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Mauchline wareSmall souvenir or commemorative items such as boxes, needle cases and napkin rings made of varnished sycamore. Mauchline ware originated circa 1821 with the firm of W & A Smith of Mauchline in Ayrshire, which made snuff-boxes and razor strops. They soon diversified to produce many other objects of decorative utility. By 1829 they had opened a warehouse and showroom in Birmingham and by 1843 they had agents in London and Paris. A little later they opened a factory in Birmingham for assembly and decoration. The early wares were decorated with pen and ink drawings, but from 1832 black transfer prints (almost always topographical) were employed instead. The transfer-printed wares were largely designed as souvenirs and were decorated with views of fashionable resorts, spas, etc, throughout the British Isles, continental Europe and the United States. External links |
