Ruskin Cabouchons

Home Up Antique Metalware Society Birmingham Brass Makers Button and Badge Makers Copper Ores Design Developments Diamonds Candlesticks Festival of Britain French Copper German Copper Guernsey & Jersey Jugs HMS Victory Copper Isle of Man Brass Metal Working and Finishing Mints and Medalists Not Brass or Copper Nottingham Tankards Oil Lamp Makers Pearson Page Candlesticks Ruskin Cabouchons Swedish Copperware Three Wise Monkeys Unidentified 1 & 1 Hosting Problems

(C) Vin Callcut 2002-2009  Small extracts can be used with acknowledgements to 'Oldcopper.org website'

    

     
  'Ruskin's ceramic cabochons' are sometimes found as attractive features inset in art copperware. These hard-fired ceramic inserts were made at the Ruskin Pottery Factory in Birmingham, named in his honour by the founders, E R Taylor (1838-1912) and his son William Howson Taylor (1876-1935). The works was founded in 1889 at 173-4 Oldbury Road, W. Smethwick as 'Birmingham Tile and Pottery Works' but they soon adopted the better commercial name. Production ceased in 1933 with the retirement of Howson Taylor who destroyed all notes and recipes. Finish firing carried output through until 1935, just before the death of Howson Taylor. 

   
   

   Photo courtesy Robert Boston.
       
  This ceramic-on-copper factory sign was probably made in the art copper studio of the close associate, A. Edward Jones and has vine leaves at the corners of the copper border.  This photograph of the original factory sign was taken at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery display.

There were other manufacturers of similar products so the term 'ruskin' is now generic except when a mark on the back can be identified.

  

   

Makers and their Marks