Royal Crown Derby
Old Imari Solid Gold Band Litherland Vase
A masterpiece in the making.
Royal Crown Derby was established in 1750 producing English Fine Bone China tableware, vases and ornaments. Each piece is decorated by hand, making every piece subtly different and therefore a unique piece keenly sought after by collectors and discerning gift buyers around the world.
These beautiful images show the making of the Old Imari Solid Gold Band Litherland Vase. This magnificent vase is based on a version of a shape from our museum archive collection dating back to 1903.
Bench Caster Supervisor Trevor Warner pours liquid slip into the Litherland Vase mould. This will make the main body of the mould. The mould is then drained to allow the excess slip to run off.
The mould is then opened up and the body of the vase is taken out - very carefully so as not to damage any of the intricate patterns. It is placed on a device called a whirler, upside down, and the next piece to be added is the foot of the vase. The foot, handles and lid are all brushed with slip and joined to the body of the vase. All excess slip is brushed away and all the lines are smoothed out to leave a clean finish. It is then fired in a kiln.
The handle on the lid of the vase is perhaps the most tricky to apply as it needs to be centred perfectly. If it isn't, the gilders will encounter problems when applying the 22-carat gold after the piece has been decorated.
Finally, the finished piece is ready and fully decorated in our traditional Old Imari Solid Gold Band pattern consisting of iron red, cobalt blue, pretty stylized flowers and 22-carat hand-applied gold.
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