Beautiful Vase....Where is it from?

by Jaime
(Denver, CO)



duchess-bottle-cartouche-mark


duchess-cartouche-mark



I am a frequenter of estate sales both online and in home. I'm not a collector and have only gotten into reading about antiques and vintage collectables in the past few years.

I am enamored with vintage items from my mother's childhood. I love holding an item and feeling it's history, and it's particularly fun when I recognize the item from old photos and movies.

I bought this vase for $6 in an online estate auction. I thought it was a great deal, possibly valuable due to it's stamp, and definitely pretty. However, I didn't read the fine print on the auction and ended up paying a pretty penny for the shipping of this small item. Oh, well.

I am not hopeful that it has some amazing value in it. But I'm having fun in the game of exploring where this piece of history may have come from. I can't find anything that looks quite like it online. I can't find any pictures of stamps that quite look like this.

The stamp is a little faded. It looks like it says "jogchess" or something like that in the banner. And it clearly says ENGLAND.

The vase appears to be porcelain, although it doesn't have that shiny, fired finished on the outside. It's very smooth, with miniscule cracks in the paint all over it.

Whether it's worth anything or not, I love it for the fun it's given me in this quest.

But I'd love it if I could get some value out of it or sell it for a pretty penny. Or even if I could just know that I own some part of history that's worth something.

Thanks for your help!

Jaime
p.s. I hope my pics are big enough. I'm not an expert and just took them with my phone.

Comments for Beautiful Vase....Where is it from?

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Old 19th Century Hand Painted Staffordshire Majolica Bottle Vase
by: Peter (admin)

Dear Jaime

Nice find...

This looks like old Staffordshire majolica japonism - by the style. These bottle style double handled vases are called 'moon flasks'.

For example, Minton Japonism is quite exquisite, and this seems to be a version of one of those. Who made it? I have to pass on that one right now, the mark is not clear enpugh. The mark does look very similar to a Minton style Cartouche mark from the mid 1800's. These fancy cartouche marks are very typical of mid 1800 Staffordshire generally.

I looked through the Minton marks on record in the encyclopedias, but I couldn't find a match, unfortunately. Goddens encyclopedia implies there are a few uncatalogued marks around from this period.

To me the words look like "Duchess" which could be a pattern name. Minton from this period had the monogram M&B or M&H (Minton & Boyle or Minton & Hollins). The mark isn't clear enough to see if there is such a monogram.

The only thing that doesn't add up is the word England. Country of origin was not often used until the late 19th Century when exports were required to have country of origin labeling. None of the cartouche marks for Minton from this mid 19th century period in Goddens show the word England, so perhaps we need to look further afield and later.

Look at the photo below and you can get an idea of the style of moon flask majolica Japonism I am referring to.


minton-japnism-bottle-vases



It is clear that Jaime's handled bottle vase is very similar in shape and decoration to Minton Majolica Japonism of the mid 19th Century although a slightly different neck, shape and foot, so not from the same mould.

Being associated with Minton ware and therefore valuable, there is a slim possibility, of course, these might be a modern reproductions, but if so, why in thrift store for a few dollars, why not at auction for lots of dollars like the blue ones above?

If anyone else can shed light on this interesting find, please post.

Peter (admin)
Thanks for checking it out!
by: Jaime L

I think your comparison is better than anything I've found! Thanks for your research. I'm going to keep going with that and see what else I can find out. :)
I am very glad to read the post.
by: Anonymous

I am very glad to read the post,it is very well written.You have done hard work in writing this post and i impressed your work. Thanks a lot.


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Additional Find!
by: Jaime

I found another much more similar example here: https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2532B/lots/18

Skinner claims these are 19th century England, so pretty much what you were saying. They don't show the marking on the bottom, unfortunately. But it's such a close match... I'm heavily considering an appraisal now.
Beautiful vase
by: Anonymous

I have the very same vase. I've searched everywhere for anything I could find to no avail. I was happy to see your post. The mark on the bottom DOES say Duchess England. Have you had it appraised?

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