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Black toleware tea
caddy, 19th c. with
vibrant red, yellow,
and green fruit
decoration, 6 3/4” h
sold for $5,290 in
2005 at Pook &
Pook. Prices have
dropped over the past
decade but the quality
of this piece stands
the test of time.

Antique toleware tin early 20th century (photo: etsy)

edges of the parts to be united by beating Commonly used
them with a mallet on a steel-edged anvil by both tinsmiths
called a “stakeplate.” This was done to and at a printer’s,
strengthen the seams and give the solder a these shears would be
used by placing a stake
chance to take hold and create clean lines. Iron through one of the
wire was used to reinforce the edges and handles and secured to the
handles, which required more strength than tin. workbench in an upright position in a socket,
The Revolutionary War created a gap in allowing the tinsmith to operate the shears with
the manufacture of toleware, and after the one hand and allowing the free hand to turn the
war toleware manufacturing flourished using piece being cut. (photo: lancasteronline.com)
improved methods to paint and lacquer
the finished goods. By the late 18th century, Cradle, made by James Spencer’s toy manufactory,
New York, NY, 1829-61;
most tinware sold was also decorated. In Winterthur Museum purchase, 1970.70
family workshops primarily found through-
out the northeast and in Pennsylvania, the
men created the tin pieces and sold them after they were finished, while the women would paint
the tinware, known as “flowering,” decorating the finished pieces with beautiful elaborate hand
painted designs featuring stylized fruits, flowers, and accent strokes. These craftsman and
tinsmiths made beautifully hand painted trays for the gentry, and shiny, unpainted, and uncoated
trays called “poor man’s silver” for those with less deep pockets. Many, like the Pattison brothers,
were also peddlers, selling their wares door to door, often bypassing and undercutting local
merchants with their wider selection of items.

Mid-Century Toleware This style of anvil was called a “stake” anvil and was
used by the tinsmith to create creases in the metal for
Toleware reached its height of popularity in
America in the 18th century, and then saw a brief a variety of small items. This tool is seen placed on
revival in the 1950s that lasted more than a decade. top of a blacksmith’s anvil. (photo: ebay)
During the 1950s and 1960s, American companies
such as Plymouth, Nashco, Pilgrim, and Fine Arts Studio authentic 18th century French, English or
produced reproduction toleware pieces, particularly trays, American pieces (showing evidence of hand
that were then hand painted in an assembly line manner. manufacture and hand painting or stenciling) in
Painters used the distinctive one stroke method where a excellent condition with strong provenance can
brush was “loaded” with one or more colors of acrylic bring from one to several thousands at auction,
paint and applied to the metal in a single stroke, including an October, 2017 sale of a 19th
creating both light and shade on flower petals, leaves or century red bread tray with floral decoration
other decoration. These “studio trays” were that sold at Pook & Pook for
This 19th century oval canister painted by accomplished artists then hand $10,980 from the collection
is nicely decorated on all sides and lacquered for a lasting finish. of Eugene and Dorothy
on the hinged lid, selling at
H&L Antiques for $195 Also during this time, many Elgin. As with most
trained toleware artists began to antiques, quality,
teach this style of painting to home-crafters, and started a craze that uniqueness, prove-
lead to the development of entire lines of tole paints, blank metalware nance, and overall
and wood pieces, and a variety patterns used by many crafters across the beauty drive the
country. While the quality of these items vary, those signed with the market for this
founding decorators from the early onset of this craft can be somewhat colorful collectible.
valuable within the crafting community.
From the 1920s to the 1940s, reproduction toleware was being imported
from countries such as Mexico, China, and Taiwan. Many of these pieces utilized the Red toleware bread tray, 19th c.,
same painting techniques, design, and color mix as the earlier forms but were more available and retaining its original vibrant decoration,
affordable. Today, they are sought out by the casual collector or enthusiast, with items 3” h, 10 1/2” w, 6 5/8” l; Provenance: Pook &
Pook; The Collection of Eugene and Dorothy
generally found in the $50 range. On the other end of the spectrum, exceptional examples of
Elgin sold for $10,980

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Journal of Antiques and Collectibles