As defined in this book, Lustre “is a form of decoration which can be applied to any form of ceramic body, be it earthenware or porcelain”. Lustreware has been made in UK factories since the very early nineteenth century and became extremely popular during Victorian times. This popularity means that there is much lustreware still available in antique emporia and junk shops throughout the land, most of which was originally mass‐produced for everyday use at the less expensive end of the market. Many of the items pictured in this book have employed a combination of techniques in their production, with the rim or the base having a lustre band and the remaining decoration being painted or in relief and fired. Nevertheless, some of the pieces which remain in existence demonstrate “the utmost sophistication and great beauty” which this technique could achieve in the hands of a master, and it is largely these pieces which are illustrated in colour in this book and which will be of interest to the collector.
It is clear from this that the colour photographs are critical to the success of this book and more than half of the 300 illustrations are in colour and very well reproduced. It is claimed that many of the pieces illustrated are very rare and have not before been shown in reference books of this nature. In particular, there are examples from the Gutman collection from Baltimore in the USA, to which country large quantities of lustreware were exported in the nineteenth century. Care has been taken to select the most appropriate items for colour photography and the captions to the monochrome photographs try to explain the coloured features in the decoration. Unfortunately, the plates in the book are not listed.
The text, printed in double columns on each page, begins with an historical account of the early days of lustre‐decorated pottery, including a brief technical description of the various techniques used to achieve the desired decorative effect. Beginning in Staffordshire in 1805, lustreware quickly became a major industry for potteries in northern England, particularly in the north‐east of England, Yorkshire and Wales. Later in the book, there are separate chapters on these areas, but the introduction is followed by a section on decorating with lustre, which describes the different techniques and those potteries which employed each and the general text is concluded with a chapter on collecting lustreware. This informs the reader of methods of identifying features to assist in attributing pieces, the special attractions of lustreware including commemorative items, restoration, the identification of reproductions and fakes, and the care of this form of pottery.
Although the book is entitled Nineteenth Century Lustreware, it does contain a ten‐page chapter, including illustrations, on twentieth century lustreware. The book concludes with a brief unannotated bibliography and a good index. The publisher, which is a well‐known house in the field of antiques, claims that the author is one of the foremost authorities on lustre‐decorated pottery.
