Antique Tunbridge ware decorated wooden objects

This is the name given to an exclusively English form of wood mosaic, which was first made by local craftsmen in and around Tunbridge Wells in Kent.

Tunbridge Wells had become a fashionable place to take the waters early in the seventeenth century, and, as most people indulging in this healthy pastime were in effect on holiday in the town, with money to burn, local craftsmen soon began to take advantage and manufacture items made by this process, which is noted for the great variety of woods and colours used.

The most common items made were boxes in various shapes and for various purposes, but the Tunbridge technique was also used to decorate clocks and furniture.

It was in the early part of the nineteenth century that Tunbridge Ware came into its own with the invention in 1820 of the tessellated mosaic.

Thin strips of wood of different colours and more... grain were glued together and pressed down tightly in blocks. When the glue was dry, the blocks were cut across the strips (like carving a joint or slicing a loaf) to produce thin sheets of patterned wood, which were then applied as veneer to a great variety of objects, such as workboxes, candlesticks, writing boxes, jewel boxes, barometers, trays, and tea caddies.

Where the surface area permitted, the pieces often depicted popular tourist sites while smaller items could include geometric designs, flowers and animals.

As the decades went by, the craftsmen improved their techniques and used a wider range of woods and colourings, so that by the mid-nineteenth century Tunbridge ware had become one of the best-known forms of wood decoration. The scale on which pieces were made increased, and the result is that, while the skill remained an intricate one, a multitude of articles was turned out.

It is said that the young Princess Victoria purchased Tunbridge ware items for family gifts, and three Tunbridge ware manufacturers exhibited their wares at the Geat Exhibtion held at Crystal Palace in 1851.

One of the last firms making Tunbridge ware was Boyce, Brown and Kemp whose craftsmen were still producing articles after the First World War. less...