Doulton Lambeth | Slater’s Patent | Large Stoneware Vase | Floral Chine Decoration | England, Late 19th–Early 20th Century

Doulton Lambeth | Slater’s Patent | Large Stoneware Vase | Floral Chine Decoration | England, Late 19th–Early 20th Century

In an era that produced more decorative pottery than any before it, Lambeth found a way to make industrial process feel like individual craft — and Slater’s Patent was the proof.

The Doulton Lambeth studio in South London occupied a singular position within English ceramics. Established in the early nineteenth century and later developed under the direction of Henry Doulton, it became one of the leading centres of art pottery in Victorian and Edwardian Britain, employing highly trained decorators and exhibiting internationally.

Slater’s Patent takes its name from John Slater, art director of Doulton’s Burslem works. The lace-impression technique was patented jointly by Henry Doulton and John Slater in Britain in 1882, with a corresponding United States patent granted in 1885. Lace or other textile material was pressed into the clay to produce a finely textured ground, over which enamel colours and gilding were applied by hand. Each piece was individually finished and typically marked with the decorator’s initial, preserving a record of authorship within what was otherwise a highly organised production system.

The present vase is of tall baluster form, the broad ovoid body rising to a constricted neck and wide flared rim. The foot and lower section are finished in a deep cobalt glaze with gilt banding, while the neck and interior rim carry a contrasting olive-green glaze. A fine gilt line defines the transition between neck and body.

Across the main body, the Slater’s Patent ground presents as a finely textured buff field, overlaid with a continuous floral composition in turquoise, white, and deep crimson enamels with extensive gilding. Larger, structured flowerheads anchor the design, while smaller blossoms and scrolling foliage fill the surrounding field with controlled density. The interior is fully glazed in cobalt blue.

The vase is raised on a fitted turned hardwood pedestal base.

The underside carries the impressed Doulton Lambeth England mark, the Doulton & Slater’s Patent stamp, pattern number 8397, painted reference X5132, and a block mark with the decorator’s initial ‘M’.

Condition is excellent. There are no chips, cracks, or restoration. The enamel work remains intact and well-defined, and the gilding is even throughout. The pedestal base is in good order.

Collector Appeal

• Large Slater’s Patent vase with a full lace-textured ground, enamel and gilt decoration
• Colour and gilding intact throughout
• Clearly marked, including pattern number 8397 and the decorator’s initial ‘M’
• Raised on a fitted turned hardwood pedestal base

Key Details

• Maker: Doulton Lambeth, England
• Technique: Slater’s Patent (lace-impressed stoneware with enamel and gilt decoration)
• Form: Tall baluster vase
• Period: Late 19th–early 20th century (the painted number X5132 falls within the X-series range allocated to 1897–1903; this does not date the individual vase)
• Height: 36 cm (excluding base)
• Weight: 2,360 g
• Marks: Impressed — Doulton Lambeth England; Doulton & Slater’s Patent; pattern no. 8397; decorator’s initial ‘M’; painted X5132
• Includes: Fitted turned hardwood pedestal base

What Slater recognised — and what the finest Lambeth pieces still demonstrate — is that ornament does not need to announce itself loudly; the texture holds the depth, and the colour simply allows it to be seen.