Porcelain hand painted wash bowl, pitcher and chamber pot in Victorian style

[ElgaKoster]

More than a month ago I saw this lovely set for sale on Rubylane.com and thought it would be perfect for a washstand I made a few months ago. But since I have lost tiny things like this in the post before I didn't want to run the risk of losing this, so with the help of two forum members this little set made it's way to me via Castine where my US friend gave it to one of my South African friends that returned from Castine last night, miniature friends are the best :-)

The porcelain itself was made by Avon miniatures in England, the company doesn't exist anymore, it is very fine and thin, similar to Stokesayware. The china painting is by Lynne McVay, I haven't heard of her before so if anyone out there has any info on her I would be grateful. This is some of the best china painting I have seen in miniature, delicate, fine and smooth.

[Catherine Ronan]

I agree. Fellow miniaturists do make the best friends and are the nicest people you will ever find. Over the years I have been involved in several different arts or crafts and I didn't find the same sort.

Your porcelain is lovely. Very fine painting and really thin. Congratulations, they are a nice complement to your gorgeous wash stand.

[miraclechicken]

Really perfect together and beautiful pieces that I am so glad eventually made there way to you!

[spminiatures]

Sad about Avon Porcelain.  One of the owners died (Keith) and the wife couldn't keep the business  going.  They made wonderful blanks that many porcelain painters used.  Lynn McVay lives in California and used Avon's blanks for her beautiful  porcelain designs.  She retired some years ago.  I represented her when she was active  and her work was always a good seller.   I sometimes come across her pieces in estate and collection sales and I currently have  some pieces in the same design as your set that I need to put up for sale.  I just hate to part with them!

 

Carol

S P Miniatures

www.spminiatures.com

[ElgaKoster]

Thank you for the info Carol, I saw the discussion on The Camp where her name was mentioned.

I have a few of the white Avon pieces that I bought at our Johannesburg fair two years ago for a song, a tea set with a cake plate stand, maybe I will get the courage to paint them myself one day, I used to make porcelain dolls in another life time and have kept my kiln.

[WeekendMiniaturist]

Elga, I would love to have access to a kiln to try china painting - can you china paint over these pieces the existing glaze?  I bought a lot of genesis paints when hobby lobby had them on the shelf, but I never purchased any blank china with a glaze because I didn't know if it would work...  Of course China painting requires a kiln, and I realize that Genesis Paints are heat set, so there is a difference in the mediums, but just curious if you can china paint over an existing glaze.

 

Beautiful pieces... too!  I can see that they are very thin, which in my opinion adds to the beauty of the porcelain.

 

Tamra

[ElgaKoster]

Yes Tamra you can china paint over glaze, the first paragraph on this website describes it nicely.

http://www.bettygerstner.com/chinapaint.htm

A lot of doll makers like to paint white glaze on the eyeballs of the doll before painting the iris and pupil and if I remember right from my doll making days glaze are fired at a higher temperature than china paint.

And yes these pieces were really a lucky find, they are gorgeous.