Rare Victorian ‘Doulton-Lambeth’ Stoneware Ewer (Frank Butler)

This exciting and very different, antique, art nouveau ‘Doulton-Lambeth’ stoneware ewer from the late 1800’s, was designed by ‘Frank A. Butler’, a creative genius who worked at ‘Doulton’ for forty years, from 1872 to 1911. He was practically deaf and nearly mute and had great difficulty communicating with his peers, but his visual communication via his stoneware pieces was beyond criticism. This impressive piece is one of those and I have searched the net and found nothing like it. It has a very different, tiered, four-sided shape with an unusual spout and is decorated in a wonderful art nouveau incised and engraved pattern, with colours that vary between a cobalt blue, a mottled pale blue and brown, all beautifully glazed. It’s a heavy piece for its size, and the base is impressed with the artists, signed monogram ‘FAB’, the early ‘DOULTON LAMBETH’ backstamp and the date ‘1888’. The ewer is in excellent condition and stands 18,5cm high, measures 12cm at its widest and weighs 565g.