, paddle shapes resemble battledore racquets or carpet beaters.  The leaf is comprised of vellum painted in watercolors.  The sticks are made of carved and pierced mother-of-pearl which also depicts Chinoiserie scenes.  These are inlaid with gilt and silver foil and adorned with paste stones.

Mastery of Design: The Joseph Gold and Mother-of-Pearl Box, 1749-50

Box of Gold with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay
1749-1750
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This box—possibly made to hold snuff—is crafted of gold which has been inlaid with mother-of-pearl in a Chinoiserie design.  It was made in France between 1749 and 1750 and was imported to England in 1838.  

The box was a gift to the V&A from Mrs. Samuel S. Joseph.

Unfolding Pictures: The Chinoiserie Fan, 1760-70

Fan of Chinoiserie Design
French, 1760-1770
Mother of Pearl Sticks and Guards with a Vellum Leaf Painted in Watercolors
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Chinoiserie fan is an especially fine specimen of those made in France in the Eighteenth Century. Three vignettes are showcased in this complex design. The scenes depict Chinese fishermen, Chinese children playing on a see-saw, and Chinese children making music.

The images appear to be based on designs by Jean-Baptiste Pillement whose designs were published around 1758. In 1760, the year this fan was made, Robert Sayer incorporated Pillement’s designs into a designer’s source book, “The Ladies Amusement” which was meant to give painters complete scenes to use as a basis for their own works.

The fan leaf is mounted on a type of stick known by the French term “battoir” because their rounded, paddle shapes resemble battledore racquets or carpet beaters.  The leaf is comprised of vellum painted in watercolors.  The sticks are made of carved and pierced mother-of-pearl which also depicts Chinoiserie scenes.  These are inlaid with gilt and silver foil and adorned with paste stones.