Catalog (132)

A rare Chaffers Liverpool porcelain hexagonal beaker, handpainted in blue and white. The design, taken from the Chinese, shows alternating panels of floral groups, with a trellised and floral diaper along the upper rim.

The condition of this piece is excellent, with no cracks or restoration. There is a tiny firing bite at the rim, and the bottom shows kiln bubbling common to this factory. The height is 3" and the diameter is 2 3/8". Retains the label of Winifred Williams, a well known and hig...

An extremely rare and striking c1754 Chelsea cup and saucer. The bell bowl with loop handle features a bird on a leafed branch, with several insects around the girth of the cup. The saucer is similarly decorated.

The overall condition is excellent, with clear and bright colors. Both pieces have the red anchor and stilt marks. The saucer is 5" in diameter, with the cup being 2 1/8" in height. 

A Chelsea ecuelle and cover, fulsomely painted with fancy and aquatic birds. Applied flowers and leaves decorate the bases of the twig handles, while the uncommon (but original) knop on the lid is a beautiful flower painted in three colors. The ecuelle's interior features a large convolvulus spray.

The condition of this gem is superb, with bright colors and no missing paint. There is a very small spot of high quality and invisible restoration to the bottom of the knop's stem, where it meets t...

An extremely rare and striking Derby chocolate cup and saucer of very unusual form. The bell-shaped cup has an undulating rim and a flat ear-shaped pierced handle. It is painted in famille verte enamels with leaves and flowers positioned in compartments bordered in an iron red. The saucer is decorated in a similar fashion.

As rare as the cup is, according to several sources the saucer is much more so, and has rarely been offered at auction. A cup alone has appeared a very few times in the la...

A large elaborate and beautiful patch mark Derby porcelain figure group of "Music" from the Muses series. Some sources refer to a very similar group as "Poetry". However, this particular group is somewhat different and is a rare variant.

The group shows a woman, holding a lyre, standing in front of a reeded column on top of which is a book and a sheet of music. Atop the base is a standing putto holding a music pipe in one hand and some type of instrument in the other. A second putto is seated ...

A beautiful and uncommon Bow porcelain coffee cup done in the famille verte style, loosely depicting flowers in green, red, and blue. A workman's mark is on the bottom.

The condition is superb, with bright clear colors, and with no chips, cracks, paint loss, or restoration. The cup height is 2 3/16" and a diameter of 2 1/8".

A fine and uncommon blue and white Liverpool Delft plate depicting a heron and fenced garden. The 9" plate is in fine condition, with some minor, common, and expected fritting at a few places along the rim.

A wonderful and very desirable example of an 8-sided Lowestoft tea caddy, or canister. Painted with a flower bouquet and sprays beneath a border of flowerheads and foliate scrolls, the top having flowers and leaves.

The caddy is 3 1/2 inches tall and 3 inches in diameter, and is in superb condition, with no cracks, chips, or restoration. The only tiny blemish of any type is a 3/16" long glaze split at the top of the rim, clearly occurring during manufacture. Please note that what appear...

A beautiful example of a large Scratch Cross period Worcester tankard of spreading base form with a double groove strap handle. The pattern is "The Zig-Zag Fence", and is the first in a long series of Worcester fence patterns. The particular speciman offered here, with its single line mark, would be early in the c1751 to 1755 period in which this pattern was made. The expected blue workman's mark is on the base.

Condition is excellent, with no cracks, scratches, or chips. Colors are stro...

A beautiful set of twelve Bow porcelain knives, each decorated with flower sprays and a fuzzy caterpillar at the end of the handle.

Knives of this type and date can be found occasionally as singles, pairs, and rarely, as a set of 6. However, this is the first set of 12 that we have seen or encountered in 25 years. Further, many of these other knife handles were originally fitted with base metal knives, which were often replaced, with base metal, over the years. The set offered here had all th...

