Chippy chintz...

What is chintz porcelain?

I recently sold a set of chintz plates on Etsy and the buyer asked me for a definition of "chintz." It was then I realized that I myself didn't know much about chintz, or its history.

After a bit of online rearch, the best description and history I found was on Replacements Ltd. :

Floral chintz patterns date back to the early 17th century. English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian adventurers were busy exploring and searching for the new world. Many visitors who explored the East returned with treasures from the lands they had visited. Several explorers brought with them fantastically decorated fabrics from India. Generally, these fabrics were thickly woven and featured brightly colored floral and bird designs. The intricately decorated fabrics became popular throughout the European continent.

At the same time, a renaissance of sorts was occurring in the pottery and porcelain industry. Pottery producers were experimenting with new glazes and decorating techniques. Josiah Wedgwood, Josiah Spode, and John Doulton each experimented with new clays, glazes, and decorating techniques. The pottery industry witnessed a number of advances during this period thanks to the hard work of these entrepreneurs.

Several pottery manufacturers wanted to replicate the brightly colored Indian designs found on chintz fabric. However, there were a number of obstacles to overcome. At the time, a suitable technique for transferring intricate motifs had not been developed. China manufacturers found it equally difficult to reproduce colors that were true to the flowers they represented.

Two brothers, Sydney Richard and Leonard Lumsden Grimwade, were instrumental in the development of manufacturing processes that allowed for the production of chintz china. They acquired the Winton Porcelain factory and renamed it Grimwades, Ltd. Before opening his china factory, Leonard Lumsden Grimwade worked as a lithographer, or print maker. Drawing from his background in print making, Leonard Grimwade developed a method of decorating porcelain that is similar to printing images on paper. This method allowed for the brightly colored layered designs of Indian chintz fabric to be replicated on porcelain. The intricately detailed designs produced by the Grimwade brothers quickly won them the patronage of the English monarchy.

In 1928, Grimwades, Ltd. released their first chintz pattern entitled Marguerite. The design for the “Marguerite” pattern came from a pillow that Leonard Grimwade’s wife was stitching. Mrs. Grimwade’s pillow was decorated with a replication of an Indian chintz fabric. “Marguerite” became an instant sales success. Two years following the release of this pattern, Grimwades, Ltd. changed their name to Royal Winton. Since that time, the Royal Winton name has been associated with fantastically designed chintz patterns.

Following Royal Winton’s success, many other china manufacturers began reproducing the elegantly detailed chintz fabric designs. James Kent pottery released several chintz patterns, including Dubarry and Rosalynde. Johnson Brothers released Summer Chintz and Rose Chintz. Both patterns were immensely popular. Today, Minton China continues to produce their ever popular chintz line, Haddon Hall. Chintz remains immensely collectible throughout the world. Royal Winton’s original patterns are highly prized collectors items.

Such a wonderful history! So now we know friends, why those chintz pieces we spot at the antiques stores are so pricey...

I was fortunate enough to find my own little pieces of history recently; at a garage sale of all places!

One is a small pot... it has a few dings, but ask me if I care...

... this piece is so old that the markings have faded into oblivion... I will be doing more research on chintz to see if I can identify the pattern and maker.

... isn't the pattern lovely?

The other piece I found appears to be either a small coffee or chocolate pot... maybe a creamer... Equally lovely, but with a long vertical crack which has been glued. I'm so happy someone took the time to repair it! Again, no markings.

If there are any chintz experts and collectors out there, please feel free to email me with any information you may have on these pieces! I'd love to hear from you; as I have so much to learn.