Bretby Art Nouveau Ewer Shape 797 E Copper Cloisonne Henry Tooth and Co

An Art Nouveau ewer dated by the artist on the base, 21.07. (19)02, made of English pottery with stunningly shaped handle in copperette and cloisonne pattern. This beautiful and very stylish jug was made by the renowned Henry Tooth and Co at the Bretby Art Pottery, Woodville, near Burton-on-Trent, Derbyshire. 

The ewer, jug or pitcher which is a great piece of art pottery in the style of Christoper Dresser, has a globular body with a tall trumpet shaped neck and spout. The sinuous "S" shaped handle wraps from the back of the ewer to then fasten to the front with a hole in the middle surrounding the neck.

The main body and neck is decorated in a matt-black glaze and has a hand coloured pattern of plump looking small bird, probably a Blue Tit, ( Chickadee or Titmouse). It is perched on a branch of flowering Hawthorn, the pattern of which is repeated around the ewer. The outline of all the painted decoration is picked out in gilding and this gives rise to the name of the pattern "Cloisonne" which the design resembles. The rest of the jug has a realistic looking metallic copper effect glaze, the handle, which has simulated rivets and the lower body which has a rolled over rim, reminiscent of the beaten edge of an Arts and Crafts copper vessel.

This great ewer dates from 21st July 1902, it is also marked  on the base with the impressed Bretby sun burst mark, the shape number 797E, the artists initials EJB and gilders number 168. 

Bretby Art Pottery was an art pottery studio founded by Henry Tooth and William Ault in 1882. They designed and built their own pottery in Woodville, Derbyshire, where production began on 25 October 1883. Tooth had been invited by Christopher Dresser to establish the Linthorpe Pottery at Middlesbrough in 1879 but it did not take long before he moved onto this new venture.

Within a year of opening they had won a gold award at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1884, the same year that the 'Sunburst' trade mark was registered.

The partnership was dissolved on 1 January 1887 when William Ault set up his own pottery Ault & Co. only a mile and a half away in Midland Road, Swadlincote also in Derbyshire. Bretby was still produced by Tooth and Co. 

The ewer stands approx 9 7/8 inches (25 cm) high by 5 inches (12.6 cm) diameter. It weighs 983 g unpacked. The ewer is in very good antique condition with no cracks, there are a few minor repairs to fleabites on the overturned copper rim - please see the images, otherwise excellent condition. 

It is fantastic item for display and highly decorative and attractive examples of Edwardian Art Nouveau pottery in the Arts and Crafts style.

Free UK and International postage with this item.