Loved, even when broken.

The Art of the Mend: How Antique Transferware Was Repaired with Staples

Long before super glue and epoxy, a cracked or broken piece of transferware wasn't necessarily destined for the rubbish heap. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, itinerant menders known as "china riveters" or "tinkers" traveled from town to town offering a clever, if unglamorous, solution: metal staples.

The process was entirely mechanical, not adhesive. A mender would first fit the broken pieces back together, then use a small hand or bow drill to bore tiny holes on either side of the crack—carefully, so as not to pierce all the way through the china's surface. Metal staples, often made of copper, brass, or iron, were then bent to shape and hammered into these holes, clamping the pieces together much like a surgical suture holds skin. No glue was involved at all; the mechanical tension of the staple did all the work.

This kind of repair was especially common on prized blue-and-white transferware, which was often imported and expensive to replace. A shattered platter or teapot could still serve the table, staples and all, for decades more. Today, these repairs are treasured by collectors rather than hidden. A row of neat, hand-forged staples across the back of a willow-pattern plate tells a story of frugality, craftsmanship, and the value once placed on everyday objects.

Far from being a flaw, a well-executed staple repair is now considered part of a piece's history—evidence that someone, generations ago, thought it was worth saving.