British Transferware in Indonesia 1800-1915 by Jaap Otte

he export of Brit- England started using ish ceramics new manufacturing T to Asia in technologies and the 19th and the processes to make beginning of the ceramics. Scientific 20th century has experiments so far received with recipes relatively little for clay and attention in glazes, as well as publications improvements in about ceram- the ovens at the ics. This is potteries, lead to not surprising, more refined and because until the durable ceramics. 1990s, there wasn’t Furthermore, much known in the the invention of West about the millions the transfer-printing of British ceramics made for technique in England during export to Asia. The many the 18th century, which made plates made for export at the it possible to print a design Bell Pottery in Scotland that taken from a copper-plate Edwin Robertson brought back on the ceramic body, allowed from Indonesia to Great Britain in the for the decoration of ceramics with 1980s, with dozens of then unknown complicated but standardized designs exotic transferware patterns, caused Fig. 1. Dessert dish with Buffalo pat- by relatively untrained workers, somewhat of a stir in the Anglo-Saxon tern, unknown maker, c. 1780-1820, L replacing the more expensive, highly ceramics world. The Victoria & Albert 8” (201 mm), W 7.5” (190 mm). skilled painters from an earlier Museum and the National Museum of age. While the transfer-printing Scotland acquired some of the plates, century, leading to the establishment technique lead to faster production while most of the collection was auc- of the colony of the Dutch East Indies of decorated ceramics, most of the tioned at Christie’s in 2007. in 1800. This lasted until modern steps in the production process were The Indonesian archipelago Indonesia declared independence in still predominantly done by hand, consists of more than 13,000 islands 1948. The Dutch East India Company like the throwing of the pots, but and stretches about 5,120 kilometers shipped vast quantities of Chinese the employment of a much larger (3,181 miles) from east to west. porcelain to Europe between 1600 workforce that was organized in The islands came increasingly and 1800, but very few ceramics went specialized departments, combined under Dutch control starting with from Europe to Asia during this time. with the aforementioned technical settlements in Batavia, today’s Jakarta, During the Industrial Revolution improvements, allowed for a large and Amboina under the mighty Dutch from about 1760 until the early 19th increase in production of superior East India Company in the 17th century, potters in Staffordshire, ceramics at a substantially lower cost.

TCC Bulletin, April 2019 Vol. XX No. 1, 9 During the 19th century, and espe- companies operating independently was likely a tiny fraction of the over- cially after 1850, global trade expand- from the ceramic manufacturers all ceramics trade in South-East Asia ed rapidly, assisted by steam-pro- ensured that the ceramics ended up at that time. An early, unusual, exam- pelled ships and the development of in the former Dutch East India with ple, from the late 18th or early 19th the electric telegraph in the mid-19th the mostly European wholesalers. century, is an unmarked leaf-shaped century. For trade between Europe Distributors there, often of Chinese dish from a dessert service with the and Asia specifically, the opening of descent, ensured further distribution “Buffalo” pattern, an early blue and the Suez Canal in 1869 was of huge to the Indonesian population. This white transfer printed chinoiserie consequence because it significantly brought the British potteries in direct pattern (several makers are identified cut the distance a ship would typi- competition with pottery centers in in the TCC pattern database) (Fig. cally need to sail, for example from Asia, predominantly China and Japan, 1). The shape of this type of dish, as London to Mumbai by 7,000 km that had catered to those markets for well as the decoration, follows earlier (4,350 miles). In the wake of these centuries. In general, before the 19th examples in Chinese porcelain, but large improvements in transportation, century, European wares could not what makes this dish special is its use as well as the saturation of the home compete with the Chinese and other by the local population in Indonesia markets for British mass-produced Asian pottery centers. as a scoop to serve rice during large ceramics, manufacturers in Britain, as During the first half of the 19th banquets. well as continental Europe, started to century British manufacturers made More typically during the first half explore new markets for their wares some inroads into the market for of the 19th century, British manufac- in other parts of the world, includ- ceramics used for dining by the local turers mostly sent dinner plates and ing South-East Asia. European trading population in South-East Asia, but this bowls to Asia. These were used to

Fig. 2. Plate with Pomerania pattern, Fig. 3. Rice dish with unknown pat- Fig. 4. Plate with Vase and Flowers pat- John Ridgway, c. 1835, Diam. 10.5” tern, possibly Verreville Pottery, c. tern, Copeland & Garrett, 1833-1847, (267 mm). 1840-1850, Diam. 14.5” (370 mm). Diam. 10” (254 mm).

Fig. 5. Divided dish with Brunswick Star Fig. 6. Deep plate with Dagger Border Fig. 7. Rice dish with Syrian pattern, pattern, unknown maker, c. 1840-1850, pattern, William Adams, c. 1830-1850, R.A. Kidston & Co., Verreville Pottery, unknown dimensions, private collection. Diam. 10.5” (265 mm). c. 1845, Diam. 14.5” (367 mm).

