We offer this interesting and helpful guide on the history of tole to help you better understand this popular decorative art form. The word tole is half of the French term Tole peinte du lac, meaning painted tin. If you find this guide helpful please scroll down to the bottom and click YES. Tole, as we know it, got its' start in Pontypool, Wales. John Hanbury, 1664 - 1734, started producing tin trays and utilitarian ware. When demand grew they were encouraged to ship to Europe and the American colonies.

   As time went on they decided to develop a process that would alleviate the one problem with metal ware, rust. After much trial and error they came upon a method known as Japanning. This coating is a mixture of asphalt and shellac. This surface resembled the lacquer on Japanese trays thus the term Japanning.

  Most of the early Pontypool trays are distinguishable by the lacy openwork rims. Very delicate, usually with a pattern of tiny holes. Most of the ironworks companies did employ artists, but many trays were also shipped as blanks. At home artists would decorate the trays, again, to keep them from rusting. Different floral styles for different parts of the particular countries. The decorating of trays, boxes, and utilitarian ware was known as flowering. Pennsylvania had a certain style that was reminiscent of German and Dutch art with lots of stylized tulips. In the early days they painted most tinware with a red background with much yellow and green for accents.

 The founding fathers of the American tin trade were two brothers Edward & William Patterson. They settled in Berlin Connecticut after immigrating from Ireland in 1740. They shaped and decorated imported tinplate by hand. The American Revolution curtailed the business, but when hostilities ceased the manufacture and demand grew. The beautifully painted trays were for the gentry and the shiny unpainted and uncoated trays were called poor man's silver.

  The octagonal trays are referred to as coffin trays because of the familiar shape. The Chippendale tray is a confusing misnomer and refers to the Gothic shape and not the period. The word Chippendale is an American colloquialism. The very large trays were called butlers and the very small trays were called card trays. Usually left out in the hallway for one's calling cards.

  The very collectible studio trays from the 1950's and 1960's were hand painted in assembly line fashion. Some of the major tole companies at this time were Nash, later known as Nashco. Pilgrim, Plymouth, Hammond, Goodkind and Co., and Fine Arts Studio were also important tole producers. Nashco was the most prolific. Trays were painted one after the other, using the one stroke method. Most of the toleware was painted by men in the earlier days. Fred Austin, Francis, Raymond, Van, and Paul Dennis are some of the more collected artists. If you want to see hundreds of tole pieces, please visit our eBay store, New England Tole Collectables, also our auctions under our seller ID tole4thee. Thanks so much and if you found this guide helpful please scroll down to the bottom and click YES.