Plate, Staffordshire, bone china, c.1820

This early bone china plate is decorated with a coloured outline print of a robed Chinese man in a garden. He stands, carrying a container, between an exotic fruit tree and a large blue urn filled with extravagant blooms. This scene is surrounded on three sides by a bird perched in a tree. A dotted maroon border around the rim completes the decoration. This style of decoration is altogether typical of Staffordshire wares from around 1820, and reflects something of the Regency taste for the exotic Orient.

Although this pattern has not been attributed to one particular factory, it does bear similarities to documented New Hall chinoiserie patterns on bone china in its use of yellows, greens, browns, reds and blues. See patterns 2194, 2947 and 2992 in A Partial Reconstruction of the New Hall Pattern Book (Pat Preller). Similar patterns have also been noted on cottage and London shape teawares attributed to both Rathbone and Hilditch.

Condition: Excellent - no chips, cracks or restoration. The transfer print is clear and the enamels are fresh and bright, however the blue paint on the urn has a rough, powdery texture, suggesting that there was some overfiring in the kiln. There is some kiln fritting to the base, consistent with Staffordshire wares manufactured during this period. The pooled glaze around the footrim has a bluish tint.

Dimensions: Diameter 8" (20.3cm); Height 1 1/4" (3.2cm)