10 TCC Bulletin, April 2019 Vol. XX No. 1 serve side dishes, not for individual an-style decorations would have stood merchant or official or was acquired consumption of food. The decorations out among the mostly blue and white for their use. Another example, a were thoroughly European, for exam- of the common Chinese porcelain and large rice dish, shows an unidentified ple transfer-prints depicting roman- were a successful innovation. transfer print of a bucolic scene with tic ruins and pastoral scenes, floral A dinner plate with John Ridgway’s two cows along a river and can be arrangements, chinoiseries, orientalist “Pomerania” pattern depicting the city dated between 1840 and 1850 (Fig. 3). themes, and geometric patterns. The of Andernach in the Rhine valley in The print that was used for the center only concession towards demand in Germany (“Pomerania” #01, TCC Pat- seems to have been cut down to fit South-East Asia was that, in addition tern: 1516), and printed in light green, the round shape, most likely from a to standard plates and bowls, the pot- c. 1835, is a good early example of print that was meant for a large oval teries made relatively low, round serv- a pattern with European scenery in platter. A possible maker is the Verre- ing dishes or shallow basins, some of Indonesia (Fig. 2). The plate was ville Pottery in Glasgow, of which rice them very large. These were not avail- acquired on Sumatra. A plate with the dishes like these have been found in able in the home markets, where typi- same pattern, in blue, was excavated Indonesia (see Fig. 3). cal European dinner services included at Istana Kampong Glam, a Malay Other early examples of transfer- oval platters, not round ones. The palace in Singapore, which makes ware in Indonesia were made by shape of these round dishes more or it very likely that these plates were Copeland, which had what must have less copies that of the customary por- part of a shipment of merchandise been a sizeable export to Indone- celain dishes that were in use in Asia that was sold to the local population, sia for several decades. The earliest during that time. It is undeniable that and not a personal possession that examples date from the Copeland these striking, often colorful, Europe- came to the region with a European and Garrett partnership, such as a

Fig. 8. Deep plate with Bosphorus Fig. 9. Rice dish with Siam pattern, Fig. 10. Deep plate with Lasso pattern, pattern, J. Hawley & Co., c. 1850-1860, Mann & Co., 1858-1860, Diam. 10.5” William Adams & Sons, c. 1840-1860, Diam. 10” (252 mm). (265 mm). Diam. 10” (267 mm).

Fig. 11. Rice dish with Longevity pat- Fig. 12. Plate with Four Caliphs pattern, Fig. 13. Plate with Malay pattern, W. tern, Copeland, c. 1850-1860, Diam. Copeland, c. 1853-1860, Diam. 10.25” Adams & Sons, 1861-1869, Diam. 12.75” (323 mm). (262 mm). 9.25” (236 mm).

TCC Bulletin, April 2019 Vol. XX No. 1, 11 Fig. 14. Wall around the grave of Sunan Bonang in Tuban on Java Fig. 15. Rice dish with Delhi pattern, Charles Collin- with plates with the Four Caliphs pattern inserted in walls. son & Co., 1851-1873, Diam. 12” (305 mm). plate with a chinoiserie pattern called archaeological site in Singapore men- on ceramics in use by the local Vase and Flowers (TCC Pattern: 2700) tioned before. Thomas Dimmock’s population of Indonesia and in other introduced c. 1835 (Fig. 4). An inter- version of the pattern, named “Pekin” parts of South East Asia. The scenes esting application of a floral pattern and printed in blue, has also been range from what looks like Ottoman is “Brunswick Star”, maker unknown found in Indonesia. Turkey or the Levant, with a large (TCC Pattern: 1915), on a large di- The importance of these and other mosque and minarets, and people vided dish from Indonesia (Fig. 5). patterns that can also be found in the dressed in Turkish clothes at leisure This dish, which resembles a sweet- European and US markets are not smoking elongated pipes and playing meat dish, is an effort to cater to the the patterns themselves, which are an oud, a lute-like instrument, in demand for divided dishes that was after all relatively common, but the the foreground, to a tiger hunt on mostly met with porcelain from China provenance of the pieces. elephant back presumably taking and later Japan. “Dagger Border” There are also several good place in Thailand, as the pattern name made by William Adams in Tunstall examples of transferware with “Siam” seems to indicate. The pattern (not in the TCC database) is a good orientalist themes that seem to have name of the dish with the Ottoman example of another early chinoiserie been designed for the European scene is “Syrian” (not in the TCC pattern that found favor in Indonesia market with their romantic database) from R.A. Kidston & Co. (Fig. 6). A plate with the same pat- depictions of the exotic east, but of the Verreville Pottery in Glasgow, tern – in brown – was found at the which nevertheless can be found c. 1845 (Fig. 7). The plate with the