A fine Lowestoft porcelain strap-handled creamboat, the ovoid molded body with an undulating rim. Hand painted in a dark blue with the "Two Porter Landscape" pattern, which features two figures in a landscape with trees and birds. The reverse side, the interior center, the rim, and the lip all with floral sprays.

This particular example is particularly uncommon because of the small size, being almost an inch less in length than other examples. A "17" workman's mark is on the bottom rim. ...

A finely potted Vauxhall porcelain saucer, painted in the highly desirable "sticky blue". The scene features an Oriental person waving, amidst a landscape with buildings, trees and hills, with birds flying overhead.

This wonderful example is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, paint loss, stains, or restoration. The diameter is 4 1/2".

A fine and early English saucer showing a Chinese man with a bird. Done in blue and white, lot 303 of the Bonham's sale of the famous and important Watney collection showed this same pattern and identified it as being William Reid porcelain.

The saucer is in excellent condition and is 4 7/8" in diameter.

NOTE: William Reid & Co. were porcelain makers in Liverpool between 1756-61. Their factory was situated on Brownlow Hill where a bone-ash porcelain was produced.

A beautiful, early, and rare Worcester coffee cup of bell shape with a fine wishbone handle, painted with a flower spray, roses and a butterfly, the reverse with a moth and ladybird amongst scattered sprigs. A similar cup was sold at the Bonham's auction of 3/7/07, lot 94.

The cup is in excellent condition, with bright colors and glaze, no cracks or staining. The height is 2 1/4".

A beautiful, extremely rare, and early First Period Worcester coffee cup and saucer, each piece finely molded with fluting resembling pleats. The small, bell shaped cup has a crisply molded triple scroll handle with a pronounced thumb rest and a full blown rose in the inside. Both pieces have a strap-fluted ground reserving embossed rococo cartouches edged with scrollwork and leaves in purple and green enamel, the principal panels painted in bright puce with European landscapes including a ruine...

A Samuel Gilbody of Liverpool porcelain small mug or coffee can with a flattened round loop handle and a flat unglazed base. Painted in famille rose colors with stylized peonies and a prunus bough issuing from a jardiniere. There are sacred Chinese scrolls and a larger peony spray to the right. The interior of the rim has a diaper border with prunus blossoms.

A similar mug was sold during the Watney Collection auctions, and the pattern is also illustrated in the Gilbody section in "Liverpool ...

A superb and early spread base mug example of the Worcester "Walk in the Garden" pattern. Although Branyan, in his book "Worcester Blue and White Porcelain 1751 - 1790" indicates the date range for this pattern to be 1755 to 1765, the lovely pale grayish-blue color of the decoration and the presence of a scratch cross mark on the base would place manufacture of this mug (or tankard) several years earlier, making this a truly exceptional piece. In addition to the incised line on the base there is...

A superb and beautiful Worcester porcelain Scratch Cross period (incised line on the underside of the base) sauce boat moulded with rococo panels and cartouches formed of scrolling motifs. Both sides have a Long Eliza figure in a landscape beside a pine tree, while the interior has precious objects and flower sprays.

This fine example is in overall excellent condition, with no cracks, paint loss or restoration, and with vibrant enamels. Any apparent discolorations in the photos are due to ligh...

An early Worcester patty pan with everted rim, carefully painted in blue with the "Bare Tree and Speared Bird" pattern. The pattern features an oriental landscape with a turreted single story building between a figure and a tree, within a diaper pattern pendent husk and scroll border. Workman's mark on the exterior base.

The condition of this piece is excellent, with crisp deep colors and no cracks, chips, or other flaws. The diameter is 4 3/16" (10.5 cm).

A beautiful pineapple molded Bristol porcelain coffee cup, decorated with polychrome sprigs of flowers, the interior with an iron-red double border.

The condition of the cup is factory fresh, with absolutely no problems of any type. The height is 2 5/8", with a diameter of 2 1/2".

