i?4 
ftERAMIC STUDIO 
This was supposed to be of Swedish origin, but a careful ex- 
amination shows it to be of identical body and workmanship 
with the "Lowestoft" china of our collections. It was exe- 
cuted in China for a Swedish purchaser, just as orders were 
filled there for American patrons. 
CHINESE "LOWESTOFT" TODDY JUG. 
Another interesting piece, of Chinese origin, a variety of 
ware sometimes classed with "Lowestoft," is a toddy jug 
bearing the portrait of Washington, evidently copied from 
the Stuart likeness. It is painted in black or dark brown, 
surrounded by a gold band. The handle and knob of the 
cover are of the typical Chinese form. This piece is owned 
by a Newport collector. 
It is generally believed by collectors that the real Lowes- 
toft ware was of a hard porcelain body, yet I have examined 
all the authorities within reach and do not find that any one 
of them makes such an assertion. It is conceded by most 
writers that the earlier products of the English factory, from 
about 1756 to 1762, were of a pottery body, with blue decora- 
tions, somewhat resembling delft ware. From the latter date 
to the close of the factory in i8c>3-'04, a better class of ware 
was gradually introduced, but, according to several authors, 
this could be readily distinguished from the Oriental ware, 
which other authorities believe to have been decorated there. 
Mr. Llewellynn Jewitt, than whom there is no higher author- 
ity, in his Ceramic Art in Great Britain states that "The col- 
lector will be able to distinguish immediately between the 
examples painted at Lowestoft on Oriental body and those 
which were potted and painted there." It is extremely 
doubtful if any true hard porcelain was ever fabricated at the 
English factory. On the contrary many examples of soft 
body have been found that have been fully identified as Eng- 
lish Lowestoft. How the hard porcelain fallacy should have 
ever gained such a foothold among collectors is one of those 
mysteries which cannot be explained. 
We have not sufficient facilities in this country to deter- 
mine satisfactorily whether any of the Oriental ware with 
European decorations, if such was ever painted at Lowestoft, 
can be found among our material in this country. With this 
question we have nothing to do. It is at least highly proba- 
ble that no such pieces are to be found in American collec- 
tions. Certainly no examples have yet been identified. 
It is not deemed necessary here to quote from the vari- 
ous conflicting authorities, on both sides. Those who take 
the ground that the ware generally known as "Lowestoft" is 
simply a variety of Chinese porcelain of a peculiar style and 
character, have the consensus of opinion in their favor. It is 
difficult to understand how the "Lowestoft" hallucination 
originated in this country. There is certainly not the slight- 
est basis for believing that any of the Oriental products which 
are so common here could have been brought from England. 
Neither have we any proof whatever that the Chinese ware 
was ever painted in the English town. A prominent English 
writer, Mr. Owen, in his Two Centuries of Ceramic Art in 
Bristol, says, "There cannot be any doubt that hard porce- 
lain, vitrified and translucent, was never manufactured from 
the raw materials, native kaolin and petunse, at any other 
locality in England than Plymouth and Bristol. The tradi- 
tion that such ware was made at Lowestoft in 1775 * * * 
ORIENTAL "LOWESTOFT." Bk 
: Collection, Pennsylv 
. Museum, Philadelphu 
