Lion’s head planter, Minton factory, ca. 1880

This brightly colored piece decorated with lions’ heads and fruit garlands testifies to the exceptional creativity that reigned at the Minton factory in Stoke-on-Trent during the second half of the 19th century. It shows the characteristics of the work of this brilliant factory: the bright and brilliant colors (typical turquoise, baby pink, golden yellow), the abundance of the decoration, the classical references etc.

The factory was founded in 1793 by Thomas Minton (1788-1836). He bought a plot of land in Stoke-on-Trent (south of Manchester) to build a small factory. The production is concentrated at the beginning on the realization of earthenware with the printed decoration blue and white. Few pieces are marked and it is mainly a work of subcontracting for other factories. The development of the manufacture is accompanied by the execution, towards 1798, of an earthenware of color cream known as “bone china” whose manufacture containing bone powder relates to the tableware. This production stops from 1816 then resumes in 1824 to know an important success.