A Flower Garden All Year Round - Chintz Collecting
Once cheap everyday earthenware, all-over floral chintz from Royal Winton, James Kent, Lord Nelson Ware and Crown Ducal had become one of the most talked-about collectibles of the late 1990s.
What chintz china is and where the name comes from
Chintz china takes its name from the brightly printed cotton fabrics made in India in the late 17th century. Like those textiles, the china is covered edge to edge in flowers, with the pattern running over the rim, the handle and the spout so that hardly any plain white shows.
English potteries produced it from the 1920s to the late 1960s. It was earthenware meant for daily use, and it was inexpensive when new. By the late 1990s, though, the dense, cheerful designs had carried chintz to new heights of popularity and to prices few of its first owners would have imagined.
More than 200 patterns were made. Their names read like a seed catalog, with “June Roses,” “Heather” and “Sweet Pea” among them, and they call to mind spring breezes and English gardens. That variety is a large part of the appeal: a collector can spend years on a single pattern or mix designs freely on one table.
Royal Winton, James Kent, Lord Nelson Ware and Crown Ducal
“Four of the major and most sought after producers in England were Royal Winton, Lord Nelson Ware, James Kent Ltd., and Crown Ducal,” said Jane Fehrenbacher, co-president of the Chintz Collectors’ Club. Royal Winton in particular has a following of its own, with a separate international club devoted to it.
These makers worked in the Staffordshire pottery district of England, the center of the country’s ceramics industry. Their wares usually carry a printed backstamp on the underside with the factory mark, and many pieces also give the pattern name. For a collector, the backstamp is the first thing to check: it identifies the maker, often narrows the period, and helps separate genuine English chintz from later look-alikes.
Collectors who enjoy English and European ceramics more broadly may also like the guides to Royal Bayreuth porcelain and antique porcelain boxes.
How chintz patterns were applied by hand
Although chintz was a mass-produced line, it required a remarkable amount of handwork. The designs were printed as lithographic transfers and then placed by hand on each individual piece. “The knowledge that a young woman spent hours placing the transfer patterns on each piece of chintz makes that much more appreciative of the treasure,” Fehrenbacher said.
The process resembled applying a decal. Each transfer had to be cut and matched with great care so that the joins between sections of the pattern were practically invisible, a hard task on curved shapes such as teapot bodies, cup handles and the rims of plates. Gilding was added by hand before the piece was fired.
Those joins are worth studying when handling a piece. On good examples the flowers meet without obvious seams or gaps. Gilt rims and handles show wear first, so the state of the gold is a quick guide to how hard a piece has been used.
Chintz prices: the Julia teapot and other auction results
A live auction at the previous year’s Chintz Convention in Florida showed how far values had risen. A unique Royal Winton “Julia” teapot brought $4,200. A Royal Winton “Florence” breakfast set sold for $3,200, a Royal Winton “Welbeck” breakfast set made $3,000, and a Royal Winton “Sunshine” lamp went for $1,700.
Complete sets could bring thousands of dollars, and in the summer of 1999 Christie’s South Kensington in London planned an auction devoted entirely to chintz, a sign that the field had reached the mainstream of the London salerooms.
Collectors pursue nearly every form. Complete dinner sets, teapots and coffeepots, bud vases and serving pieces are all collectible. Some people search for a single pattern, others enjoy mixing designs, and some collect only teacups, in as many patterns as they can find. Breakfast sets, with a small teapot, cup, toast rack and plates on a tray, are among the shapes that drew strong bids in Florida.
The Chintz Collectors’ Club and the Royal Winton club
Members of the Chintz Collectors’ Club had the patterns to prove their enthusiasm. Formed about four years earlier for collectors and dealers, the club counted hundreds of members in the United States, Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand, and it was growing along with the china’s popularity. West Coast Peddler Magazine named it the “Fastest Growing Collectors’ Society of the Year.”
The club held an annual convention in the United States as well as an international one. Co-presidents Jane Fehrenbacher and Carolyn Fox spent months preparing a convention in Pasadena, California, set for late April, with an auction of rare chintz, educational workshops, tables of chintz for sale and tours of homes filled with the china. “Belonging to the club is a wonderful way to network with other chintz collectors and to obtain valuable information about the chintz world as well as to buy and sell chintz,” Fehrenbacher said.
Dues were $40 a year and included a quarterly newsletter with color photographs, buying advice, news on popular patterns and their availability, dealer profiles and free advertisements. The Royal Winton International Collectors’ Club, based in England, charged $50 a year for a bimonthly newsletter covering Royal Winton and other chintz patterns.
Buying chintz: imitations, damage and recommended books
Club members advised reading about chintz and learning the field before making big purchases, because imitations and damaged pieces were on the market. Earthenware is softer than porcelain, so chips on rims and spouts, hairline cracks and crazing in the glaze are common. Holding a cup up to the light and running a finger around the rim are simple ways to find problems before paying for them.
Four books were recommended reading: The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Chintz by Linda Eberle and Susan Scott, published by The Charlton Press; Chintz by Design from Chintz International; Collecting Royal Winton Chintz by Muriel M. Miller, Francis Joseph Publications, 1996; and Chintz Ceramics by Jo Anne P. Welsh, Schiffer Publishing, 1996.
Fehrenbacher called chintz one of the hottest collectibles of the moment and suggested that people look again at the china in their own cabinets and closets, since there might be surprises inside. Collectors who like to use their vintage dishes every day will find kindred spirits in the story of Adrienne Barbeau’s practical collections, and stoneware fans can turn to collecting Southern stoneware.
Questions and answers
What is chintz china?
Chintz china is English earthenware decorated with dense, all-over floral patterns, named after the printed cotton fabrics made in India in the late 17th century. It was made from the 1920s to the late 1960s for everyday use and was inexpensive when new. More than 200 patterns were produced.
Who made the most collectible chintz china patterns?
According to the Chintz Collectors’ Club, four of the major and most sought-after English producers were Royal Winton, Lord Nelson Ware, James Kent Ltd. and Crown Ducal. Royal Winton is popular enough to have its own international collectors’ club based in England.
How much is a Royal Winton chintz teapot worth?
Prices vary by pattern and condition. At a Chintz Convention auction in Florida in the late 1990s, a unique Royal Winton Julia teapot brought $4,200. At the same sale a Royal Winton Florence breakfast set sold for $3,200 and a Welbeck breakfast set for $3,000.
How were chintz patterns put on the china?
The designs were printed as lithographic transfers and applied by hand to each piece, much like a decal. Workers cut and matched the transfers so the joins were nearly invisible, and gilding was added by hand before firing. That handwork is part of why collectors value chintz.
How can I tell real chintz from imitations?
Collectors advise learning the field before buying big pieces, since imitations and damaged chintz are on the market. Check the backstamp for the maker and pattern name, look for neat transfer joins and inspect rims, spouts and glaze for chips, hairline cracks and crazing. Reference books on chintz help with patterns.