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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



May, 1913 



Lustre- Ware pitchers, purple and pink decoration 



rivaled. Signed pieces by this artist date back to 15 19-1537. district of England 



Among the present day lustre, the rarest is the silver 

 tinted, though the Rose-spotted Sunderland is a close sec- 

 ond and brings a larger price. Even in England the silver 

 lustre, which was at one time extensively manufactured, 

 brings a high sum of money, and is exceedingly scarce. It 

 has been superseded by a cheaper process which gives more 

 durable results. Dealers and collectors in vain hunt for 

 choice pieces, although willing to give prices which would 

 have astonished the original makers of this ware. The body 

 is earthenware, brown or white, covered with a solution of 

 platinum. This mineral was discovered in 1741, being 

 used by the Staffordshire potters and more largely still by 

 the craftsmen in the extensive pot-works at Preston-Pans. 



Originally the silver class 

 was simply a cheap and glit- 

 tering imitation of that metal 

 and silvered both inside and 

 out to hide the deception of 

 its extreme limit. Mugs, 

 bowls and tea-sets were gen- 

 erally treated in that way. 

 Later, when they had be- 

 come better known and peo- 

 ple had found out the sham, 

 the exterior of the pieces 

 only were silvered, although 

 the coloring was used in 

 decorations, patterns and 

 bands and occasionally com- 

 bined with gold. 



Silver lustre was first 

 manufactured by one John 

 Gardner, when he was in the 

 employ of Mr. Wolfe, of 

 Stoke. Many followers suc- 

 ceeded him, among whom 

 were G. Sparkes, of Slack 

 Lane, and John Ainsley at 

 Lane's End. Since 1804 it 

 has been made with varied 

 success through the whole 



Gold Lustre-Ware pitcher 



The finest kind was made from 

 platinum, which was introduced into Europe by one Wood, 

 in the middle of the eighteenth century. All pieces are 

 not cabinet ones, some are not even cupboard specimens, 

 for there is a great distinction in pieces, and, accurately 

 speaking, the cabinet specimens must be valuable from a 

 collector's standpoint and not of necessity rare, represent- 

 ing some individual phase. 



One must remember that lustre has not always had the 

 value placed upon it to-day. Originally silver lustre was 

 looked upon with almost disdain, for it was felt it was in 

 reality merely a cheap imitation of silver. 



Candlesticks were made in shapes identical to the sterling 

 ones of that time; coffee pots, hot water jugs, cream and 



cider jugs, sugar boxes, 

 bowls and many other pieces 

 were formed of this particu- 

 lar ware. They were always 

 of fine shape and generous 

 proportions. The Queen 

 Anne tea-set is perhaps one 

 of the best. The shapes are 

 most graceful, being ribbed 

 and fluted. These are great- 

 ly prized by connoisseurs 

 and collectors, who pay 

 large sums of money for 

 them. 



While silver lustre was 

 made in imitation of sterling 

 silver ware, copper and gold 

 was no sham, making no pre- 

 tence to be other than they 

 were. It was the work of 

 no one person, as was shown 

 in Wedgewood, or Stafford- 

 shire. Wedgewood is by 

 many given the honor of be- 

 ing the first maker of gold 

 and copper lustre, but it is 

 also claimed that it was made 

 before he took up the art. 



