Mastery of Design: The Davies Indian Necklace, 19th C.

Necklace of gold, silver, white sapphires, emeralds, pearls, rubies, rock crystal and enamel.
Northern India, Nineteenth Century
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in the Nineteenth Century, This North-Indian necklace consists of a double string of pearls and emeralds which support a circular pendant of gold and silver, set with rubies, emeralds, natural white sapphires and rock crystal.  The gorgeous pendant is enameled on the reverse.  The necklace closes with ties of silk covered with gilt silver metal, and is bound with strings of silk threaded with seed pearls.

Painting of the Day: “The Center of Attraction,” James Hayllar, 1875

The Center of Attraction
James Hayllar, 1875
Purchased by Lord Leverhulme in 1891 from The Royal Academy.
The Lady Lever Art Gallery, Liverpool

Apparently, Lord Leverhulme and Mary of Teck shared a passion for collecting. Each of them amassed huge collections of gorgeous objects and did so with a distinct purpose in mind. Queen Mary, it is presumed, did so in order to preserve Britain’s history through the Royal Collection. Lord Leverhulme did so because he thought he could use the images to sell soap. And, they did just that for him. After all, who among us—either in the U.S. or U.K.—hasn’t used Lever Soap at one point in his or her lives?


This painting from 1875 by James Hayllar fit in with Leverhulme’s love of domestic scenes as well as his good marketing sense. Genre paintings such as this were quite the fashion in the late Nineteenth Century. They appealed to a mass market and elicited thoughts of happy, healthy families. Perfect to sell soap! And, an attractive piece of artwork. This, like many others, was retired from advertising use after a time and given to Leverhulme’s wife to add to her collection. It remains part of the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Liverpool. 

Unusual Artifacts: A Brass Soap Container, 1750

Soap Container
Brass, once silver-plated, 1750
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Soap containers such as this globe-shaped brass example which rests on a small foot, sat on the well-appointed dressing tables as part of toilet sets of aristocrats.  These handy little vessels boasted  perforations which allowed the soap to dry. Usually such containers were purchased with companion pieces with solid tops which were designed to keep sponges damp.

This container shows traces of silvering, indicating that it once sparkled more elegantly than it does today. Brass coated in silver was a popular medium for such utilitarian items to avoid the cost of sterling—especially before the Sheffield plate industry was established in the mid-1740s.

Print of the Day: An Advertisement for Pear's Soap, 1900

Chromolithograph
Printed for A. & F. Pears Soap, Ltd., 1900
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From the V&A, we have this lovely chromolithograph which advertises for the trademark product of A. & F. Pears Ltd.—a transparent amber soap.  Pears Soap was marketed as being an  alternative to the  harsh contemporary soaps which had flooded the market at the end of the Nineteenth Century.

Andrew Pears founded the firm at the turn of the Eighteenth Century, and, in the mid-Nineteenth Century, the company took on a new partner, Thomas J. Barratt who was given the task of staving off fierce the fierce competition posed by the numerous soap concerns which had begun to flood the British market.

Barratt concocted a series of very expensive and original publicity schemes, the most famous of which was the adaptation of John Everett Millais' celebrated painting “Bubbles” as an advertisement for Pears Soap. Barratt also promoted popular art of the day through the pages of Pears Annual (published 1890-1921, and price six pence until 1915). Presentation plates like this chromolithograph were given as free gifts as a separate package with Pears Annual.  

The scheme aimed to link their product with the art and culture of the era.  The Annual and these free chromolithographs were meant to appeal to the middle and upper classes who would be able to purchase soap from A.F. Pears, Ltd. The prints were meant to be framed and displayed at home—reminding the homeowner of Pears Soap and giving the public the impression that Pears was always in fashion.  This example depicting a filthy child and a cute, dirty dog dates to 1900.  

The Art of Play: Child's Novelty Soap, "Smile and Cry," c. 1930

Scary Soap
Shaped Like a Baby's Head
Made by Norton's, England, 1930-39
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Who doesn’t love the gift of soap?  I remember, as a child, always being overjoyed upon being presented with the ever-so-thoughtful gift of soap—especially novelty soap.  I mean, really, what kid doesn’t just squeal with delight at the thought of washing with a nice, cloudy piece of soap in the shape of…SOMETHING…ANYTHING!  (Reading all these antique trade cards has awakened a new love of caps in me).  Now, imagine this—it’s Christmas (or Chanukah) and you’re atwitter, about to open a shiny present.  You tear off the paper and there it is!  Soap!  Soap shaped like a baby’s head!  Whoo hooo! Mama, run me a bath.  I’m gonna clean myself with a baby’s head!