Fig. 16. Left: Plate with Sexagon pattern, Foley Potteries, 1871-1880, Diam. 9.25” Fig. 17. Deep plate with Alpine pat- (235 mm). Right: Sexagon mark. tern, Frederick Jones, 1865-1886, Diam. 9.75” (250 mm). 12 TCC Bulletin, April 2019 Vol. XX No. 1 “Bosphorus” pattern featuring a villa Chinese porcelain that was in use in caliphs in Islam, and written in the and minarets in the background (not South East Asia during much of the Arabic language (not in TCC database, in the TCC database) was made by 19th century and of which during proposed pattern name “Four J. Hawley & Co and is different from the last few decades hundreds of Caliphs”) (Fig. 12). William Adams better known romantic patterns with thousands of pieces have been found & Sons and the pottery of (John) this name (Fig. 8). The dish with the in shipwrecks like the Tek Sing and Hawley & Co. at the Foley Pottery in “Siam” pattern was made by Mann & the Desaru. Copeland’s and Mann & Foley followed suite, but their plates Co. in Hanley, in business under that Co.’s copy of a decoration featuring were made at the request of the name between 1858 and 1860 (Fig. 9). a prominent Chinese shou character merchant firm of Anderson Tolson “Syrian”, “Bosphorus” and “Siam” may which stands for longevity dates from & Co. in Batavia, now Jakarta. Some in fact be early export patterns. c. 1850-1860 (not in TCC database, of the plates made at William Adams The popularity of these European- proposed pattern name “Longevity”) have the pattern name “Malay” (not style patterns endured in the second (Fig. 11). The introduction of this in TCC database) (Fig. 13). Anderson half of the 19th century. A good pattern may not be a coincidence, Tolson & Co was part of a larger firm example is “Lasso” from W. Adams & as during those years the export of with branches in London, Liverpool Sons (TCC pattern number 17373), Chinese porcelain to other parts of and Cape Town. The texts on the which was later also made by a few Asia had come to an almost complete plates advertise the firm of Anderson other Staffordshire potteries as well standstill because of the destruction Tolson and the virtues of the plates as Petrus Regout in Maastricht, and of many of the porcelain kilns in on the rim and have a poem or which is quite common in Indonesia China during the Taiping Rebellion saying in the center, all written in (Fig 10). Also, well-known patterns from 1850 to 1864, a period of civil Jawi, Malay written in Arabic script. such as Willow, Wild Rose, Asiatic war on mainland China. Hence, the Multiple versions are known. An Pheasants, Oriental and Damascus efforts of some British potteries to example of the text on the rim reads: found their way to Indonesia in large make inroads in that market made “The owner is named Anderson Hunt numbers during this time. good sense. / In England he has a prosperous Throughout the 19th century there Also from this same period dates trade / His partner is Anderson always remained a market for these the introduction of what are likely Tolson / Who is famous in Batavia”. European-style decorations, but the the most striking British patterns Due to the sacred nature of Arabic second half of the 19th century is re- ever made for the Indonesian market, script in Indonesia, plates like these ally the period of the special export namely those where the main were inserted in the walls of the patterns for the various Asian mar- decoration is the elegance of the tombs of three local Islamic saints kets, including Indonesia. Among the Arabic script. Copeland was the first on the island of Java and are still earliest are traditional decorations one to introduce such a pattern, in highly sought after in Indonesia of the type that could be found on 1853, with the names of the first four today (Fig. 14). This is somewhat

Fig. 18. Plate with Makassar pattern, Bell Pottery, 18901900, Fig. 19. Deep plate with Sarawak pattern, Bell Pottery, 1905, Diam. 10” (267 mm). Diam. 10” (253 mm).

