Faience Moonflask Vase Pair (Daffodills and Apple Blossoms)

Artist: Mary Butterton
Height: 11.5''

Doulton Lambeth Faience Moonflask Vase Pair - decorated with daffodils and apple blossoms

Doulton Faience - colorful and vibrant in its decorative effect - was mistakenly one of the most underrated products of the highly successful Lambeth Studio. In 1872, one year after the Doulton Company's first successful exhibition, Henry Doulton and John Sparkes eagerly launched innovative art ceramics when they created the Faience studio. Great improvements in ceramic production as well as the refinement of designs and colors became the hallmark of their new art studio at Lambeth.

Experimenting for a year in an attempt to reproduce the admired features of hand-painted Majolica ware, the Doulton artists introduced the first Faience pieces in 1873. This new earthenware was finer and paler than its stoneware predecessor, allowing more subtle decorative treatments and a wider palette of colors. Faience pieces appeared in a variety of designs, subject matter and colors as well as a diverse array of shapes and sizes. In 1910, the production of Faience started to dwindle and the last recorded wares are dated 1914. Made for a relatively short period, Faience pieces in good condition prove difficult to find and provide an exciting challenge for the collector.