Papier-mâché hardly qualifies as a saleroom rarity, but it can be a challenge to find distinctive pieces in good condition. Recognizing them, though, is easy. The black japanned surface, the painted flowers, and the mother of pearl inlay all mark out papier-mâché as quintessentially Victorian.

But despite its Victorian reputation, the origins of English papier-mâché date back to the 17th century, when a compound of plaster mixed with organic matter-bark, nettles, and straw-was first used to create molded architectural ornaments. The idea was for the frugal decorator to use these prefabricated cornices and rosettes instead of hiring a plaster craftsman. By the early 18th century, the material was also being used to decorate looking glass frames, chairs and tables. Its principal application, however, remained architectural.

Beginning in the last quarter of the century, manufacturers began turning out a range of pretty trifles. Trays dominated production through the early decades of the 19th century. Tea trays, in particular, were made in great numbers, thanks to the spread of tea-drinking to the middle classes.

From the beginning, paper house-wares were "japanned"-that is, they were covered with a hard varnish in imitation of Asian lacquer. At first the decoration was simple, with a black or red ground embellished by a gilt border. By the 1790s, though, the entire surface was covered. Not surprisingly, Chinese scenes were popular. Representative of this fanciful Oriental taste is the gilt and black tray with a central painting of a Chinese couple by a pagoda; it sold at auction in 2002 for $6,572. .

Regency papier-mâché is highly valued by collectors. One of the finest pieces to come on the market in recent years is a Chinoiserie tray that sold at auction in 2005, for $24,000. Unusually, it does not have the black faux-lacquer ground, but instead is a brightly painted landscape: a rocky topography shaded by willow trees, pagoda-like structures, and Chinamen wearing funny pointy hats-the artist seems to have omitted no cliché of Eastern life. It is attributed to Henry Clay, who was the most prominent papier-mâché manufacturer at this time.

Clay promoted papier-mâché as a "new material for painting on." Another tray-this one bearing Clay''s stamp-has an allover floral decoration on black ground. The lush realism is further proof of the high level of skill of the industry''s painters; the final bid was $3,491.

Clay was a pioneer in making papier-mâché furniture. He undertook a series of experiments related to durability. Especially influential were his researches, which he patented in 1772, that resulted in a much stronger material. It was due to Clay that the new papier-mâché could be sawn and dovetailed-just like real wood.

Jennens and Bettridge, which took over Clay''s business in 1816, continued to find new uses for papier-mâché. The traditional repertoire of salvers and snuff boxes was expanded to include whole suites of chairs, and even piano casings. Papier-mâché was celebrated for its sturdiness, but manufacturers still thought it prudent to build the seating furniture around a wooden frame.

Jennens and Bettridge developed the use of mother of pearl in the decoration of papier-mâché. They patented a technique in 1825, which makes a useful dividing line in trying to date pieces. A case in point is the tilt-top table that was put up for sale last year with a $20,000-$40,000 estimate. The mother of pearl inlay indicates that it was made after 1825, although the Chinoiserie motif might have suggested an earlier date. The "lacy" cabriole tripod stand is further proof of early Victorian production.

The papier-mâché industry employed thousands of people, at its height in the 1850s. With its vast workforce and efficient production techniques papier-mâché was manifestly part of the Industrial Revolution.

Papier-mâché was not, however, "mass produced." It required skilled workers to mold, varnish, polish, and decorate. Especially well compensated were the painters, who were paid thirty to fifty shillings a week. Applying the mother of pearl decoration was a comparably remunerative occupation. By contrast, the "blackers" who rubbed on the mix of lampblack and tar varnish made only a third that amount.

There was, moreover, a scientific side to the industry, with endless efforts to discover the best formula. (The bark and nettles seem to have been eliminated at an early stage.) Finding ways to tint the mother of pearl and developing the bronze powder that proved so popular in the 1840s were other important projects undertaken by the manufacturers and their most inventive workers.

The trade flourished until the 1860s. For journalists, the subject was the occasion for a bit of nationalist grandstanding. Papier-mâché was an English achievement. Other countries were never able to make the same vast quantity of first-rate goods. The press was often critical, though, of the ornate pieces that were exhibited at the many trade shows and world''s fairs. Instead they favored its use for small portable objects, like tea caddies and letter racks.

Most pieces that come on the market have painted and inlay floral decoration on a black ground. This look is considered characteristic of Victorian papier-mâché, even though it dates back to the late 1820s, some years before Victoria became queen. Equally misleading is the belief that papier-mâché is emblematic of Victorian taste, when, in fact, it passed from fashion less than halfway through Victoria''s long reign.

Trays, which had been at the origins of its popularity, were still made in great numbers. Skinner recently sold one decorated with a peacock (a popular motif) for $2,233. Often trays were sold in sets, though most have since been broken up.

Papier-mâché is an important chapter in both the history of industrial design and the history of decorative painting. A tray depicting the Irish coast stands alone as a very pretty landscape painting; it sold at auction a few years ago for $5,433. A tray like this would have been propped up in the drawing room and been rarely, if ever, used.

The tilt-top table likewise called forth the skill of a firm''s top painter. One period piece that came up at auction a couple years ago shows Prince Albert deerstalking in Scotland, in a scene reminiscent of Landseer. The pedestal base has gilt ornament on a black ground; it sold for $6,982.

Collectors should be choosy. The cheap stuff-identifiable by its warping varnish and transfer-print decoration-was never highly valued during the 19th century, so there is no need to collect it today. Most pieces are of unknown attribution; even the big manufacturers omitted to mark all their work. Focus instead on quality and condition. A famous name is of secondary importance.

For Further Reading

Shirley Spaulding DeVoe. English Papier-mâché of the Georgian and Victorian Periods. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1971.

Jane Toller. Papier-mâché in Great Britain and America. London: G. Bell, 1962.