This urn-shaped vase is the perfect expression of Regency taste in decorative porcelain manufacture. The finely-enameled flowers and richly-gilt foliate decoration on a blue mazarine ground is typical of the best factories producing fine bone china in the first decades of the 19th Century. The separately applied ring handles are another indication of quality. The base is unglazed.

The shape of the vase is rather unusual in that a cylindrical or columnar pedestal is not commonly found atop a square base.

The glaze is minutely crazed, resulting in a pale cream discolouration of the white porcelain. This is sometimes seen on rare and early Davenport, as well as Minton before they stopped making porcelain in 1816. The style of rich floral and gilt decoration on an underglaze blue ground was popular with Coalport, Ridgway and also on Charles Bourne wares, but we have so far been unable to determine the manufacturer in this case.

Unmarked.

Condition: Good - no restoration or overpainting. There is a very faint hairline of 1cm from the rim, visible on the inside, and two minute 'nicks' to the gilt line on the drum base. The enamel decoration shows no sign of wear, and there is only slight wear to the gilt decoration.

Dimensions: Height 6 1/4" (15.9cm)

Staffordshire Porcelain, Geoffrey Godden, Ed. (Granada, 1983).