Posted by Connie Rogers Willow collectors often use the term "Gaudy" to describe multicolor willow -- probably because the Buffalo Pottery described their underglaze transfer printed brown willow with many colors including gold lining as "Gaudy Willow". No English firm uses that word to describe multi-color or polychrome willow. It is more common to use the term "clobbered" which means that the colors were added onglaze to the pattern which would have been complete without the added color. The eBay link was not available on my computer, so I looked it up and found item #7400361103 which I think is the auction you are referring to as it is listed as "gaudy" or lustre? It is willow pattern on a cup and saucer that have the numbers you quote. I have a Wedgwood plate with pierced rim, brown underglaze transfer print and overglaze clobbering. I had never noticed whether or not the brown borders had a luster glaze, so I got up to go look at it. Sure enough, the plate has a luster glaze. It is definitely true -- "You learn something new everyday!" That plate is pictured in my book as is a wash bowl and pitcher in the same color combinations, that probably have a luster glaze as well. So, you can see the pictures in my book --THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BRITISH WILLOW WARE -- but you won't learn anything more about the luster because I didn't realize it was there! I went to the book: WEDGWOOD, THE NEW ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY by Robin Reilly and looked up lustre (the British spelling). Wedgwood used many different types on their various wares throughout the years, but one short paragraph describes what we find on polychrome willow. "One more type of lustre was developed especially for the edging of plates, particularly underglaze blue printed and stone china patterns. This was a thin yellowish-brown lustre, later strengthened to an orange-brown with gold reflections. This does not appear to have lasted in production beyond about 1860." Now that date gives us some problems because the cup and saucer were produced after 1891 we know because of the word "England" in the mark. However, when I looked under "Pattern Books" in the above named dictionary, I found that pattern numbers 4330 to 7074 originated in the year 1855. In Appendix IV, we find "Pattern Number Prefixes" which is important because of the letters "AL" before the pattern number 5643 hand painted on the bottom of the pieces. The following information is given: "A Queen's Ware, 1871-1932" and "L Underglaze print and onglaze enamel decoration from 1928." I take this to mean that the pattern was developed in 1855; between 1891 and 1932 it was printed on Queen's Ware, and it was printed with onglaze enamel decoration after 1928. You don't find this type of Wedgwood willow very often, and I must say the amount of lustre on the cup and saucer is much stronger than that on the pieces I have seen before. Wedgwood decorated the Standard willow pattern in more colors and combinations than any other firm. In my book alone I show blue, blue clobbered, black, brown, brown clobbered, gold, gold onglaze, green, red, polychrome litho and fairyland lustre.
on March 22, 2006, 8:51 pm, in reply to "Wedgwood - "Gaudy" or Lustre?"
Hi Leigh Ann,
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