Decorations

There are myriad types of decorations that appear on a variety of Charleton items. The
themes range from Victorian, chinoiserie, naturalistic, abstract, to Art Moderne. That is
one of the beauties of collecting these items, in that there will usually be something in the
Charleton line that appeals to someone's tastes.

AWCO first began their work with floral arrangements, mostly roses, although there was
also hand painted porcelain figurines. The roses are nicely done, and although not finely
detailed, they still portray the subject accurately. Their roses are usually distinctive in
color and form, enough so that the serious collector can sort them out with a glance.

Mixed in with the roses will often be stems of various colors of Forget-me-not, Daisies,
or Corn Flowers. Green leaves and garlands fill in the background and often gold leaf
accents accompany them. Rococo-like designs created with thick enamel paint are
sometimes scrolled between or around the flowers that lend a distinctive Old World
flavor.

Flowers are usually realistically portrayed, both in color and design. But it is not
uncommon to see the decoration done entirely in gold leaf or stylized to the extent that the
type of flowers cannot be readily identified.

Other popular but not quite as common themes are ivy, mixed fruit, various large leaves,
insects, and landscapes. The glass and porcelain blanks that these designs are rendered
upon vary just as much as the decorations. Each decoration is adapted to conform to the
surface of the object in a stylistically pleasing manner.

Decorations range from the simplistic solo flower to numerous floral sprays surrounding
intricate landscapes. Abstract decorations appear sometimes in transitional form with their
traditional artwork. Other decorations stand alone with a distinctive Art Modern motif
and occasionally on non-traditional shapes as well.

Naturalistic accents occasionally appear on glass and porcelain animals as well as the
more fanciful treatments. Still life scenes from the AWCO studio decorate glass canvases
and porcelain figurines are clothed in vibrant china paints.

AWCO artists occasionally used a device to achieve a great effect, that of tinted blushes
of blue, pink, or green to fill in the space surrounding the central subject. This blush is first
seen in blue on Cambridge items in their advertisements and was referred to as "Blue
Mist".

It is usually delicate in nature and fades nicely around the edges. Painted entirely by hand,
this extraordinary accent is quite an achievement and commensurately increases the value
of the piece. This mist effect has been found on items from several manufacturers and
always cause excitement among collectors when it appears.

Some pieces with Charleton labels are very simply treated. We have seen pieces with
only the single color glaze serving as the decoration. Others have a speckled or marbled
effect as their sole means of ornamentation for those customers who wanted a more
subdued look in their décor.

The heydays of AWCO's artistic mastery began directly with the start-up of their studio
in 1942 and waned in the mid 1950s. Towards the end of their existence, AWCO once
again turned to already decorated import items and their classical studio touch faded from
the Charleton line.

Despite the difficulties of competition and other matters in these later years that forced
their business in this less desirable direction, their overall output of beautiful artwork was
prolific. During their peak years, only the better art house in Europe could compete with
them. True, many of these overseas factories no longer existed due to the ravages of
WW II, but thankfully there was an American company willing to make the extra effort to
fill this void.

Today, "new" decorations turn up on a regular basis and it appears that their catalog of
different designs runs into the hundreds. This really adds spice to the enjoyment of
collecting Charleton, as you never know what new discovery lies around the next corner.