A beautiful Chelsea Porcelain Factory coffee cup and saucer in the highly uncommon and sought after spiral molded scolopendrium pattern form. Specifically, the cup has an iron-red undulating rim , and a spiral molded tapering body. The handle is of a notched scroll type with a raised central ridge, clearly influenced by Nicholas Sprimont (the first director of the Chelsea factory) and his prior experience as a silversmith. The body of the cup is fulsomely decorated with a variety of blooming flo...

An 18th century beautiful and uncommon Dr. Wall Worcester coffee cup of fluted French shape with a classical urn, swags, grapes and other fruit hand painted on it. The colors are vibrant, and the condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, or restoration. The gilding is also in wonderful shape, with only a few scattered traces of loss on the rim, visible only under magnification. The cup is 2 5/8 inches tall, with a diameter of 2 3/8 inches.

A fine John/Jane Pennington Liverpool porcelain creamer of helmet form painted in blue with a bird and floral motif. The elaborate handle and the leaf-molded lower half of the body add to the appeal of this charming piece.

The condition is excellent, with bright, clear color, and no chips, cracks, staining, or restoration. The cream jug is 5" in length, 4" in height, and 2 1/4" in width.

A fine and early Dr. Wall Worcester porcelain cup of slightly tapering octagonal form with each of the 8 sides decorated with a flowering plant or insects. The graceful handle is of double scroll form with a pointed thumbrest.

Excellent condition with bright sharp colors, and no chips, cracks, or staining. The height is 2" and the diameter at the top is 2 1/4".

Labels are present from the well known Shaw collection and the 1998 Albert Amor exhibit of the Vincent Townrow collection.

An extremely rare and early Worcester bowl, c 1752-3, with an elaborate landscape painted in the Chinese style. Central to the scene is a pavilion on an island among formal trees, flanked by a hut on a short jetty. Continuing the scene on that side are mountains in the distance, and a rocky island with trees in the foreground. To the right of the central pavilion scene is a rocky mountain with trees. There is an empty sampan on the reverse, and yet another treed island with mountains in the int...

A wonderful example of a Dr. Wall, or First period, Worcester small bowl, thinly potted and pencilled (painted with a very fine brush) in black with the "Boy on a Buffalo" pattern. The buffalo is standing by a large tree at the water's edge, sampans off the shore, with a bird, other foliage, and a building in the scene. A flower is on the interior bottom. A workman's mark is on the bottom, as is a label from when this item was displayed at the 1998 Albert Amor Exhibition of the Vincent Townrow C...

A wonderful and uncommon Worcester Scratch Cross period high-footed silver form sauce boat of desirable small size. This charming piece has a scroll handle with an upturned thumb rest, the body molded with scroll panels painted with "strutting birds" near a triangular fence and flowering rocks.

The length, including the handle, is 6 1/2 ", the width is 3 1/4", and the height is 2 1/2". Superb condition with vibrant colors and no flaws.

An extremely fine and beautiful Worcester mug or tankard of Scratch Cross type. The tankard, which has a grooved strap handle, flares, or spreads, toward the bottom, a shape which evolved from the silver form popular at the beginning of the 18th century.

Painted in a variety of colors with a standing Long Eliza figure, another figure seated at a table to her left, and a third figure and garden seat to her right. A tall gilded stand is behind the table. This pattern, taken from the Chinese, wa...

A beautiful Chaffers coffee can decorated with Chinese figures. Grooved loop handle. 2 1/2 inches tall, 2 3/8 inch diameter.

A beautiful lobed Chelsea porcelain plate, fulsomely decorated with a variety of flowers in a panoply of colors. The reverse with an anchor mark and three stilt marks.

Excellent condition with bright colors, no chips, cracks, or restoration. 8 1/4" diameter.

A beautiful and pristine Dr. Wall First Period Worcester hexagonal creamboat with a flared rim, a double scroll handle and the lip moulded with a geranium leaf. This wonderful piece, of highly desirable form, is painted in bright colours of green, iron-red, fuchsia, purple, blue, and yellow, and features two bouquets of flowers within scroll moulded cartouches, amongst scattered blooms. The front and the interior are also lavishly decorated with further sprays. The bottom has a label from Manhe...

