Pontypool ware

Pontypool ware, japanned (varnished) tinplate produced in Wales at the Allgood family factory in Pontypool and later in Usk, Monmouthshire. It is distinguished from other japanned tinware by its distinctive lustre and unique durability. These features are the results of the experiments by craftsmen of the Allgood family, who also developed their own tinplating technique. The Pontypool factory was established by Edward Allgood about 1732. Thin sheets of iron were dipped into molten tin, then worked into domestic utensils, such as teapots, trays, and dishes, or into ornaments. The pieces were japanned with a preparation made from linseed oil, umber (a brown oxide of iron), litharge (a lead monoxide), and, for the dark ground on which the colourful decoration is based, asphalt, or coal-tar pitch. When the pieces had been decorated with several coats, they were fired repeatedly at a low temperature, often over periods of up to three weeks, leaving the finish almost totally resistant to heat. The Allgood partnership broke up in 1761, another factory being established at Usk and producing a similar ware.

The decorative subjects used on Pontypool ware were largely Chinese scenes and figures, but those on the Usk ware included sporting and rustic scenes. The Pontypool factory had closed by 1822, and the Usk factory continued only for another 40 years. The most comprehensive collections of Pontypool ware are to be seen at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, and the Newport Museum and Art Gallery, Newport.