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Mauchline Ware
by
T.D.Gainsborough
Mementoes & Antique Shops
While abroad, I keep my eyes open for a memento that will remind me of my trip. I also make a point when travelling of visiting unfamiliar antique shops in the hope of expanding my modest collection of silver.
It is rare for me to combine my search for a tourist trinket with a successful outing to an antiques dealer, but on a recent holiday I managed to do just that. This was all the more unexpected for me because the piece I brought home was not the work of a silversmith.
In An Edwardian Display Cabinet
The item in question was on a glass shelf in an Edwardian display cabinet toward the back of the antique dealer’s shop. On reflection, I am surprised I noticed it at all because it was almost hidden among an array of art deco ceramics and Sheffield plate. It stood out, however, because it had a transfer of a local castle together with the castle’s name and the area in which I was staying.
The dealer noticed my interest, opened the cabinet, and handed me the piece for closer examination.
The Antique Box
It was a small octagonal box with very little sign of wear. The black transfer was in perfect condition, and contrasted nicely with the creamy-white of the varnished and flawless wood from which the box was made.
I pulled off the lid – there was no hinge – turned it through ninety degrees, and replaced it. The lid was a perfect fit, which meant that the eight sides of the box had been meticulously made.
‘Mauchline Ware,’ said the dealer. ‘From around 1860.’
Mauchline Ware
I knew a little about Mauchline Ware (pronounced “Moch – lin”) from friends in the antiques trade. I had no reason to doubt the antique dealer’s assessment, but I thought I would find out a little more.
‘It’s sycamore, isn’t it?’ I asked.
‘That’s right,’ replied the dealer. ‘Taken from the area around Mauchline.’
The dealer then pointed to the underside of the box.
‘There’s no mark, but I’d guess by the quality that it was made by the Smith Brothers at their Mauchline factory.’
The dealer looked briefly around the shop.
‘I wish I could show you some more but they go quite quickly,’ he said. ‘Letter openers, book covers, comb cases – all sorts.’
‘Wasn’t Mauchline Ware sometimes decorated in Tartan?’ I asked.
‘That’s right! Very popular with the Victorians. But even the plain ones sold like hot cakes! They were among the first mass-produced gifts for tourists.’
An Ideal Collectible
Then and there I decided to buy the box. I reached an agreement with the antiques dealer over the price, and left the shop feeling pleased with myself.
Since my holiday, I have had no regrets about buying Mauchline Ware. The box not only reminds me of an enjoyable holiday; it is an ideal collectible, and with luck I hope to find similar pieces on future travels.
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