Bennington Flint Enamel Relish Dish This is an extremely rare example of Flint Enamel in the form of a Relish Dish according to Barret in Bennington Pottery and Porcelain, c.1849-1858. It's a lovely piece and what makes it unusual, at least in my experience, instead of being flecked with blue or green, there are red-orange flecks in the glaze. Very subtle, but very wonderful to be sure. It is covered with a gorgeous Flint Enamel Glaze, patented in 1849 by Christopher Webber Fenton of Lyman, Fenton & Co. of Bennington, Vermont, which in that year was to become the United States Pottery Company. In this technique, powdered metallic oxides were applied to a fired piece, which was then re-fired. During the firing the oxides ran together, producing the characteristic finish. It was a labor intensive process and so the period of production was during a relatively small time frame. While the piece appears to be unmarked, I believe I can detect what feels like the mark on the bottom, under the glaze which has filled it in which is often the case. In a perfect world, this would be a perfect piece. Alas, neither the world or the piece is perfect. There are two small, less than 1/2" chips on the underside of the handle edge of the piece that need to be mentioned for the sake of accuracy but in my mind in no way detracts from the piece as it displays beautifully and is soooooo RARE! Love it, warts and all! $850.00 R05H03546 Questions? Ask the Ferret!
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