A Significant Slipware documentary Wassail bowl and cover, Ewenney pottery named and dated 1832 – 1833

Ref: 4842 Categories: ,

£24500

Dated: 1833 Ewenny South Wales

The ancient tradition of Wassailing is most common in South Wales, Somerset, and Herefordshire, England. These fantastic earthenware pieces were used by farmers and villagers as part of the New Year celebrations when visits were made from farm to farm and homestead to homestead whilst singing traditional songs. Wassailing bowls would be filled with an alcoholic beverage to toast good fortune and good health. The recipients of the wishes would offer cakes and wine as a reciprocal gesture of goodwill. This magnificent large-scale pottery slipware bowl is glazed in yellow over red scraffito and is complete with a very rare amusingly and highly decorated cover. The bowl has 18 plain strap handles decorated with zig-zags and circles. (The handles would have been festooned with ribbons during celebrations). The initials and pottery name WIM Clay Pits 1833 are inscribed below the handles. The spectacular domed cover features a figure at a round table of objects surrounded by chickens and two foxes carrying a mouse in the mouth. The description on the cover reads, "William James Tonyrevil Jany 12th 1832". William James was probably the donor and possibly custodian of this piece, a gift to the village of Tonyrevil. The South Wales News of April 30th, 1892 reference was made that William Williams was a potter at the Claypits Works located in Ewenney who was a known maker of Wassail bowls for one guinea. The wassail bowl is one of the rarest pieces surviving from the Ewenney Pottery from the early 19th century and is an extraordinary example of Welsh folk art.

Dimensions: 15.5 inches high

Current Condition: l firing details, restoration to head of figure, and damages to extremities commensurate with age and use.

Provenance: From the I and G Evans Collection Wales

Literature: Illustrated on page 161 figure 275 in The Gwyneth and Ieuan Evans reference work titled Ewenny Potteries, Potters, and Pots. Revised addition 2020

£24500    $33075

Description

The ancient tradition of Wassailing is most common in South Wales, Somerset, and Herefordshire, England. These fantastic earthenware pieces were used by farmers and villagers as part of the New Year celebrations when visits were made from farm to farm and homestead to homestead whilst singing traditional songs. Wassailing bowls would be filled with an alcoholic beverage to toast good fortune and good health. The recipients of the wishes would offer cakes and wine as a reciprocal gesture of goodwill.
This magnificent large-scale pottery slipware bowl is glazed in yellow over red scraffito and is complete with a very rare amusingly and highly decorated cover. The bowl has 18 plain strap handles decorated with zig-zags and circles. (The handles would have been festooned with ribbons during celebrations). The initials and pottery name WIM Clay Pits 1833 are inscribed below the handles. The spectacular domed cover features a figure at a round table of objects surrounded by chickens and two foxes carrying a mouse in the mouth. The description on the cover reads, “William James Tonyrevil Jany 12th 1832”.
William James was probably the donor and possibly custodian of this piece, a gift to the village of Tonyrevil. The South Wales News of April 30th, 1892 reference was made that William Williams was a potter at the Claypits Works located in Ewenney who was a known maker of Wassail bowls for one guinea.
The wassail bowl is one of the rarest pieces surviving from the Ewenney Pottery from the early 19th century and is an extraordinary example of Welsh folk art.

Additional information

Dimensions 15.5 in