Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice older book in good condition. Pages in great condition with bright plates. No notes or highlighting. Dustover is worn. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> This remarkable and comprehensive study by a leading collector of veilleuses is the result of thirty years’ research and extensive travels. The word veilleuse (pronounced vay-euz) derives from the French veiller “to keep a night vigil.” It originally referred to any night lamp but soon came to be applied to warmers for food or drink intended for bedside use. Although conceived for a utilitarian pur- pose the decorative modeling and color- ing soon established these pieces as attractive and prized ornaments. The typ- ical pottery or porcelain veilleuse con- sists of a supporting hollow pedestal a small burner and a covered food bowl or specially designed teapot. The bowl or teapot has a projecting base that fits into the pedestal to bring its contents close to the warming flame. Another completely different type of veilleuse (called person- nages) also exists; developed in France between 1830 and 1850 they are tea warmers in the form of ornately modeled and colorfully decorated figures repre- senting a wide variety of characters. Eu- ropean porcelain and pottery factories such as Chelsea S?vres Nymphenburg Wedgwood and Ginori produced the food and tea warmers from the mid-eigh- teenth through the nineteenth centuries; however few pieces of interest to the col- lector were made after 1860. In this unique book Harold Newman has gathered together examples of all types of veilleuses from those made of the finest decorated porcelain to others made of faience creamware and glazed pottery even two of English silverware. The many different styles of design and decoration are fully described including polychrome enameling gilding ornate openwork low-relief applied figures and lithophane plaques. (MP)