VICTORIAN CAST IRON WASH-STAND

VICTORIAN CAST IRON WASH-STAND It is often difficult to distinguish between Victorian cast iron and steel furniture, although the latter has a more aristocratic lineage. One of the earliest recorded pieces is a chair made of forged steel for the Emperor Rudolf II by Thomas Rucker of Augsburg (i53a-i6o6). It was covered with chiselled reliefs to which were added chiselled steel sculptured figures.

In the Victorian period a number of steel end cast iron bedheads were made as these were durable metals which did not suffer from the disadvantages of wood, such as wood worm. Occasionally matching pieces, such as this wash-stand, were made to go with them but they appear on the market only infrequently and there seems to be every indication that they never became popular.

Seldom made to a really high standard-they were presumably largely designed to meet the pockets of the middle classes-this particular piece is rather exceptional in character and design. Like all cast iron and steel furniture, it has the advantage over wood of a substantial reduction in the thickness of the constructional members which gives it a certain elegance. The ornament consists mainly of steel beads and rosettes, each rivetted individually to the framework. Originally probably painted black, the wash-stand has in recent years been burnished by the sand blasting method and polished. This is frequently carried out because paint seldom withstands the rough treatment of everyday use. Like the majority of Victorian washstands, it is marble topped and has a towel rail at either end.

The blue and white ewer and basin, decorated with the traditional willow pattern, are direct descendants of the eighteenth century blue and white porcelain produced by the English in imitation of the Chinese. With very few exceptions, blue and white was made for everyday use, and most factories found it a very good selling line. It was comparatively cheap to produce and helped to finance their more costly and ambitious ventures in polychrome decorated porcelain and figures.