An elegant and beautiful Derby porcelain figure of "Flora," from the "Antique Seasons" set. Flora (or Spring)stands on a tall plinth, is wearing a diadem of flowers, has gathered her robe in her left hand, and is offering a wreath with her right. The Antique Seasons set was made in 1771, and each has the model number "5" incised in the base. It is described in Peter Bradshaw's book "Derby Porcelain Figures 1750-1848" as being exceedingly rare.

This figure is 9" tall, and is in fantastic condi...

A fine and rare Chelsea porcelain figure of winter. The subject is an older man, obviously in distress, wearing only a wrap, and standing beside a brazier. This is a classical representation of "Winter", part of the Seasons group.

Beautifully modelled, painted, and glazed, the condition is excellent, with only a small invisible professional restoration to the thumb area. The height is 4 1/2".

A First Period Dr. Wall Worcester teabowl, of octagonal form, with a slightly everted rim, printed in outline and delicately hand coloured with the "Red Bull" pattern, the borders with half flowerheads alternating with green diaper panels. This is the rare early version of this pattern when Worcester first started using printed patterns. The pattern is based on a Chinese famille rose design from the Yongzheng period and appears circa 1754-56.

Condition is excellent, with bright colors, and ...

A superb Derby porcelain coffee can displaying a scene of two people on a hillside looking at a town in the distance. The scene is identified in blue script on the bottom as "Near Breadsall", Derbyshire" along with the pattern number 531 and the Derby crossed batons and crown mark. In addition to being a fine example of Derby painting, the ground color on this piece is a beautiful true yellow, one of the most difficult colors to produce and fire without issues, and thus one of the least common c...

A stunning Chelsea-Derby tea bowl and saucer, finely painted in puce monochrome with scattered floral sprays and sprigs, reserved on a ground of closely packed gilded spirals. The interior of the bowl is painted with a puce rose and leaves. Both pieces are marked with a gold anchor.

Condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, or restoration. Minor gilding wear to the extreme rim edges. The height of the bowl is is 1 7/8", and the diameter is 3 1/8", while the saucer diameter is 5".

A rare Bow chocolate cup of slightly flared form with the painted Koto Player pattern. Interior painted with Oriental motifs. Excellent condition, with one tiny footrim chip, no cracks, or restoration. There is an in-the-making glaze disturbance on one side. Painter's number 2 on the bottom. 4 inches tall, 2 3/4 inches in diameter.

This is an extremely nice example of a Bow porcelain figure of winter from the "Rustic Seasons" group. It depicts an older man wearing a cowled garment, sitting on a mound of rocks, and warming his hands over a brazier. The brazier is set amidst flowers and leaves, with the whole scene raised on four scroll feet.

The piece is 6 1/2" tall, and is in overall excellent and exceptional condition. There are several minor chips to two of the leaves and a flower. There is also glaze dirt or ...

This is a charming example of a Champion's Bristol coffee cup, of fluted form, decorated with swags of flowers and leaves. Marked on the bottom with a blue "X" and "17" painter's number. Certainly the marks add to the value of this as opposed to it being just an attributed example.

Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or restoration. Bright colors with no losses. A not uncommon 1/4" glaze separation in the bowl interior, shown in the fifth picture at around 7 o'clock, and a minute flea...

A scalloped top coffee cup made by the Richard Chaffers factory in Liverpool. It has a version of the Scarlet Japan pattern with panels of prunus and chrysanthemums separated by orange bands with gilding and reserved with mons. The interior also has three mons in red. The handle is of simple loop form. The cup is 2 1/2 inches tall, and 2 1/8 inches in diameter. The condition is about as close to mint as you can get, with no chips, cracks, scratches, or restoration. The gilding is also in out...

The group of small porcelain items known as "toys" is composed of scent bottles, bonbonnieres, etuis, and seals. These were produced from the early years of Chelsea through to the Chelsea-Derby period. (The most comprehensive work on these items is "The Chelsea Porcelain Toys", by G.E. Bryant, published in 1925.)

