Maggs Bros. Ltd.

Three lovingly compiled scrap albums containing nearly 700 samples of original copperplate transfer papers for ceramics – including two examples made for ceramics exported to America. While individual, ephemeral sheets of transfer papers occasionally appear in antiques shops and flea markets, it is highly unusual to find such a large collection of early transfer papers preserved in luxuriously-bound albums.

Transferware was originally invented in England in the mid-18th century – Wedgwood being an early proponent of this technology. The process is similar to that of copperplate etching, only it uses a special type of ink that can work as a ceramic glaze, and the image is usually printed onto thinner tissue paper than is typical with etching. To apply the image, first the printed transfer paper is placed on top of a ceramic, usually after the bisque firing stage. Then it is brushed with water so that the paper sticks to the ceramic surface. After drying, the paper is peeled off, and the printed image is quite literally transferred onto the ceramic. The paper is then usually discarded as it can only have a single use (for those familiar with temporary tattoos, the process is very similar!)

This technology was first introduced to Japan in the late Edo-period by Dutch and British traders. However, it was not immediately popularised, as craftspeople struggled to emulate the effect due to the different clay types and firing temperatures of Japanese ceramics. Then, entering the Meiji period, potters in Tajimi were able to successfully create copperplate printed papers for transfer ceramics and patented the technology in 1889. This was in part due to collaborative efforts with textile manufacturers in the nearby city of Nagoya, who had been using copperplate etching for printed textiles. In 2023 the Osaka Museum of History held an exhibition called 'Inbante' (Jan.-Mar.) about the history of tranferware in Japan, which included an example of a transfer paper.

After it took off, Japan became a major producer of transferware ceramics in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and they was a strong export market too. In the albums there are two examples of tranfer designs for American companies. One is for "Magda Toilet Cream" which was a cosmetic product produced by the Boston-based chemists Countie. The label has a decorative floral design with the name of the company on the lid and two slogans on either side of the product label "An Exquisite Communion of Rare Flowers" and "A Dainty Luxury for the Skin". These jars are collectable today, and some appear on sites such as eBay. However, we have only been able to find one jar of the exact same design as the transfer paper in the present album (with the curtain-like upper border, as opposed to the more common diamond pattern) – this example is in the Smithsonian's American History Museum (record ID: nmah_1298199). The other design for an American company in the albums is for Bovox, with a small design that reads "BOVOX MAKES REAL STRENGTH". Bovox Co. appears to have been a late-19th century company based in Salem, Massachusetts who produced a beef-extract akin to Bovril.

Within the albums there a much wider range of designs for the domestic Japanese market. There are several examples of blue transfer papers, but we also see examples in red, brown, dark grey and green. What is highly unusual is the presence of transfer papers printed with white pigment. These have a slightly thicker line, which achieve a slightly raised, textured finish when transferred onto ceramics.

On dating & provenance: Though there are no written dates for the album, the designs themselves give some indication of time. There is one design that was made for a newspaper company where the design is dated Meiji 31 (1898), and the dates of Magda and Bovox also anchor the albums in the late 19th century. We do not know who the albums belonged to, but it is likely that the compiler worked in – or was associated with – a company that produced transferware ceramics in Japan, as such papers were only used commercially. Additionally, all the papers in the albums are unused and in tact – since transfer papers were discarded immediately after use, they are extremely ephemeral and rare. These albums were clearly treasured items, as each fragment has been carefully pasted into luxurious backing paper and the bindings of both albums feature endpapers speckled with gold leaf. Also on the endpapers are lovely examples of Japanese calligraphy, which appear to have been done by a number of different artists (as the stamps differ in each album). It is possible that owner asked acquaintances to do these.

Unique.