Myrna Schkolne: Early Staffordshire Figures

The term "Pratt ware" is frequently tossed around incorrectly. Correctly used, "Pratt ware" refers to pottery that is decorated with oxide colors that are applied UNDER the glaze.

• The figure would be assembled and fired
• The color would be applied and allowed to dry before dipping the figure in glaze and then firing it for the second and final time.

Because the final firing was a glaze firing, it required a very high temperature, and only a limited palette of colors could withstand such temperatures. These colors are all derived from metallic oxides and are yellow, brown, green, orange, blue, black, and puce. And because the colors are UNDER the glaze they retain a brilliant sparkle and an intensity. Quite remarkable to see them looking as fresh today as they did 200+ years ago.


Because Pratt ware utilized a less costly technique--only 2 firings required--we see Pratt colors on many useful wares such as jugs and on relatively few figures. On the whole, Pratt decorated figures are crude....but not always. You can get some splendid examples.   One man's 'crude' is another's 'naive'. When this sweet little soldier came up for auction a few years ago, I thought it fell into the latter camp. Fabulously naive with Pratt colors that glowed. Almost looked wet, like a lollipop that had been licked. 

Yummy is he not? And apparently PERFECT. A friend of mine loved the figure and I dubbed him The Perfect Man. Not a nick on him, standing to attention, and silent. My friend (a man!) bid a very generous price to secure this little fella. But when the parcel arrived from the very reputable auction house, surprise: our Perfect Man was far from perfect. His head had been off and reglued. The auction house refunded the price, but a dream was shattered. There is no perfect man.

Most figures we see are decorated in enamel colors. These are applied ON TOP of the glaze. 

• The figure would be assembled and fired
• The figure would be dipped in glaze and fired again.
• Enamel colors that could withstand the highest temperatures would be applied first, and the figure would be fired yet again. The temperature reached would be significantly below that required for the other two firings.
• Enamel colors that could only withstand even lower temperatures would be applied and the figure fired again at an even lower temperature.

So why go to all this trouble of at least 3 firings? Well, enamel colors allowed the use of a full color palette, including soft pastel tones and all the shades of green, blue and everything else. Name it and you could use it. It was a more expensive technique and was used for most fine figures because the colors could be painted on with great precision. And if mixed and fired correctly, the colors still retain a shine....sometimes they can rival the brilliance of Pratt Ware. I have seen the same figure decorated in Pratt and enamel colors. Neither is earlier than the other. But Pratt was quicker and cheaper to utilize.

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