soft paste porcelain

  • Antique Chelsea Derby Porcelain Plate England Ca. 1775 18th Century Hand-Painted

    Antique Chelsea Derby Porcelain Plate England Ca. 1775 18th Century Hand-Painted

    $235.00

    This Chelsea-Derby dish, made in England around 1775, is hand-painted with beautiful flower designs.
    The center features purple roses and an orange tulip, accented by small yellow flowers and green leaves.
    Lovely loose flowers appear to tumble around the center, enhancing its charm.

    Marks: The reverse of the plate is marked with the Chelsea-Derby anchor mark and the letter “D,” which was in use from 1769 to 1784.

    Dimensions: 9.25 inches in diameter.

    Condition: Good, with a single very faint 1.5-inch hairline that has been professionally sealed; it is difficult to see in the images.

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  • Chelsea Red Anchor Porcelain Dish Mid-18th Century England 1752-1756

    Chelsea Red Anchor Porcelain Dish Mid-18th Century England 1752-1756

    $1,140.00

    The wares of the Chelsea red anchor period (1752-1758), when this dish was made, are generally thought to be the finest work produced by the factory.*
    The charm of this Chelsea soft paste porcelain dish lies in the quality of the soft paste porcelain itself, the warm white glaze, and the soft colors of the fabulous hand-painted flowers and insects. The flowers and insects are painted in exquisite soft colors, which seem to sink into the soft paste porcelain.
    The painting is at the highest level of artistry. In the center, we see a loose bouquet of scattered flower sprigs, the largest sprig with a gorgeous purple rose, and a hairy caterpillar nearby. The border has crisp flowerhead and lattice molding reserving eight small panels painted with beautiful flowers and insects, one showing a butterfly and one a butterfly next to a ladybug. Along the rim, the dish has a brown line traditional to Chelsea.
    Begun in 1743, the Chelsea porcelain factory was England’s first important porcelain manufacturer. The factory made soft paste porcelain which is different than “true” hard paste porcelain and does not require the high firing temperatures or the unique mineral ingredients needed for “true” hard paste porcelain.                                                   Soft paste originated in the attempts by European potters to replicate hard paste Chinese porcelain.
    A dish decorated similar to ours and marked with the Chelsea red anchor is in the British Museum, accession number 1940,1101.70.

    Dimensions: 9.5″ wide (24cm)

    Condition: Excellent

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  • Pair French Mennecy Porcelain Jars, Hand Painted, 18th Century

    Pair French Mennecy Porcelain Jars, Hand Painted, 18th Century

    $600.00

    This pair of soft-paste porcelain pomade jars was made at Mennecy in the mid eighteenth century, around 1765.
    These are rare survivors from one of France’s earliest porcelain factories, and they retain the delicacy and charm that earned Mennecy its remarkable reputation among aristocratic households.
    Jars of this type were intended for an elegant dressing table, placed among perfumes, powders, and small personal luxuries belonging to an aristocratic lady.

    The bodies are formed in a gently spiraling fluted shape that catches the light with quiet movement, a hallmark of Mennecy’s refined modeling.
    Each jar is hand-painted with garden flowers in soft pastel tones, including the distinctive purple rose that appears on both the body and the cover.
    The painting is fresh and luminous, with the light touch characteristic of Mennecy’s best floral decorators.
    Each cover rises to a charming strawberry finial modeled with surprising naturalism, a whimsical detail that enlivens the restrained elegance of the form.
    As expected for Mennecy, the rims are painted in a warm pinkish purple rather than gilded, since gilding was reserved exclusively for Sèvres by royal privilege.
    Both pieces bear the incised “DV” mark on the underside, identifying the Duc de Villeroy’s factory.
    Dimensions: height 3.75 inches, diameter 2.35 inches
    Condition: Excellent
    Decoration: Hand-painted flowers in pastel tones with strawberry finials
    Material: Soft-paste porcelain
    Style: French mid-eighteenth century
    Origin: Mennecy, France
    Date: Circa 1765

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