Sunday, September 14, 2008

Pompeiian fashion

I read The Last Days of Pompeii when I was a little kid. It was a very cheap edition and was illustrated with black-and-white photographs of those plaster casts made when Pompeii was excavated (the dog, and so on). Kids who read will consume whatever's around. We were talking about this the other day. Anyone interested in color knows Pompeiian red. Anyhow, I've been using odd bits of time and leftover dishwater to clean up crockery that has become grimy during all the never-ceasing "remodeling" going on around here. This is a bad scan of one piece of transfer-ware. I like the calico design on the rim. In the center is more calico floral ornament, incorporating lots of sprigs, along with two urns on plinths. The one in back is more like an handleless amphora or perhaps a perfume vessel; the one in front is a krater with a cover. Depicted on it are three human figures. They may all be women (the Graces?). The dress appears to be from the 1830's. Stamped on the back is the following:
POMPEII.
J.&G. ALCOCK.
I find nothing about this pattern, but do find something about the pottery. From the years given for the pottery's operation using this mark, it appears that I've been quite accurate in dating the ladies' costumes. The pieces shown are flow blue, not transfer-ware, but some of the patterns listed are "Indian," which accounts for the calico- and coral-type border.

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