Decorated China

Early in her ceramics career, Frackelton primarily decorated imported china pieces with paints, using a variety of motifs on porcelain blanks.

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Decorated Chamber Pot with Lid,
1880-1890

This white porcelain chamber pot (d) is round with bulbous sides, a fluted neck, a base ring, and a molded strap handle. All decorations are hand-painted overglaze, and the neck and upper body are painted in reddish-brown and gilt. The border forms a trefoil design, and there are white cartouches and oval medallions with a lattice motif. The exterior sides are painted with a flower-and-branch motif in shades of reddish-brown, outlined in gilt. The base ring is painted in reddish brown and gilt, and the handle is outlined in reddish-brown and gilt. White porcelain lid (e) is round and domed with fluted edges. It has a molded handle in a belt-and-buckle shape. Lid has reddish-brown decoration like that of the pot, and the handle is outlined in reddish-brown and gilt.

The porcelain blank may have been made by Cumberlidge and Humphreys, Gordon Pottery, Tunstall, England. Part of a toilet set along with 1958.1328, 1958.1328A-B, 1958.1328C, and 1958.1328F-H that was the personal property of Susan Frackelton and likely decorated by her. Donated in 1958 by Frackelton's daughter, Gladys F. Seely.

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Decorated Wash Basin, 1880-1890

This porcelain bowl is round with a rolled rim and a base ring. It is white and hand-painted in shades of reddish-brown overglaze. The interior sides are decorated with a flower-and-branch motif, outlined in gilt. The rim is decorated with a trefoil motif in gilt. The exterior sides have a wide reddish-brown and gilt band, and white cartouches with a lattice motif. Also on the exterior sides are a molded herringbone band, and a base ring painted reddish brown and gilt.

The porcelain blank may have been made by Cumberlidge and Humphreys, Gordon Pottery, Tunstall, England. Part of a toilet set along with 1958.1328A-B; 1958.1328C; 1958.1328D-E; and 1958.1328F-H that was the personal property of Susan Frackelton and likely decorated by her. Donated in 1958 by Frackelton's daughter, Gladys F. Seely.

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Decorated Slop Jar, 1880-1890

This white porcelain slop jar (a) has extensive hand-painted decoration overglaze. Jar has molded bands on the sides and the rim, which is painted with a band of reddish-brown diagonal lines. The upper body is painted in reddish-brown and gilt. The border forms a trefoil design, and there are white cartouches and oval medallions with a lattice motif. The exterior sides are painted with a flower-and-branch motif in shades of reddish-brown, outlined in gilt. The base has a band of diagonal lines in gilt. The handles are painted in reddish-brown and gilt. A white porcelain round insert (b) has straight sides and a 2" hole in center. Insert has a reddish-brown decorative border like that of the jar on the interior sides. The interior bottom is painted with a floral motif in shades of reddish-brown, outlined in gilt. The exterior sides are painted with leaves in shades of reddish-brown, outlined in gilt.

The porcelain blank may have been made by Cumberlidge and Humphreys, Gordon Pottery, Tunstall, England. Part of a toilet set along with 1958.1328, 1958.1328C, 1958.1328D-E, and 1958.1328F-H that was the personal property of Susan Frackelton and likely decorated by her. Donated in 1958 by Frackelton's daughter, Gladys F. Seely.

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Decorated Pitcher, 1880-1890

This porcelain pitcher, also known as an ewer, has a globular body with a slightly flared neck. It is white with hand-painted decoration in shades of reddish-brown overglaze. A molded in a herringbone pattern surrounds the neck, and there are ornamental bands on the rim and strap handle. The exterior sides are decorated with a flower-and-branch motif, outlined in gilt. The rim is decorated with a trefoil motif in gilt. The neck and upper body are painted in reddish-brown and gilt. The border forms a trefoil design, and there are white cartouches and medallions in a lattice motif. The foot is painted in reddish-brown and gilt, and the handle is outlined in reddish-brown and gilt. On the underside, there is a stamped key mark and stamped letters "BS" over "C & M".