Okay, soap was not a favorite gift.  It’s nobody’s favorite gift.  Even as a kid, I preferred diamonds, limited-edition paperweights and antique silver.  But, I do recall having been given novelty soap as a child.  I don’t recall exactly what it was shaped like, but I remember being given soap.  Who the heck wants birthday soap?

Nevertheless, the novelty soap business has been around for many years.  Some of it, even, has ended up in museums.  For example, here’s some creepy soap which dates between 1930 and 1939.  It’s in the V&A, and, yes, it’s shaped like a baby’s head.  Not, just any baby’s head, mind you, but a TWO-FACED baby’s head.  Shudder…

This child's novelty soap came as a set with a “flannel” (in America, a washcloth) and it is still set in its original box.  The soap is flesh-colored (ick) and depicts the head of a baby.  On one side it has a smiling face, on the other, it is crying (gag).

 
The flannel is made of white cotton with a looped pile.  It is machine hemmed in bright pink thread.   To make this all the more disturbing, the flannel was originally presented wrapped around the soap to give the effect of a baby's face looking out from its blankie!  Oh, for fun!

The box consists of taupe card covered with white paper printed in pink, grey and blue with designs of children, toys etc.   Pictures of toys = good times, I suppose.

This choice gift was made in England by Norton’s.  It remains to this day in pristine condition.  Do you know why?  Because NOBODY WANTS TO WASH WITH A BABY’S HEAD!

Sculpture of the Day: Falstaff in the Laundry, 1850

Parian Group
"The Merry Wives of Windsor"
Worcester, 1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Parian ware, as we know, is the unglazed development of biscuit porcelain. The medium became very popular after the Staffordshire firm of Copeland and Garrett introduced it in 1842 as a medium for busts, statuettes and reliefs.

Several different British pottery concerns marketed the medium under a different name but “Parian” remained the generic term after Minton used “Parian” to suggest Paros, the Greek island which supplied a lot the marble used for Classical statuary. Now, to be sure, Parian ware was not inexpensive, however, it was more cost effective than marble, and it gave households the appearance of owning a marble bust or figurine, previously only afforded by the very wealthy.

The Worcester firm, makers of the example we see pictured above, started their production of Parian relatively late in the game. After Worcester launched a range of Parian objects at the Dublin Exhibition in 1853, James Hadley (1837-1903), their chief modeler, created a host of new Parian objects, including the Shakespeare subjects of Lady Macbeth and King Lear. Meanwhile another Worcester modeler, William Boynton Kirk, produced a dozen figural groups based on characters from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

This Worcester piece, dating to about 1850, was most likely modeled by James Hadley (1837-1903) and shows the scene from The Merry Wives of Windsorwhen “Mistresses Page” and Ford humiliate Falstaff in retaliation for his amorous advances by hiding him in a laundry basket which Mrs. Ford's servants, naturally, leave in the river—as one does. The front of the base incised THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

Object of the Day: A Trade Card for Laundry Soap

Click on image to enlarge.

This poor lass. She’s being a helpful girl and helping Mummy with the washing. What does she get for her troubles? Animated clothespins attack her.

They crawl from every nook and corner of the room—bounding at her from all angles, above and below. They titter forward on their stick legs, their little crescent mouths pulled up in blank grins of hungry ecstasy. In an effort to make peace with her tormentors, the girl has allowed one to stand in her hand—its sharp little feet leaving splinters in her tender flesh. She smiles hesitantly, hoping to show them that she’s no threat. Meanwhile, a group of the monsters bathes in a box of Kendall Manufacturing Company’s French Laundry Soap.

One of the scoundrels naps on a washboard as his comrade tears apart a bug that it found in the grass. The girl—she has no chance.

Or, that’s how it seems to me. What do you think?

Attractively printed with a metallic gold background, this is actually a pretty nifty card. But, as many of these Victorian cards are, it’s a little bizarre. Still, if you think about some of the monstrous mascots that hawk their wares to us, we’re no better today.

White letters across the front of this custom-designed and custom-printed card read: 

KENDALL MFG. Co.
                  PROVIDENCE 
                       R.I. 

Let’s see what the back says. I’m sure it’s a truly unbiased and honest account of what this soap can do for you and your sad, tormented child.

The “French Laundry” 

THE BEST SOAP EVER MADE 

FOR ALL PURPOSES 

It is the Oldest Popular Soap in the market, 

Having Outlived all its Rivals. 

It has won its way into public favor solely on its merits and thousands 

of families who are now using it would not be without it. 

It is now offered in a 3-4 Pound Pressed Cake, 

as well as in the old style. Pound Bar for such 

persons as prefer it in that way. 

If you will give it one trial, you will never be without it. 

Kendall Mfg. Co. 

Established 1827 Providence, Rhode Island 

There’s some damage to the reverse of this card as it’s been, at one point in its life, glued in an album. I’d place it as having been printed in the late 1870s. 

Click on image to enlarge.