Seals were carried by members of the upper class and used to imprint a uniquely identifiable mark in the wax used to sign or secure documents or letters. They were generally 7/8" t...

A fine Chelsea porcelain finger bowl stand,with the red anchor mark and stilt marks on the reverse. Beautifully and softly painted with flowers and insects in the Meissen style. 6" in diameter and in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or restoration.

The group of small porcelain items known as "toys" is composed of scent bottles, bonbonnieres, etuis, and seals. These were produced from the early years of Chelsea through to the Chelsea-Derby period. (The most comprehensive work on these items is The Chelsea Porcelain Toys, by G.E. Bryant, published in 1925.)

Seals were carried by members of the upper class and used to imprint a uniquely identifiable mark in the wax used to sign or secure documents or letters. They were generally 1" to...

A spectacular Chelsea porcelain covered porringer. This wonderful piece is profusely decorated, even on the inside of the bowl, with butterflies, moths, other insects, and flowers. A veritable rainbow of colors was used in the enameling. The finial on the lid is a naturalistically molded rose with hues of reds and pinks, and the handles are painted with a distinct bluish green. The underside has the Chelsea red anchor mark and displays the stilt marks indicative of Chelsea.

Overall condition i...

A beautiful and elegant Derby covered chocolate cup and saucer. Decorated in cobalt blue, gilding, and heavily painted white dots to simulate pearls. Both the cup and saucer are marked with the puce crown and batons, which indicates a very desirable Derby period. Also, both are marked with an puce "8", indicating that the gilder was William Longden, and a blue "5", showing that the painter was Juno.

Superb condition with no chips, cracks, or restoration. Colors are bright and unscratched, and ...

A fine Derby porcelain dish painted by Zachariah Boreman, marked on the reverse with a blue crowned "D" and pattern number 343. The kidney-shaped dish has a beautiful soft green wide border with a gilded edge. The white ground within the green border has elaborate drape and swag gilding on the outside edge, and gilded foliage surrounding the kidney shaped cartouche in the center. The cartouche has a scene identified on the reverse as Solfatara, Italy. This central painting displays mountains, s...

A beautiful and well executed Dr. Wall Wall First Period Worcester tankard of rare size and pristine condition. This pattern, named the "Telephone Box", is derived from the Chinese, and is one of those designed specifically for upright pieces. It also is one of the very few patterns that occur both on polychrome and underglaze blue. It features two single figures and two groups of two figures each.

The identical pattern and form is shown on page 153 in "Worcester Porcelain 1751-1790 The Zorens...

A superb and graceful example of First Period Dr. Wall Worcester porcelain. The patterns on it are "La Peche" and "La Promenade Chinoise," both of which were done by Robert Hancock. Although Caughley did a very similar variation, this piece was definitely made by Worcester.

The slightly flared tankard is 4 5/8" tall, with a top diameter of 3" and a base diameter of 3 1/4". Looking fresh from the factory, it has no chips, cracks, glaze or paint loss, or restorations. The base has the hatche...

A beautiful and elegant Dr. Wall First Period Worcester tankard, or mug, painted with the "Walk in the Garden" pattern, showing a "Long Eliza" figure holding a basket and a ruyi sceptre, the boy at her side with a speared bird, and birds in the branches of a fine tree on the reverse. The inside of the footrim has a workman's mark which appears to be IH or JH.

The mug is of quite a goodly size, being 4 3/4" in height. The condition is remarkable, looking factory fresh with crisp painting and n...

A Dr. Wall period Worcester rice spoon with the Maltese Cross pattern. Applied flower to handle. Crescent mark. Excellent condition except for a minuscule nick on the rim, as shown in the fourth picture. 5 1/4 inches in length.

A superb Dr. Wall First Period Worcester porcelain tea canister of oval and fluted "French" shape. This beautiful example is decorated below the neck with a border of deep blue edged with foliate gilding. the body divided into 3 sections by green columns enhanced with a dot design and edged with gilding. Each of the body sections having pendant floral sprays, with the bottom portion of the canister having a wide gilt-edged green border. In contrast to the great majority of surviving tea canister...

