RERAMIC STUDIO 
39 
X 
X 
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No. 1 No. 2 
■istol Figures. Nos. 1 and 2 have the impressed cross, No. 3 the 
( Solleetion of Mrs. C. C. Varney, Brookline, Mass. 
THE COLLECTOR 
BRISTOL 
AMONG all the English pottery and porcelain none seems 
quite so difficult to positively determine as the Bristol. 
Much of the ware, both the Delft and the porcelain, bore no 
mark whatever. The enamel on the pottery is very hard and 
rarely chips off like most other kinds of Delft. The decor- 
ation is almost always in greyish blue, with a little green, and 
sometimes you will also see a little yellow. Many people and 
I might say almost all collectors who have not given the sub- 
ject some study, will confound the Bristol with the Leeds 
pottery. The color, however, is entirely different and the 
misleading is almost always done by the dealer, who either 
doesn't know or who has much more Leeds on hand than 
Bristol, and assures the collector that a piece is Bristol, when 
it is unquestionably Leeds. 
Mr. Oewn's mention of the earliest pottery was that of 
1697 at Bristol, but not until 1735 were plates, dishes, etc., 
made. All collectors, of course, have heard of the famous 
"Hannah Hopkins Christening Bowl," dated 1752, which is 
in the Edkins collection. The Bristol Pottery produced a great 
number of bowls or basins, as they were called, and most 
of them are decorated in 
small Japanese or Chinese 
flower design. The marks 
on the pottery differ, 
although the cross almost 
always appears, sometimes 
with a numeral under- 
neath, as 1^ 
and oftentimes a 
cross with num- 
eral end dot as : 
in greyish blue or brown. 
I believe genuine pieces 
are rare in this country, 
although more pottery is 
seen than porcelain. Bris- 
tol porcelain which was 
made by Richard Champion dur- 
ing a period of not more than eight 
years or perhaps nine and not since Bristol Porcelain Hgure. Cream 
1782, is all very beautiful. His first color with delieatel y colored 
decoration. Collection of 
patterns were imitations of the Mrs. c. c. Varney, 
Chinese blue on white and are Brookline, Mass. 
rarely marked. Later on was produced most beautifully dec- 
orated china similar to the Dresden patterns and with much 
gold, indeed there are pieces of Bristol china which bear the 
mark of crossed swords, with the addition of a distinct dot, 
thus : > ? >< * which might very easily be taken for 
Dies *" , den. The Bristol porcelain is more creamy 
white, however, than the Dresden, which is a brilliant white 
and not so soft and beautiful as the Bristol. 
Champion produced some fine figures, many of which 
bear the cross mark in blue and some the impressed cross, 
while many, and fine specimens too, were not marked at all. 
WW 
K - 
^K *' ^1 
!*-? ^ 
■^^>4 %y^-*-4%jB 
Bristol Pottery Bowl. Marked in brown thus : 
Collection of Mrs. C. C. Varney, 
Brookline, Mass. 
Bristol Pottery Plate. Marked with the usual cross in brown. 
Collection of Mrs. C. C. Varney, Brookiiie, Mass, 
I often see Bristol figures, but rarely the china. It would be 
very gratifying to find a good specimen of the china, 
genuinely marked, and with the Dresden pattern of decor- 
ation, to add to my small collection. A notable feature of 
the Bristol works was the production of plaques decorated 
with raised bouquets of flowers and wreaths in biscuit finish — 
these, however, were not placed on the market, but were made 
for royal gifts and souvenirs. 
Mr. Hugh Owen in his book on Bristol Pottery mentions 
a tea service which is in a private collection as the most 
beautiful specimen that Champion ever produced. This ser- 
vice is profusely and massively gilt in both dead and bur- 
nished gold and wreaths of laurel in green. Each piece bears 
a monogram S. S. formed of wreaths of roses in pink and 
gold. The mark on this service is the usual cross in red. 
Owen also mentions several other fine specimens of Bristol 
china, none of which are in this country, however. 
