An unusual find
Yesterday I was fossicking around the local Op shop for odds and sods for our next camping trip and what should I find, a rather unique piece of Carlton Ware discarded in a box of kitchenware without a spare thought. I handed it to the volunteers who were busy organizing the new donations from the increased population that swells our small coastal community to more than double its size over the summer holidays. Funnily enough I have been told by our telecommunications monopoly giant (see post 1 Project 365), that this is the reason that the wireless broadband Internet service is working so poorly. This service provider has told me in recent days, that it is because of this increase in population and with it the increased demand on a service designed to accommodate only 1000 users that it fails to keep up with demand. What sort of Dark Age do we live in here in Australia? I’m sure some third world country’s Internet service works better than this.
Anyway back to the Carlton Ware. The women at the Op shop were grateful for my find and admired it before preparing to price it and move it out for sale. I collected the plastic Tupperware that I had set aside and purchased it at the counter. But last night I thought about this piece of Carlton ware again. I thought wow, did I miss an opportunity. I must go back tomorrow and see if it is still available. I spent some late night early morning hours searching on the Internet for images of Carlton Ware that matched this piece; I found nothing. It’s not the prettiest jug / creamer I’ve ever seen but it said something to me. It looks like it has been molded from an enormous cuttlefish bone. Cuttlefish is the material I use as a mold for my sterling silver and gold jewellery. It works beautifully for me and facilitates how I capture the very essence of the sea and the shifting sands in my jewellery. Cuttlefish are the big white almost chalky bones that you find washed up on the beach.
Check out these images of the jug, and a sterling silver pendant and ring that I’ve made, the pendant is also available to buy at my online shop.
I’m sure you can appreciate why I was drawn to this piece, and why I was compelled to return to the Op Shop this morning and buy it. I have documented the Carlton Ware Creamer, so if there is any collector particularly interested in it I am happy to resell it.
Carlton Ware Jug / Creamer 1893/3 Made in England (6" high)
Sterling Silver Cuttlefish Cast Pendant. © Katrina Newman.
Sterling Silver Cuttlefish Cast Ring. © Katrina Newman.