Tole Painting: The History Behind Collectible Folk-Art Treasures

At one point in history, your teapot was a breathtaking work of art. So were your set of kitchen canisters, your watering can, your boxes, and buckets. Even your wastebasket.

This time in history we're referring to is more specifically the 1800s-when toleware was at the height of its popularity-and even the most humdrum of household items were precious hand-painted masterpieces.

So what is toleware? The word "tole" is derived from the French term "tole peinte de lac," which means painted tin. Historically, tole painting is a folk art that refers to the decorative painting you commonly see on tin antiques. Typically, these are household objects like trays, coffeepots, utensils, containers, and on a larger scale, even pieces of furniture. The technique (as we know it today) originated in the Welsh town of Pontypool during the 1660s. There, a man named Thomas Allgood was experimenting with metal plating to make it rustproof and decorative all at once. In 1660, he found it. He developed a corrosion-resistant varnish made from linseed soil, burnt umber, and asphaltum. This became known as "japanning"-an imitation method borrowed from Asia that applies a heavy, black lacquer finish to objects and furniture.

The idea that you could transform otherwise lackluster wares into family heirlooms was appealing to say the least: If you could not afford the luxury of china, ornamental wares could still be easily spruced up with a coat of paint. As the technique became more and more popular-craftsmen delved deeper into the details by adding stenciling,