Boulton's Birds - Part Thirteen

CHINESE BIRD & CLOUD
Designed by Enoch Boulton

This is the thirteenth in a series of sixteen articles on bird patterns introduced by Enoch Boulton during his tenure as designer and decorating manager at the Carlton Works from 1921/22 to 1930.

Continuing Flights of Fantasy

CHINESE BIRD & CLOUD elaborates on CHINESE BIRD, its sister pattern, which I focused on in the previous article. It appears to have been introduced a year later and is another extravagant concoction, incorporating the "cloud" motif originally devised for the even earlier SWALLOW & CLOUD pattern.

Pictured below is what Carlton Ware called its OCTAGON CAKE (tray) decorated with CHINESE BIRD & CLOUD 3274. This first variant of the pattern employs an unusual freehand-painted background resembling pebbles or crazy paving in vibrant semi-matt blues. When space permitted—as in this example—the CHINALAND TREE, part of Carlton Ware's exotic CHINALAND pattern, accompanied the ethereal fowl.

The CHINALAND TREE

Carlton Ware's CHINALAND pattern was introduced around 1926, roughly two years earlier, and was perhaps Enoch Boulton's most complex composition.
It incorporated elements from numerous other Chinoiserie patterns, setting them against blue seas and a skyline of snow-capped mountains.

Another element of this refined Chinoiserie pattern was the CHINALAND TREE distinguished by its two hanging lanterns. The tree’s height could be cleverly adjusted—trimmed or extended—to suit a particular shape. Usually, it emerged from stylised rocks (gongshi), flowers, and foliage—or was omitted altogether if there was no space, as you can see later in this article.

Shown below is the much-prized CHINALAND OXFORD shape bowl, displaying its namesake tree. This special pattern remained available by special order well into the 1960s.

The OCTAGON CAKE tray pictured at the beginning of this article shows the CHINALAND TREE with its 'gongshi' in all its glory, accompanied by a butterfly. Fluttering insects were often used to populate sparse areas and were placed at the discretion of the transferer. Occasionally, they concealed minor flaws in the ground; however, in this instance they were clearly added to balance the composition.

Variants

A total of nine variants was recorded in Carlton Ware's pattern records.
The second variant, shown below, was assigned the consecutive pattern number 3275. As with its predecessor, it too was given a freehand painted background, this time of random brush strokes in a semi-matt ochre colour. Notice that the rim of the vase employs different borders inside and outside. More on this later.

Another and slightly later variant, pattern number 3327, uses a POWDER BLUE ground and is mostly decorated underglaze but with a touch of onglaze RUBY lustre detail to the cloud and bird's elaborate wings. On this example, vase shape number 406, there was no space for the tree—not even on the reverse.

You can read about a probable source for the 'cloud' motif in my article on PARADISE BIRD & TREE with CLOUD

Borders

CHINESE BIRD & CLOUD used a border and bead devised for two of Horace Wain's Chinoiserie patterns, specifically MIKADO and TEMPLE. Horace Wain preceded Enoch Boulton as designer and decorating manager. Carlton Ware used the term 'bead' to describe a narrow border, often forming part of a wider one.

Firstly, TEMPLE BEAD, gold-printed on a black ground, which is used on the first two examples above, pattern numbers 3274 and 3275.

© Barbara Anne Lee 2023.

Secondly, MIKADO BORDER BEAD, also gold-printed on a black ground, as on the example with the POWDER BLUE ground, pattern number 3327.

© Barbara Anne Lee 2023

At times, a different border was applied to the internal rims of vases. On the globular vase illustrated above, the WHEEL BORDER is employed, as drawn by Barb below. Read more about widely used ubiquitous borders.

© Barbara Anne Lee 2023

To enlarge Barb's image of these borders and beads, click or tap on them.
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Date of Introduction

The first variant of CHINESE BIRD & CLOUD was probably introduced in late 1928. According to Miss Elmer, who succeeded Enoch Boulton as designer, new patterns and shapes were introduced twice yearly and promoted at trade fairs, particularly at the annual British Industries Fair, held in London and Birmingham.

Availability

The next article in this series will be about TREE & SWALLOW.