Thanks to Ian Sharp for providing this piece of the puzzle. Ian is one of the few specialist UK dealers of 'Sunderland' lustreware. He has years of experience of attributing lustre items. You can visit his new-look website by clicking here.
I've established a link between Carr and the plaques in group 2 of my July 30th posting, but what about the plaques in group 1? Below is a rare verse plaque from group 1. It has the distinctive, almost stripy looking pink lustre decoration.
I've established a link between Carr and the plaques in group 2 of my July 30th posting, but what about the plaques in group 1? Below is a rare verse plaque from group 1. It has the distinctive, almost stripy looking pink lustre decoration.
Ian attributes the plaque to Carr on the basis of the transfer's pairing with a view of Tynemouth Haven on the jug below (you can find a similar jug in Ian's stock on his website, dated 1844). For those who aren't familiar with Tyneside geography, Tynemouth is just beside North Shields, where John Carr's Pottery was located. Ian writes 'I think it makes sense that a pottery in North Shields would use a transfer of North Shields with the kiln clearly shown.' The other verse on the jug (below right) has a line mentioning 'the cliffs of old Tynemouth'. (Click on the images to enlarge.)
In case you needed more convincing of the attribution, Ian provided this photo of the base of a 'bachelor set'. It has the same transfer of Tynemouth Haven, this time paired with a Charles Wesley verse. On the underside there is a C, C & Co printed mark (the first 'C' hasn't printed well).
So the bachelor set was made by Cornfoot, Colville & Co sometime between 1829 and c1832. The jug was likely made by Cornfoot, Carr & Patton, sometime c1844. And my hunch is the plaque was made sometime after that, by one of the later Carr partnerships. We may never know which! But at last a positive ID for a plaque from group 1.
P.S.
Ian has been in touch to say that he would date the bachelor set as later, c1840. This would mean that either: Cornfoot, Carr & Patton used a C, C & Co printed mark; or that Bell's dates for those partnerships are inaccurate. I'm keeping an open mind.
