Bisto kids and scouting boys.

Bisto were well known for producing nursery ware and commemoration wares - in fact, most of what is written about the factory in books like Millers guides, focuses only on these lines of production (as we know, they did much more).  But the stuff they did make for children and for commemorating events like royal weddings and visits by notable people etc was well made and perhaps a cut above much of the rest.  One such example of really nice commemorative ware is this child's plate/dish illustrating the scouting movement.  It came up for auction a few years ago (i didn't buy it sadly), but i thought i'd show you the catalogue illustration.  When pieces like this come up for sale, they inevitably have numerous collectors bidding on them because they cover several collecting fields.

Beautiful pair of tits

ok, so they may not be tits, but that got your attention right?  This is a very lovely pair of Aesthetic plates by PB&S that i saw on a well known internet auction site and just had to share with you.  The colouring is very unusual, but very sophisticated and Japanese in influence.

Fairyland Lustre...by Bisto!

 Wowsers!  Another first for my Porcelainporn blog - a Bisto ware ginger jar decorated with a Fairyland lustre type of design, dated 1931.  The pattern is hand decorated and signed by the artist R Innes.  Having never seen one before, one can never be sure if this was a factory produced thing, a one off or even a blank decorated at home by an amateur.  Having seen Fairyland lustre wares by Wedgwood and similar by Royal Winton and Cartltonware, one can say that this piece was jumping on a bandwagon that was first started by the artist Daisy Makeig Jones.  I can't find any trace of this artist, Innes, but no doubt they were inspired by DMJ's work for Wedgwood.  The ginger shape is a classic one for Bisto, shape number 13 and was used over and over again with different surface designs.  In this case, this jar (being sold on ebay) has been priced a bit too highly for me and perhaps the seller is hoping it will ride the  crest of the DMJ wave.  I would personally estimate it around £100-150 at this point in time (Jan 2013) but who knows, if more of this fairyland lustre by Bisto comes to light, it could increase in value as a there will be more for collectors to build on.

Dresden Style

I recently purchased this wonderful pair of Bishop & Stonier vases.  They're wonderfully restrained in colour, using the soft green body that the factory was known for and a white porcelain.  The technique of 3D applied flower decoration like this has a long tradition - most notably in porcelain from Dresden (Germany) and Derby/Chelsea porcelain.  This is the ONLY example I have ever seen by Bishop & Stonier and I feel must be an extremely rare pair.  It may be feasible that B&S only produced the green blank vase and another artist applied the foliate decoration, but without getting my hands on the factory's archives I will never know for sure.  Nonetheless, despite a few small bits of damage (almost inevitable with this type of porcelain decoration), they remain an extremely attractive pair of vases and should hold or increase in value even though the taste for this type of ceramic has fallen away in recent years.  

Randolph Caldecott

I have a number of nursery ware pieces in my collection by Bishop & Stonier and I've often wondered who designed the images on them.  Well, after a bit of digging around I found that a couple of them use illustrations by the well known Victorian artist, Randolph Caldecott.  Apparently, Caldecott also designed for the Royal Doulton factory as well as many children's  books.  Notable images by him that were used on B&S wares depict the rhymes for Hey Diddle Diddle and A Frog He Would A Wooing Go.

http://www.heirloomsantiques.com.au/artists-some-a-41.html

http://www.antiques.co.uk/antique/Randolph-Caldecott-plates-

man's best friend

It's often been said that dogs are man's best friend (personally i'm more of a cat fan) and here is one example of how people cherish their canine companions.  I can't say for certain if this piece was a commission and therefore has a portrait of an actual dog in the center, or whether it's a generic doggy themed plate.  Either way, the subject matter is charming and rather unusual for Bishop & Stonier - circa 1890s/turn of the 20thC.  I think the dog here is a kind of Collie, but am happy to stand corrected.

Children's Hour

BBC Radio was once the entertainment of choice for the British public back-in-the-day.  As it is today, long before the Tweenies and In the Night Garden, part of the BBC's output was directed at the nation's children in an hour long programme entitled, creatively, "Children's Hour".  Bishop & Stonier produced nursery ware to tap into the affection for the programme and these pieces are now very collectible for Bisto and nursery ware fans.  I have not found any other factories making baby plates which commemorate this radio programme so  perhaps Bisto were specially commissioned by the BBC to produce the range? Who knows.

Queen's Jubilee

On this weekend commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, I thought i'd bring out a picture of a fantabuloso jug which was made for Golden jubilee of Queen Victoria ( heavily restored handle as you can see).  Long may she reign!

trade press

I'm interested to see any documentation of the Livesley / Powell / Bishop & Stonier factories, whether that be invoices from retailers, design registers, newspaper articles or advertising such as the one above.  If you have any, i'd love to see it and share your pics with visitors to this blog.

