English Porcelain & Pottery

Three hand painted watercolor portraits of little girls. These watercolor portraits each capture that girl’s unique personality and expression. Painted by skilled portrait artists of the mid-19th-century English School, they exemplify the traditional style of the era, with backgrounds that focus the viewer’s attention solely on the children. Each portrait captures small nuances of the subject’s clothing, features, and demeanor. By their dress and hairstyles, these portraits can be dated to the 1820s-1840s since beginning in the 1850’s watercolor portrait paintings were replaced mainly by photographic images. The paintings are framed in original period wood frames with an inner edge of parcel gilt. In the painting on the left, Maria Corbetta wears a baby’s bonnet; she sits on a pillow and holds a kitten. Inscribed in ink on the back, “Maria Corbetta at 22 months July 1827. Calais Fr. The second watercolor has an illegible inscription on the back, and the third has none.

Dimensions of the three paintings: 10.5″ x 8.5″ and 9.5″ x 8 and 10.25″ x 9”

Condition: Condition: Despite their age, the portraits remain remarkably good, with only slight fading and toning to the paper and minor wear to the frames, adding to their charm and character.

Price: $635

This lovely portrait of young Mary Jane Cotteril was made in England circa 1840. Her pose is straightforward, and her hair, styled in elegant ringlets, frames her youthful face, adding a touch of innocence and charm.
The portrait captures small nuances of Mary Jane’s clothing, features, and demeanor.
The reddish-purple hue of her dress complements her fair complexion, highlighting her beauty and grace. In addition, including her shadow adds depth and dimension to the piece, bringing the subject to life.
By her dress and hairstyle, this portrait can be dated to the 1840s since beginning in the 1850’s watercolor portrait paintings were replaced mainly by photographic images.
The painting is framed in an original period wood frame with an inner edge of parcel gilt.

Dimensions: 13.5″ in height and 11.5″ in width with a depth of 1″.

Condition: Although the parcel gilt on the inner frame shows light wear, this only adds to the charm and character of the piece.

This pair of mid-19th century English corkworks showcases the intricate cutting and piercing of the cork demonstrating the artist’s excellent craftsmanship.
Each diorama features a romantic scene of a castle perched atop a rocky promontory overlooking a river.
The cream-colored mats and the golden frames complement the soft colors of the cork.
One of the works boasts a lovely oval-shaped cork frame, adding to its allure.
This pair is a testament to the majesty of castles, with their origins dating back to Anglo-Saxon burhs in 9th-century Wessex.
Overall, these corkworks are an impressive display of hand crafted decorative art.

Dimensions: 14.25″ wide x 12.75″ height x 1.5″ deep

Condition: VERY GOOD. The painted frame is repainted

Made circa 1840, this English watercolor painting on paper shows a charming young girl in a plaid dress.
Her hair is cut short with curls all around. Her dress is colored blue and grey with fine red lines.
The style of her dress and hair are typical of the period.
She stands on a patterned floor typical of English interiors in the mid-19th century.
She holds a bouquet of roses.
Watercolor portraits like this were popular in England in the first half of the 19th century. By 1850 they were replaced in large part by photographic portraits.
The maple veneer frame is original. The frame and the painting are in excellent condition.

Dimensions: 13″ x 11″ in the frame

Condition: The excellent condition of both the painting and its original frame is rare.

The hand-written notes on the back of this miniature watercolor tell what was at the time a scandalous story.
The portrait is of Hanah Tichbon. The inscription reads in part, “went to the races…, “ran away from Sheffets…” and later ran away in London.” Portraits in the Victorian period were done to present public identities. On the back of this portrait, we have a hand-written inscription that provides insight into the private life of the sitter. It is an intriguing and seemingly sad story of a young woman’s life which is literally hidden behind her portrait.
At this time in England, if a married woman was unhappy with her situation, there was, almost without exception, nothing she could do about it. Except in extremely rare cases, a woman could not obtain a divorce and, until 1891, if she ran away from an intolerable marriage, the police could capture and return her. All this was sanctioned by church, law, custom, history, and approved of by Victorian society in general. The story this portrait and inscription tell is a genuine piece of history.
In the portrait, Hanah wears white with a gold chain and cross around her neck. She holds a book, quite probably a Bible. The image infers that our sitter is a proper young lady.
In reality, her life story was not anything like it appeared. This pencil and watercolor portrait was done on card. Written on the back of the painted card is: “Hanah Tichbon Alias Hanah Honsett born Sept 22nd 1809 Married Thomas Matcham on the 6 of Oct’br 1829 left him at Bath in Aug’st 1831 for six week… On Aug’st 2nd 1835 went to Brighton races and stayt 6 weeks. Oct’br 22nd 1837 ran away from Sheffets 8 month away July 22 1841 ran away in London and was found” Signed “Painted by Mr. King” and dated “1829”.