Rare 18th-Century Bow Porcelain Figures of South American Parrots

Bow porcelain Chinoiserie tankard, Bow, London, 1760-1765. The unusually painted polychrome Bow porcelain tankard depicts Chinoiserie figure...

Large Derby Porcelain Figure of Africa, From a series known as the "Four Quarters". Circa 1765 The large figure, emblematic of Africa, is depic...

Chinese Export Porcelain pair of maiden candlesticks, circa 1760-1775    A pair of large Chinese Export figures of standing maidens holding ...

Rare 18th century Whieldon-type creamware pottery cow, circa 1765. The rare press-moulded cow stands on a flat slab base with lobed edges. The cow is s...

Chinese Export Porcelain Figures of Attendants, Set of Five, Circa 1780 The set of five Chinese Export porcelain figures are painted in famille rose enamels with a purple robe and s...

Chinese export porcelain large mythical figures, Probably of Shouxing, God of Longevity Circa 1775 The two Chinese Export figures stand on green shaped bases and although they a...

An antique English porcelain figurine. By Bow. In the form of a boy clothed in 18th century garb and holding a flute. We've noted losse...

Pair of German Berlin porcelain 18th century figures of Asian man with cymbals and lady with parrot. Female figure has painted signature and "U" impre...

Flemish man and wife, in the white. He wears an open coat, waistcoat, breeches and tricorn hat, and plays a hurdy-gurdy. She wears a sleeved dress, long apron and linen cap and carri...

This is a fabulous pair of figures of Liberty and Matrimony made by the Bow Porcelain factory between 1760 and 1764. These figures were a popular pair portraying marriage. The bow...

This is a wonderful pair of figures of Arlecchino and Columbina, made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1758. These figures formed part of a series of the Commedia dell'Arte, a very popular series of theatrical figures that served as decoration at the dinner table in the 18th Century. The Bow Porcelain Factory was one of the first potteries in Britain to make soft paste porcelain, and most probably the very first to use bone ash, which later got perfected by Josiah Spode to what is now the universally used "bone china". Bow was the main competitor of the Chelsea Porcelain Factory, but where Chelsea made very fine slipcast porcelain, Bow made a different soft paste porcelain that tended to be softer and could be pressed into moulds. Bow served a larger public generally at lower prices. The factory was only in operation between 1743 and 1774, after which the tradition got incorporated into some of the later famous potteries such as Worcester and Derby. These figures were used to adorn the dinner table when dessert was served; groups of figures served to express something about the host, the guests, or to direct the conversation. The Italian Commedia Dell'Arte, a comical form of masked theatre, was very popular in those days and Bow copied many figures of the German Meissen series that were brought out in the decades before. This pair dates from about 1758, which was at the height of Bow's ability to make beautiful figurines often copied from Chelsea or Meissen. The pair is modelled after a Meissen pair by Kaendler. The porcelain is translucent with a beautiful milky glaze - Bow was probably the first pottery using bone in its porcelain recipe. Arlecchino (Harlequin) is playing the bagpipes, dressed in an odd costume of mismatched chintz and playing cards and wearing a funny black trumpet...

This is a very rare and impressive complete set of large figures called The Four Elements, made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1765. It consists of Ceres representing Earth, V...