These Prattware Pottery Chickens were made in Staffordshire in the early years of the nineteenth century. They have been underglaze painted with colours derived from the oxides of iron (orange), manganese (brown), cobalt (blue), chrome (green) and antimony (yellow). Sealed over with a slightly blueish clear glaze.
At first glance one might think the hen has been damaged. It is in fact in excellent condition. The separation of the right leg from the body would have happened in the drying. Uneven drying conditions such as a draft might be the cause. By painting underglaze inside the exposed gap, the potter acknowledged and accepted this flaw.
The bit of fused stone embedded in the side of the rooster tells its own story. These chickens were made from unprocessed clay dug out of a hillside. Like the “100% Natural Organic” version of the processed and packaged clays most of us use today. That pebble lay hidden between layers of compressed clay, the tension increasing as the clay shrank. That tension found its release somewhere between the application of the underglaze and the clear.
The rooster has suffered some injuries over the centuries. He’s lost his legs and the stem connecting the base and body has been broken. Much old glue remains though the missing pieces do not. A small wooden post set in plaster is all that holds the body to the stem. If ever there were a candidate for professional and ethical restoration…
Like the potter who made this pair, I choose to acknowledge these flaws and accept them. These well modelled and colourful chickens are no less beautiful for having them, save for the post firing damages which should be restored.
Hen 22 cm in height.
Rooster 22.7 cm in height.
