This delightful Derby dolphin ewer creamboat moulded with shell motifs is painted with colourful European flowers in the style of the Cotton Stem Painter. The footed base and ornate handle clearly have their origins in the popular rococo silver shapes of the time.

Interestingly, the speckled glaze suggests an early date, as does the original misfiring and discolouration to the slightly pitted interior. The glaze has pooled in tiny bubbles beneath the lower handle terminal.

Condition: No cracks or restoration. The moulded and painted decoration is rather fine. The painted floral decoration is good with only minor wear to the brown enamel line on the rim of the pouring lip. A partly glazed firing crack to the thumbrest has resulted in a tiny loss, and there is a small, discoloured chip to the edge of the base. This could possibly have occured during manufacture.

Dimensions: Height 3" (7.6cm); Length 3 1/2" (8.9cm)

Derby Porcelain 1748-1848, John Twitchett, Antique Collectors' Club (2002).