Description Victorians, particularly the British, were fascinated by ferns, planting them in gardens and utilizing the fern form as a popular decorative arts motif. The fern craze, dubbed “pteridomania” by Charles Kingsley in 1855, raged between 1850 and 1890. It was fed, in part, by the excitement of discovery. Even though ferns were plentiful throughout the damp woodlands of Britain and Scotland, they had an exotic aura, having been little studied before 1840, and needing careful tending in order to be cultivated in urban settings. This set the stage for naturalists to participate in the classification and naming of species and for the development of a new industry providing plants and special equipment to would-be fern gardeners. Fern motifs decorated nearly every type of utilitarian object, often called fern-ware (fern ware), including boxes, china, furniture, wrought iron, textiles and even gravestones. As new species of fern were brought back to England, fern-ware designs included not only local leaves, but a diverse range of ferns originating from as far as New Zealand, Central Asia, the West Indies, and South America. Scottish manufacturing of fern-ware boxes was a skilled and complex process, often made by local artisans. According to the University of Edinburgh project Artisans and the Craft Economy in Scotland, the method was frequently used on boxes made of wood, such as sycamore. W. & A. Smith was a leading business producing fern-ware in Mauchline, Scotland. Their influence was so significant that a specific subcategory of fern-ware that includes ferns and other motifs is known today as “Mauchline ware.” Condition: Generally very good with the usual overall light toning, wear, handling, scratches or abrasions, commensurate with use. References: Boyd, Peter D.A. “Pteridomania: the Victorian passion for ferns.” Antique Collecting 28, 6, 9-12. 1993, rev. 2 January 2002. http://www.peterboyd.com/pteridomania.htm (26 September 2024). “Fern Ware Box, Mauchline, ca. 1900.” Artisans in Scotland. http://www.artisansinscotland.shca.ed.ac.uk/items/show/3 (26 September 2024). “September: Fernware.” Artisans in Scotland. https://artisansinscotland.wordpress.com/2015/09/03/september-fern-ware/ (26 September 2024).
