Glass and Porcelain
c. 1796 “Success to the United States of America” Pitcher
c. 1796 Federal Period, Patriotic Historical Strawberry Luster Pitcher, “Success to the United States of America” Legend with 16-Star American Flag, England, Very Fine.
This Patriotic Strawberry Luster Pitcher measures 6” tall and 4” in diameter at the base, fully intact with some normal wear from use. It was produced in England for export to America around 1796 to 1800 as indicated by the 16 Stars boldly presented on the American Flag which was in use in 1796 from the time of Tennessee statehood. Both deep black transfers are exceptionally bold, sharp in detail and crisp in eye appeal. One side has a transfer listed as style P.11 on page 205 of David Arman’s great reference book, “Anglo-American Ceramics Part I.” The State of “New York” is commemorated on this transfer, along with an inscription reading “Peace, Plenty and Independence” displaying a second American Flag and large Heraldic American Eagle vignette. The other side is listed as Arman S.80 on page 182. It reads “Success to the United States of America,” and “E Pluribus Unum.” Overall, the Strawberry Luster decor is bright and colorful. There is definite wear to the luster finish around the top rim and on the edges of the handle from use. Overall, this pitcher is in very nice condition with excellent detail to the transfers, ready for display.
Lusterware or Lustreware (respectively the US and all other English spellings) is a type of pottery or porcelain with a metallic glaze that gives the effect of iridescence, produced by metallic oxides in an overglaze finish, which is given a second firing at a lower temperature in a "muffle kiln", reduction kiln, which excludes oxygen.Metallic lustre of another sort produced English lustreware, which imparts to a piece of pottery the appearance of an object of silver, gold or copper.

Silver lustre employed the new metal platinum, whose chemical properties were analyzed towards the end of the 18th century, John Hancock of Hanley invented the application of a platinum technique, and "put it in practice at Mr Spode's manufactory, for Messrs. Daniels and Brown" about 1800.

Very dilute amounts of powdered gold or platinum were dissolved in aqua regia and added to spirits of tar for platinum and a mixture of turpentine, flowers of sulfur and linseed oil for gold. The mixture was applied to the glazed ware and fired in an enameling kiln, depositing a thin film of platinum or gold.

Platinum produced the appearance of solid silver, and was employed for the middle class in shapes identical to those uses for silver tea services, ca. 1810-1840. Depending on the concentration of gold in the lustring compound and the under slip on which it was applied, a range of colours could be achieved, from pale rose and lavender, to copper and gold.

The gold lustre could be painted or stenciled on the ware, or it could be applied in the resist technique, in which the background was solidly lustred, and the design remained in the body color. In the resist technique, similar to batik, the design was painted in glue and size in a glycerin or honey compound, the lustre applied by dipping, and the resist washed off before the piece was fired.

Lustreware became popular in Staffordshire during the 19th century, where it was also used by Josiah Wedgwood, who introduced pink and white lustreware simulating mother o' pearl effects in dishes and bowls cast in the shapes of shells, and silver lustre, introduced at Wedgwood in 1805.

In 1810 Peter Warburton of New Hall[disambiguation needed] patented a method of transfer-printing in gold and silver lustre. Sunderland Lustreware in the North East is renowned for its mottled pink lustreware, and lustreware was also produced in Leeds, Yorkshire, where the technique may have been introduced by Thomas Lakin.

Wedgwood's lusterware made in the 1820s spawned the production of mass quantities of copper and silver lustreware in England and Wales. Cream pitchers with appliqué-detailed spouts and meticulously applied handles were most common, and often featured stylized decorative bands in dark blue, cream yellow, pink, and, most rare, dark green and purple.

Raised, multicolored patterns depicting pastoral scenes were also created, and sand was sometimes incorporated into the glaze to add texture.

Pitchers were produced in a range of sizes from cream pitchers to large milk pitchers, as well as small coffeepots and teapots. Tea sets came a bit later, usually featuring creamers, sugar bowls, and slop bowls.