A fine Dr. Wall (First Period) Worcester pickle leaf dish in the "Pickle Leaf Vine" pattern, showing flowers and vines within a feuil-de-choix border, and with a workman's mark on the reverse. Excellent condition with no cracks, chips, paint loss, or restoration. The white areas at places along the edge are light reflections. Length 3 1/4", and width 3 1/2".

This charming tea bowl is decorated with a Chinoiserie scene with three figures, one of them holding a bird. It dates from around 1775, and exemplifies the motifs that were so popular in that period. The interior has an iron-red border and sprig at the bottom of the bowl.

The bowl is 3 1/8" in diameter and 1 3/4" high. Condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, restorations, etc. There is some speckling, which is not at all uncommon, and the green in the robe of one of the figures fire...

This is a wonderful pair of Derby putti disguised as flower sellers, dating from the 1770 period. The figures are mirror images of each other, as true pairs should be. Each putti has a basket of flowers over one arm, while a single flower is held in the hand of the other arm. The height is 5 1/2", considerably larger than the usual putti. The bottoms display the patch marks typical of Derby during this period of manufacture.

The colors, which are bright, vibrant, unscratched and not at a...

A striking antique English porcelain coffee cup. Made at the Worcester factory during the Dr. Wall, or First Period, it is painted with the Pu Tai pattern in beautiful, bright enamels. It shows Pu-Tai, also known as the Laughing Buddha, seated, with two attendants. The cup has a slightly everted rim, a handle of the grooved loop type, and the interior border is gilded in addition to the iron red enamel.

The cup is 2 3/8" tall, with a top diameter of 2 1/8". Condition is superb, looking factor...

A rare and striking large porcelain bowl made by the William Reid manufactory. The scene, handpainted in an underglaze soft grayish-blue, depicts oriental buildings and foliage. The interior has a border of alternating flower heads and dots, and the bottom has a workman's mark. Both the large size of the bowl, and the scene itself, contribute to the rarity of this piece.

The bowl is 6 5/8" on diameter, and is 2 5/8" in height. Condition is superb, with no cracks, chips, paint loss, or restorat...

This is an extremely fine example of a Lowestoft tea canister, made in the 1775 - 1780 period. It is of rectangular form with sloped shoulders and a molded ridge following the outline of the sloping portion. The printed design features flowers and insects. An open crescent mark is on the underneath.

The condition of the tea caddy is superb, with no blurriness, chips, nicks, paint loss, cracks, scratches, or restoration. There is a very small firing tear on the bottom, which does not go th...

A lovely Chaffers Liverpool bowl, decorated with peonies issuing from hollow rockwork, a red bird on a branch. and an insect to the reverse. Chaffers, even more so than the more common Liverpool factories, has seen a substantial and lightning growth in interest and value, especially for items in good condition. This piece is in overall excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, or restoration, although the interior has a rubbed flower, as is often the case. 6" in diameter, and 2 3/4" tal...

A beautiful and rare bucket shaped cup made by the Bow porcelain factory and decorated in gilt, iron red, green, and blue in the kakiemon "Two Quail" pattern. The arrangement of the pattern is also unusual on this piece, with the birds placed directly opposite the handle.

This piece is in superb condition, with no chips or restoration, and showing bright enamels, with a truly minor in the making glaze split at the top of the handle (shown in extreme magnification in the 6th photo). The cup is...

A fine and rare Bow porcelain coffee cup and saucer painted with the "Dragon Chasing (the Flaming) Pearl (of Wisdom). The interior of the cup also shows the dragon, while the exterior of the saucer is painted with clouds. One of the ways to distinguish this early Bow version is the arrow shaped tongue emanating from the mouth of the dragon. The pieces are very finely potted, and each has a workman's number 13 on the bottom. The handle of the cup is of the crabstock or twig form.

The condition ...