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Decorative Arts

The Decorative Arts Collection is made up of beautiful objects that were made to be admired or used. It includes metalwork, ceramics, glass, clocks and the Grice collection of ivories. The largest and most important part of the collection is metalwork.   The Decorative Arts Collection includes pottery from local factories such as Rockingham and Pinxton as well as examples from Worcester, Derby, Wedgwood and Leeds. There are some beautiful Dutch pieces commemorating the Restoration, apothecary jars once used by pharmacists and a 17th century slipware (decorative lead glazed earthenware) collection. Other commemorative pieces mark the Sheffield Flood or celebrate famous figures including Nelson, Queen Caroline and John Wesley. The influence of China and Japan can be seen in Oriental ceramics made in this country in the 19th century. There are around 500 pieces of glass in the collection, many of which are from South Yorkshire factories such as Catcliffe. There are also some large 17th Century German beakers with painted designs. A Taste of the Collection     Flood Plate Holmes Pottery, Rotherham, 1864 White pottery plate with green printed view lettered ‘Sheffield Flood March 12th 1864. Daniel Chapmans house at Little Matlock'. Derby Vase Derby Porcelain 1811-49 Porcelain vase, bell shaped with two loop handles arising from Satyr’s masks. Painted panel "View on the Welsh Coast" by G. Lucas on one side and painted bouquet of flowers on the reverse. Mark of BLOOR DERBY with a crown.     Greek Spode Sauce Dish Spode Pottery, Staffordshire, late 18th Century Sauce boat with lid, covered with blue printing of classical scenes, known as ‘Greek pattern’ Oriental Bowl Worcester Porcelain, 18th Century Porcelain basin decorated with painted Chinese figure and scenes     Black Flower Candlesticks Davenport Pottery, circa 1860 Pair of white pottery candlesticks with painted flowers on a black background. Wesley Teapot Castleford Pottery, late 18th Century Octagonal teapot with portrait of John Wesley on two sides. Swan mounted on lid.