{"product_id":"keeling-co-ltd-losol-ware-shanghai-washbowl-and-jug-semi-porcelain-burslem-england-c-1912-1936","title":"Keeling \u0026 Co. Ltd | Losol Ware | Shanghai | Washbowl and Jug | Semi-Porcelain | Burslem, England | c.1912–1936","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKeeling \u0026amp; Co. Ltd | Losol Ware | Shanghai | Washbowl and Jug | Semi-Porcelain | Burslem, England | c.1912–1936\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA washstand set of this scale and decoration was never purely functional — it was also a statement about what a household considered worth looking at every morning.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKeeling \u0026amp; Co. Ltd operated from the Trent and New Town Potteries in Burslem, Staffordshire, and registered their Losol Ware trade name in 1905. The body — a vitrified semi-porcelain of considerable density and whiteness — was developed as a durable alternative to true porcelain for domestic wares, and it proved well suited to the large-format pieces such as washstand sets that the Edwardian and inter-war household demanded. The Shanghai pattern draws on the long British tradition of Chinoiserie, reinterpreted here with considerable freedom: large pink peonies in full bloom, bare-branched trees carrying smaller blue and cream flowers, and a pair of pheasants — brilliantly coloured in teal, gold, red and purple — rendered against a white ground with a blue Greek key and diaper border at the lower register. The transfer print provides the structure and outlines; the colouring is hand-applied over the print, giving the decoration a warmth and slight variation that a purely printed piece would not achieve. The \"Made in England\" addition to the backstamp alongside \"Keeling \u0026amp; Co. Ltd\" places production within the c.1912–1936 window.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe jug is large, with a full-bellied lower body, a distinctly waisted neck and a wide pouring lip. The handle is of generous scroll form with gilt detailing at the terminals. The full Shanghai pattern wraps the body, with the pheasants appearing at the centre of the composition, the peonies filling the upper body and the blue diaper panels occupying the lower register and foot. The washbowl is wide and deep, with a substantial footring and a gilt rim. The exterior carries the Shanghai pattern in full, with the pheasant arrangement prominent on the front face and the peony decoration continuing around the bowl. The interior is white with a blue scrollwork border at the rim. Both pieces are substantial in weight and scale, appropriate to their function as washstand pieces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere are no chips, cracks, or crazing on either piece. The transfer print is crisp and the hand-applied colouring is vivid and well-preserved throughout. Both pieces show age-consistent light surface wear consistent with careful use, but present with considerable freshness for their age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaker: Keeling \u0026amp; Co. Ltd\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrade Name: Losol Ware\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePattern: Shanghai\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eForm: Washbowl and Jug\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: Semi-porcelain (Losol Ware vitrified body)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCountry of Manufacture: England\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFactory: Trent and New Town Potteries, Burslem, Staffordshire\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBackstamp: Losol Ware — Shanghai — Keeling \u0026amp; Co. Ltd — Burslem — England — Made in England (crown mark)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDate: c.1912–1936\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCondition: Very good for age — no chips, cracks, or crazing; decoration vivid; age-consistent light surface wear\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Shanghai pattern was designed to evoke the Orient without depicting it accurately, which tells you a great deal about what the Edwardian market actually wanted — not China, but a particular English idea of it.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Dancing Faun ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45018596835528,"sku":null,"price":3450.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0575\/3497\/2104\/files\/rn-image_picker_lib_temp_a2bf9d1f-2159-4450-945b-355d2b495395.png?v=1775887422","url":"https:\/\/dancingfaun.co.za\/products\/keeling-co-ltd-losol-ware-shanghai-washbowl-and-jug-semi-porcelain-burslem-england-c-1912-1936","provider":"The Dancing Faun ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}