TCC Bulletin, April 2019 Vol. XX No. 1, 13 ironic, because only a minority of the Foley Potteries of J.F. Wileman in Not surprisingly because of its texts are religious, with the majority Staffordshire registered with the abstract design, “Alpine” can be found proclaiming various sayings, love British Patent Office in 1871 (not in in large parts of the Islamic world, poems, as well as advertising for the TCC database) (Fig. 16). The plate is from Ottoman Turkey to Indonesia, retailer who had ordered the plates. printed in two colors, and includes and was particularly popular in the A rice dish which probably dates a mark for the merchant firm of C. Middle East. from the 1860s has a pattern which Houghton & Co. in Jawi. Houghton The high mark in these export resembles a tartan pattern combined & Co. had offices in London, Batavia patterns was reached towards the with floral sprigs, but which because and Surabaya, and traded primarily in end of the 19th century, c. 1880-1900, of the pattern name “Delhi”, and wool and cotton cloth. Maybe it is no both in the large number of new the shape of the dish, was made coincidence that “Sexagon” seems to patterns that were introduced in rapid for the Asian market with certainty be derived from printed cloth. succession and in the high quality (not in TCC database) (Fig. 15). The It is well known that the potteries of the designs. While many British geometric and floral pattern would copied each other’s patterns. A very pottery manufacturers had patterns have appealed to an Islamic clientele. popular export pattern with the designed for the Asian market, three The dish was made at the pottery of continental potteries in Holland, manufacturers stand out. At the top is Charles Collinson & Co., in Burslem, Germany and France was the strictly the Bell Pottery in Glasgow, followed Staffordshire, which was in business geometrical “Alpine”, which may by the Britannia Pottery of Robert from 1851 to 1873. This shows that have been introduced by Petrus Cochran & Co., also in Glasgow, and also for some smaller Staffordshire Regout, Maastricht, in 1863. It was William Adams in Tunstall, which, firms the Asian market was important subsequently used at a number of as mentioned previously, had been enough that it was worth creating manufacturers, one of them the exporting ceramics to South East Asia special patterns. pottery of Frederick Jones in Longton, since at least the 1830s. During the 1870s, a new group Staffordshire, between 1865 and It has been remarked previously of patterns for the South East Asian 1886 (not in TCC database) (Fig. that while the quality of the Bell market was introduced by the British 17). From a large rice dish from Pottery’s overall production declined potteries. These are the first export Indonesia, D.16”, we know that also during this time period, reflecting patterns that seek to adapt to the J.F. Wileman at the Foley Potteries the decline in the fortunes of the taste of the local Malay population. used this pattern, but interestingly, business, the remarkable line of One of the earliest patterns in Wileman gave it the pattern name 25 new transfer printed patterns this mold is “Sexagon”, which the “Cherokee” (not in TCC database). introduced between 1887 and 1892

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Fig. 20. Deep plate with Penang pattern, Britannia Pottery, Fig. 21. Plate with Hong Botan patter, William V and Thomas c. 1880-1890, Diam. 9.5” (241 mm). Adams, 1882-1900, Diam. 7.75” (197 mm).

14 TCC Bulletin, April 2019 Vol. XX No. 1 are some of the best the pottery island that was once part of the executed in a single color, mostly a ever produced. They combine arts British Straits Settlements, and is now dark blue or red. and crafts aesthetics with South-East part of Malaysia. The pattern seems Due to the outbreak of World War I, Asian design elements in a highly to depict an archaic Chinese bronze transportation from Europe to Asia innovative and attractive way. One lidded vessel with a lion as a handle came almost to a standstill, with the such pattern is “Makassar”, (TCC (Fig. 20). The quality of their designs result that British potteries were no pattern number 3249) featuring a as well as the earthenware body was longer able to export their wares to peacock, leopard and two dragons generally not as high as the wares Indonesia and other parts of Asia. The (Fig. 18). Bell’s pattern names are from the Bell Pottery. modern ceramics industry in Japan almost all in Malay, with names such The pottery of William V and which was growing fast during these as “Ikan China”, “Keeling Hong”, Thomas Adams in Tunstall had the years took over the market. After the “Kwantung” and “Kapal Basar”, and largest variety of patterns for South end of the war, exports resumed, but in some cases written in Jawi. These East Asia of any of the Staffordshire British and other European potteries turned out to be hugely popular and potteries, with pattern names that are were unable to reclaim the lost are still common in Indonesia today. often in Malay, such as “Hong Botan”, markets and continued to lose market The patterns were almost exclusively “Kim Ki Soah”, and “San Soey Toh”. share over the next decades. used to decorate plates; no bowls or “Hong Botan” (TCC pattern number Through this introduction to rice dishes are known. Most of these 6377) was introduced in 1882. “Hong” British transferware in Indonesia we Bell patterns can be found in the TTC refers to a mythological bird, part have seen how this market in a few database. One of the last patterns Bell phoenix, part peacock, while “Botan” decades changed from an incidental introduced for South East Asia was refers to the floral part of the pattern opportunity to sell pottery with “Sarawak” in 1905, a very rare pattern (Fig. 21). standard patterns, to a very lucrative (not in the TCC database) (Fig. 19). Both Bell and Adams made plates and huge market that warranted The Britannia Pottery introduced its printed in two colors, a feature that dozens of special export patterns. ◆ own, less extensive, line of patterns turned out to be very popular with for the Indonesian market, different the local population. For that reason, Unless stated otherwise, images are in style from Bell’s designs. “Penang” it is somewhat surprising that the of the collection of the author (not in TCC database) refers to an Britannia’s patterns are almost always

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TCC Bulletin, April 2019 Vol. XX No. 1, 15