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Royal Worcester Porcelain Butterfly Vase, White with Gilt, Victorian 1868

About the Item

This is an intriguing vase made by Royal Worcester in 1868. The vase is a multi-storey vase decorated with butterflies. The original Worcester factory was founded in the mid 18th Century and belongs to the group of famous pioneering potteries in Britain. It went through various changes and take overs, and in the mid 19th Century it merged with Chamberlains and Grainger, both earlier split-offs, taking the new name "Royal Worcester". The factory distinguished itself with its extremely high quality of artwork, hiring the best artists and always coming up with very vivid designs full of flowers, birds and fruits. It was in operation until the early 21st Century but eventually succumbed to the changing times. This vase is intriguing; the two storeys make it perfect for a nice centrepiece on the dinner or tea table. The foot is decorated with moulded butterflies. The vase is executed in a beautiful ivory white glaze picked off in gilt. The vase has an impressed Royal Worcester mark, as well as a diamond mark with the date code for December 1868. Condition Report The vase is in perfect antique condition without any damage, repairs or crazing and only very minimal wear. Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account. There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Dimensions the vase stands 21cm (8.25") tall and is 10cm (4") in diameter.
  • Creator:
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 8.25 in (20.96 cm)Diameter: 4 in (10.16 cm)
  • Style:
    Victorian (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1868
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. In perfect antique condition without any damage, repairs or crazing and only very minimal wear.
  • Seller Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: LT-RW251stDibs: LU4805126333252
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