Bloodline:
The Racehorse Portraits of Caughley Porcelain
by
Lyne Raff
Editor/Publisher
The story of Caughley Porcelain really begins in 1772.
The late 18th century was a time that changed western history forever.
In Shropshire, England, the first glimmers of the industrial revolution
and modern, world-market types of manufacturing and entrepreneurism had
started to stir. It was, somewhat, the 18th century's equivalent
of today's California Silicone Valley; companies sprang up near Coalbrookdale,
Ironbridge, and Shrewsbury in central western England, producing all types
of new, inventive goods. In the middle of this manufacturing oasis,
proprietors Thomas Turner and Ambrose Gallimore opened shop, and began
to produce porcelain that imitated the Oriental design (in particular the
much-copied 'Willow Pattern') that was all the rage since tea had become
a fashionable new drink throughout Britian. Caughley Porcelain rose
to become a major industry force of the late 1700s, until Mr. Turner's
poor health forced the company's sale in 1799 to Coalport.
Now the pastured, hilly area around Shrewsbury is a UN World Heritage site,
restored and reopened as museums. "It's hard to imagine how it was
such a smoky, thriving, inventive area," says Richard Benzing, sculptor
and owner of Caughley Porcelain. Richard Benzing is a man who is
serious about local history, and serious about ceramics. After studying
Fine Art and Ceramics and the Birmingham College of Art, he and a friend
set up a successful porcelain restoration company to repair pieces for
museums and for antique dealers. Most of the 70,000 items he had
to restore were 18th and 19th century figures and vases from the
factories of Meissen, Chelsea, Worcester, and Sevre...
(text
copyright Art Horse Magazine and Lyne Raff 2005) |