~ c1860 Charles Ford Blue, White And Gilt Porcelain Oval Plate ~
An oval porcelain serving plate transfer printed in deep cobalt blue with a willow style chinoiserie landscape, the centre filled with pagodas and pavilions among willow and other trees, a sampan on the water, two figures crossing a fenced bridge, and a pair of birds in flight above. The well is framed by a moulded gadroon and rope twist rim heightened with a gilt edge, on a clean white ground. The reverse carries a printed factory mark.
Historical context
Charles Ford was one of the many Hanley china makers working in the late nineteenth century, producing porcelain and bone china tablewares. The willow style chinoiserie seen here descends from the original Willow pattern developed by English potters in the late eighteenth century, itself an English invention inspired by Chinese export blue and white. By the 1890s this family of patterns was a staple of the Staffordshire industry, and the addition of a gilt edge and a moulded ornamental rim, as here, was a common way to lift a standard blue and white transfer into a more decorative dessert or serving piece for the domestic market.
~ Condition ~
Please refer to the images for the condition.
~ Dimensions ~
The plate is 30cm (12 inches) wide.
