Featured Best ceramic glue to fix? + Any info on these vases also greatly appreciated!

Hello there,

My wife has a lovely pair of vases she inherited from her mum. Unfortunately one of tops got broken during our move. Grrrr! Can anyone suggest the best glue to make a repair like this? I would also imagine that the value of these pair has decreased since the breakage. Also any info on the age/country of manufacture/estimate of value would be greatly appreciated.

Thank-you,
Rob (and Laurie)

 

Hello @OrbitRob & welcome to the forum!!

Your beautiful pieces were made by Fischer & Meig located in Pikenhammer, Bohemia & date somewhere from the late 1800s to the early 1900s according to Kovel's dictionary of marks.

They are beautiful.

Someone else will be along soon to help you out with the glue question.

 

I'll let others suggest the glue, but they are GORGEOUS vases!!! BEAUTIFUL BIRDS!!!!!

 

if it's just the finial and a clean break.....I'd say super glue........imo..

 

The question of glue has come up every so often. Here is a link to one.

http://www.antiquers.com/threads/royal-holland-delft-charger-boy-
"hmmmm....well it's been quite some time since I last researched glues and adhesives so I'll give you what I remember off the top of my head though newer information could be out there. I may not be remembering exactly correctly anyway. Generally speaking it was hard to find a "good" glue.

Crazy glue and similar types as I recall can cause some ceramic bodies to degrade over time. The contact type of glues often used in museums paraloid/acryloid are reversible but I find them a bit difficult to make "look" good. The low yellowing two part epoxy Hxtyl nyl is expensive and hard to reverse. So what to use????? Before paraloid the old advice was a PVA (simple white glue) as it could be reversed with water if yellowed or weak however I think it's fallen out of favor and may not be as reversible as once thought. (Apparently Elmer's glue used to be a simple PVA but I've read they changed the formula awhile back so there were preferred other brands.) Anyway I don't repair much anymore but for my own I use a simple white PVA glue (not Elmer's) or Hxtal nyl though I have used paraloid/acryloid."

 

oooops, sorry....I wasn't aware that these are museum pieces.......

 

don't know that they are ( I've found finding glues to be an annoying experience . )

 

If this partial link copies here, it's an interesting conversation between two members (one member has passed):re:"Using what Glue"...from 2019..........he was talking pottery INITIALLY, but @blooey expanded it to include porcelain......it's JUST A THOUGHT!!!!!
HERE IT IS:

1. 
   
   MR Treasure Hunter Well-Known Member
   The reason why I can't use super glue is because once I have fitted the big piece in place its very hard to get the other small pieces to fit properly and super glue dries to quickly and its the same if I glued the small pieces in place first.
   
   MR Treasure Hunter, Sep 15, 2019 Report Best Answer
   #11 Like + Quote Reply
2. 
   
   blooey Well-Known Member
   Ah yes, you can't use superglue on the surface and THEN try to assemble because as you say, it dries too quickly.
   
   This is the most common error people encounter when using superglue.
   
   NEVER apply superglue to the broken piece then try to put it in place - it will stick immediately, more than likely in the wrong position!!
   
   You should always COMPLETELY assemble a superglue project DRY (no glue anywhere and ALL pieces in place) then use tape/plasticene/whatever to support the assembly (if it needs support). Now, with everything in place, open the superglue and just "dot" it here and there along the length of the cracks. You don't need to give it a bath, a little goes a long way.
   
   The glue will be drawn into the cracks by capillary action and make a permanent bond. It is the most invisible of all repairs, however superglue has no gap-filling qualities and only works when surfaces are in intimate contact.
   
   If you have to fill a missing piece, (if it isn't too large) you can use dry baking soda to fill the void (good on pottery and porcelain) then dribble some superglue on to the powder. Repeat as necessary to bring the patch above level, then trim to shape.
   
   blooey, Sep 22, 2019 Report Best Answer
   #12 Like + Quote Reply
   MR Treasure Hunter likes this.
3. 
   
   gregsglass Well-Known Member
   Hi Blooey,
   I use baking soda and white glue with pottery. I use corn starch with white glue on porcelain. The corn starch makes a smoother finish on porcelain.
   greg
   
   gregsglass, Sep 22, 2019 Report Best Answer
   #13 Like + Quote Reply
   MR Treasure Hunter and blooey like this.
4. 
   
   blooey Well-Known Member
   Greg, good fillers all of them - I use quite a bit off Duckhams Water putty mixed with a dot of white glue and water on a lot of stuff - ..also use gouache to tint the mix sometimes ..flour will even work in a pinch, eh?
   For rebuilding bits of picture frames Fimo is my weapon of choice!
   
   blooey, Sep 22, 2019 Report Best Answer
   #14 Like + Quote Reply
5. 
   
   gregsglass Well-Known Member
   Hi,
   I use Durhams water putty for all my wood pieces and picture frames. Takes stain and gold leaf and ease wash up.
   greg
   
   gregsglass, Sep 22, 2019 Report Best Answer
   #15 Like + Quote Reply
   blooey likes this.
6. 
   
   blooey Well-Known Member
   That's right Greg, "Durhams" not "Duckhams" - that's 10w 40 motor oil, right!!!

 

I'd be inclined to get a professional restorer on these. They're lovely, and given they've family value, it would be worth it.

 

@OrbitRob - Where are you located? Maybe check with your local museum to see if they can recommend anyone to do repairs. I agree with @Ownedbybear. These pieces are too beautiful to mess up & I would not think it would be that expensive since it is a clean break.

 

Great info thank-you very much. Nice to know we have something "Bohemian" in the house!

 

Thank-you Aquitaine.

 

Great info. Thank-you very much.

 

Yep, not museum pieces. Just lovely vases we're lucky to have inherited.

 

We actually were strangely relieved to see what looked like evidence of an earlier repair (there's yellowish-glue marks at the break) Relieved because it looks like WE didn't break them - they simply "re-broke" from an earlier repair!

 

Great thread. Thanks for sharing.

 

Good idea. I think we may go that route.

 

Good idea. We're in Toronto...so i might try what you suggested and check with the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum), that's here in the city. Thanks.