The porcelain blank may have been made by Cumberlidge and Humphreys, Gordon Pottery, Tunstall, England. Part of a toilette set along with 1958.1328, 1958.1328A-B, 1958.1328D-E, and 1958.1328F-H that was the personal property of Susan Frackelton and likely decorated by her. Donated in 1958 by Frackelton's daughter, Gladys F. Seely.

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Decorated Soap Dish with Lid and Drain,
1880-1890

This white porcelain soap dish (f) is oval-shaped with bulbous sides, a fluted neck, and a base ring. All decorations are hand-painted overglaze with the neck and upper body painted in reddish-brown and gilt. The border forms a trefoil design and there are white cartouches and oval medallions with a lattice motif. The base ring is painted in reddish brown and gilt. White porcelain oval strainer (g) has hand-painted leaves in shades of reddish-brown and outlined in glit. White porcelain lid (h) is oval and domed with fluted edges and a molded handle in a belt-and-buckle shape. Lid has a reddish-brown decoration like that of the dish, and the handle is outlined in reddish-brown and gilt.

The porcelain blank may have been made by Cumberlidge and Humphreys, Gordon Pottery, Tunstall, England. Part of a toilet set along with 1958.1328, 1958.1328A-B, 1958.1328C, and 1958.1328D-E that was the personal property of Susan Frackelton and likely decorated by her. Donated in 1958 by Frackelton's daughter, Gladys F. Seely.

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Decorated Pipe, 1894

This pipe bowl (a) is porcelain with a sterling silver hinged cover. The bowl is ovoid-shaped with a narrow elbow at the bottom that fits into the pipe stem and a small button-shaped knob where the bowl meets the elbow. The cover is domed and pierced in an arabesque pattern with a blue glass or porcelain bead set at the top. A small latch fits into a slot in a pierced silver ring around the rim of the bowl. The rim of the bowl is painted teal blue and is decorated with pink and lavender floral festoons along with green, gilt, and pink festoons. The front of the bowl has a gilt bordered oval medallion with a portrait of a woman in an 18th century costume. The porcelain button is painted like a flower in gilt and pink. "S-1" is stamped on the elbow in blue, and "STERLING" is stamped in silver on the rim.
Porcelain pipe elbow/stem, (b) is branched into two tubes, one lined with cork to accommodate the elbow on the bowl. The stem has a bulbous bottom, and is painted teal blue with a scalloped border in gilt and pink. The rims of the tubes are bordered in gilt and pink with floral and gilt festoons that match the bowl. Decorator's mark, "SF", is painted in gilt on the front near the scalloped border.

The porcelain blank pipe may have been of German origin. Bunde-Upmeyer of Milwaukee executed the silverwork, and Susan Frackelton painted the exterior decoration. Donated in 1958 by Frackelton's daughter, Gladys F. Seely, along with the original box manufactured by Bunde & Upmeyer of Milwaukee (1957.421C).

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Decorated Platter, 1875-1885

This white earthenware platter is oval-shaped with molded and reticulated scroll handles on the ends with a clear glaze. Hand-painted decoration includes sprays of gray, green, and red grasses and an orange and brown butterfly. The rim is painted in gilt, and the scrolls are painted in gilt and accented with gilt dots. The underside of the platter has a maker's mark of a globe design with the company stamp "MERCER WARRENTED CHINA". Mercer Warrented China operated in Trenton, New Jersey from 1868-1938.

According to donor, the platter was painted (decorated) by Susan S. Frackelton. Frackelton began her ceramics career as a porcelain decorator in the early 1870s. She went on to become a leader in the china painting movement through prolific production, her family's china decorating company, and as author with her seminal publication, "Tried by Fire". Platter was donated in 1955 by Emily Groom of Milwaukee.