{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1261664"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1261664/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GJ6652/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GJ6652/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GJ6652","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1261664/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1261664","accessionNumber":"C.20-2013","objectType":"Framed plaque","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Pâte-sur-pâte literally means 'paste on paste' and involves the laborious method of imposing liquid porcelain onto a porcelain body freehand, in a process of building up numerous layers that are then chiselled and brushed back to form a sculpted multi-layered effect. The finished piece is then fired and the result is an exquisite translucent glass-like form on the vessel with very fine detail.\nThe pâte-sur-pâte technique was a decorative style fashionable during the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Figurative decoration in a delicately rendered neo-classical style was particularly popular, and was applied to a variety of useful shapes, such as vases, but also to decorative plaques. In France pâte-sur-pâte was developed by the Sèvres porcelain factory whilst, in England, Minton employed the technique to great success. \nLawrence Arthur Birks (1857 - 1935) worked 22 years for Minton, apprenticed to the great pâte-sur-pâte artist Louis Marc Emmanuel Solon. He left Minton in 1894 establishing L. A. Birks & Co.; 1900 Birks Rawlins & Co., The Vine Pottery, off London Road, Stoke-on-Trent. The pottery mainly produced fine bone china tablewares, but Birks continued to produce pâte-sur-pâte when production allowed.  This work required a high level of skill and Birks's pieces were described by the Pottery Gazette in 1902 as examples of the most difficult class of fine art ceramics comparable to the wares produced by Solon.","physicalDescription":"Two blue and white pâte-sur-pâte plaques framed together, left: a cupid with festoons of flowers, right: a cupid forging a chain at an anvil. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Lawrence Birks","id":"AUTH325156"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"The Vine Pottery","id":"AUTH325160"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28674"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"porcelain","id":"AAT10662"},{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"}],"techniques":[{"text":"pâte-sur-pâte","id":"AAT179400"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Porcelain and pâte-sur-pâte within a wooden frame","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"}],"styles":[{"text":"Neo-classical","id":"x38958"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"CER","id":"THES48594"},"images":["2013GJ6652"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES410397"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"framed plaques","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Stoke-on-Trent","id":"x29185"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1894 - ca. 1920","earliest":"1894-01-01","latest":"1924-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Margaret Birks","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"26.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"01/05/2013","earliest":"2013-05-01","latest":"2013-05-01"},"part":"whole including frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"34.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"01/05/2013","earliest":"2013-05-01","latest":"2013-05-01"},"part":"whole including frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"3.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"01/05/2013","earliest":"2013-05-01","latest":"2013-05-01"},"part":"whole including frame","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Two blue pâte-sur-pâte plaques framed together, left: a cupid with festoons of flowers, right: a cupid forging a chain at an anvil, made by Lawrence Birks, Vine Pottery,  Stoke-on-Trent, 1894-ca.1920","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Goodfellow, Peter S., 'The Vine Pottery; Birks Rawlins & Co.' 2006. pl.79."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bumpus, Bernard, 'Lawrence Birks & The Vine Pottery' pp. 43-47, Ars Ceramica vol.7, 1990."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bumpus, Bernard, 'Pâte-sur-Pâte', 1992"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"small batch","id":"THES252237"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["C.20-2013"],"accessionNumberNum":"20","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":2013,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-06-05","recordCreationDate":"2013-03-11","availableToBook":true}}