Arts & Crafts

Woolley & Wallis Arts & Crafts sales - some totes amaze things

ebay activity of late

There have been several really nice PB&S related items on ebay recently which sold at good, or very good prices so I thought I'd share them with you.  Apologies if you find this posting months after it was written as the link won't work.  The early bird etc....

1. one

2. two

3. three

4. four

5. five

all were really lovely pieces that i would've wanted in my own collection - so, to the winning bidder. you lucky thing!

Emma-Rose Dade: About Emma

Emma-Rose Dade: About Emma: Emma-Rose Dade is a model maker, animator and photographer. Her background in fine art has given her a strong interest in working with mat...


just came across this artist's blog and like her work

Fake Bisto ALERT!!!

Well, well, well... I never thought i'd see the day, but it had to happen.  Here, for sale, is a bird shaped jug which claims to be by the Bisto factory.  Apart from having a Caduceus type mark, everything else is wrong.  Which is a shame, because I actually rather like it and am even tempted to buy it as an oddity for my collection.  My worry is that 1) someone will buy it and think it is by Bisto and 2) that this is the tip of a titanic sized iceberg of more "fakes" ready to come on to the market.  This piece has a caduceus mark with the letters "E F" so can't really be called a fake, but there may still be the intention to deceive.  Certainly, the seller of this piece has been led into thinking it was by Bisto.  I'll have to do some homework to try and find out more about who did actually make this rather charming bird (is it a Puffin??)

Birds of a Feather

 Here are some truly stunning examples of Arts & Crafts period handpainted porcelain / china, from circa the 1880s.  These recently came up for sale (31st March) in the US at Elite Decorative Arts auctions with a pre-sale estimate of $200-300 each.  They're painted on Bishop & Stonier chargers and  I have two chargers of this type in my own collection, but their subject matter is very different - traditional flower designs.  If anyone has access to Liveauctioneers and can tell me if these chargers sold, i'd be very grateful as the auction house's own website doesn't give a hammer price for them.    I'm parting with my own chargers this summer when they'll be under the hammer at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury.

Baby blues

I have an absolute love of Bisto baby plates and this is a stunning example of Blue  & White design - sailing galleons.  Absolutely charming.

Presentation cups

Powell Bishop & Stonier sold commemorative presentation items, mainly cups and mugs which could be personalized with gild lettering to mark a special occasion or person.  One such example is above and there is currently another for sale on a certain internet auction site.  In one sense, it's sad that they no longer hold sentimental attachment for people and many owners may not have the first clue who the person commemorated was, but they are great for collectors because they are often clearly dated and give a window directly on to a time and place in history.

The Dragons that flew too high

 I recently had these two dragon patterned Bisto items on my watchlist.  I had a go at bidding on the ginger jar, but was outbid.  I stupidly forgot to place a bid on the chamber pot, and looking at the final price, probably would have won it if i had bid.  Both pieces are really lovely examples of Bisto's dragon ware designs and shout out 1920s.  I just wish i'd been a bit braver with my bidding and stretched a bit higher - i may have been burnt by the sun, or i might just have caught the dragon's tail.

Latest Additions to my Powell / Bishop & Stonier family

 Here are some pics of the most recent additions to my collection.  Above: two examples of the Fujiyama pattern, given different colour treatments (Bishop & Stonier, circa 1920s).  The jug has the added interest that unlike every other example i've come across, it doesn't bear the Bisto Korea Vases mark, just a caduceus.  Below: An Aesthetic P.B&S vase (1880s), decorated in moulded relief with birds, insects and flowers on a tiled texture background.  Not everyone's cup of tea i'm sure, but i'm a sucker for this style of design.

Bishop of Leeds

Forgive the awful pictures, i've 'borrowed' them from an ebay listing to show you something I have never seen before, at least I don't think so.  The reason I say this is that if I saw one in an antiques shop I would probably walk straight by it for two reasons: I really don't like it, it's treacly coloured and ugly; secondly, I would never in   a month of Sundays have thought this was by the Bishop factory.  I know they produced lots of commemorative wares, but this it appears, have something to do the city of Leeds????  The hanging sheep appears in the city's coat of arms, but what this jug is commemorating I don't really know.  Any ideas readers?

John Mcinnis Auctioneers,

John Mcinnis  (Amesbury, USA) have for sale in their March sale, a ten piece dessert service by Powell & Bishop, decorated with beautiful floral centres and pink borders, reminiscent of Sevres.  Take a look.  Even better, take a punt!