Sign in or 
| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 19 2007, 1:59 PM EDT (current) | kjacobso | |
| Jun 19 2007, 1:58 PM EDT | kjacobso | 391 words added |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
Few things capture the creativity and inventiveness of early American craftsmen as well as paint-decorated tinware trays—including bun trays, pen trays, bread trays, and octagonal “coffin” trays—which were often made and decorated specifically to be household showstoppers. Widely and incorrectly referred to as toleware, American paint-decorated tinware trays were made in New England after the mid-1700s.
Using imported sheet iron, a tinsmith (also called a whitesmith) would begin by coating the iron with tin. (The tin would drip slightly during this process, producing the waviness seen in the coating of many tin pieces.) The tinsmith formed the trays by pounding the coated sheet metal into molds using wooden mallets. As his skills advanced, he might crimp the exposed edges around a strand of wire for added strength. Men always did this work, but both men and women did the painted decorating, called “flowering.” Tinware manufacturing often involved the efforts of entire families, with the men making and traveling to sell the goods while the women stayed home and painted. Thriving tinsmithing companies could involve several locations in different states and large, extended family groups, as well as apprentices.
The “classic period” of paint-decorated trays ranged from 1825 to 1850, when trays were all hand-done and the painted flowers would cover the entire tray. At the very end of this period, stenciled work might also be used on tinware trays.
Painted tinware exhibits regional variations that can be recognized with study. In Connecticut, the tinware form is generally very well made and the designs often include the use of semi-transparent green, geometric patterns, and black veins in the floral leaves. Tinware by the Pennsylvania Dutch is probably the most easily recognized because their insular society was relatively free of outside artistic influences. Their work is marked by strong atypical colors, including red and blue, black tendrils and veins, much detail, and white banding. This sort of specific knowledge is seldom definitive because few trays are signed and all artisans in a region had their own styles.
Experts say that the most sought-after tinware trays combine unusual shapes and forms; rare background colors, such as red or yellow; the signature of a known artist; and mint, original condition. Since original condition is of primary interest to collectors, any dents, paint loss, new paint, or over-varnishing will cut the value of a piece dramatically.
Using imported sheet iron, a tinsmith (also called a whitesmith) would begin by coating the iron with tin. (The tin would drip slightly during this process, producing the waviness seen in the coating of many tin pieces.) The tinsmith formed the trays by pounding the coated sheet metal into molds using wooden mallets. As his skills advanced, he might crimp the exposed edges around a strand of wire for added strength. Men always did this work, but both men and women did the painted decorating, called “flowering.” Tinware manufacturing often involved the efforts of entire families, with the men making and traveling to sell the goods while the women stayed home and painted. Thriving tinsmithing companies could involve several locations in different states and large, extended family groups, as well as apprentices.
The “classic period” of paint-decorated trays ranged from 1825 to 1850, when trays were all hand-done and the painted flowers would cover the entire tray. At the very end of this period, stenciled work might also be used on tinware trays.
Painted tinware exhibits regional variations that can be recognized with study. In Connecticut, the tinware form is generally very well made and the designs often include the use of semi-transparent green, geometric patterns, and black veins in the floral leaves. Tinware by the Pennsylvania Dutch is probably the most easily recognized because their insular society was relatively free of outside artistic influences. Their work is marked by strong atypical colors, including red and blue, black tendrils and veins, much detail, and white banding. This sort of specific knowledge is seldom definitive because few trays are signed and all artisans in a region had their own styles.
Experts say that the most sought-after tinware trays combine unusual shapes and forms; rare background colors, such as red or yellow; the signature of a known artist; and mint, original condition. Since original condition is of primary interest to collectors, any dents, paint loss, new paint, or over-varnishing will cut the value of a piece dramatically.
