Crown Derby Furniture

A very rare antique porcelain imari pattern bell by Royal Crown Derby and dating from 1904. The bell has a traditional bell shaped body with molded and finely decorated patterning in...

This is an extremely rare Belleek cabaret set for two, or "tête-à-tête", made in the Erne series brought out in the 1890s. The items carry the 2nd Black Mark, used between 1891 and 1926. The set consists of a teapot, a milk jug, a sugar bowl, two teacups and saucers, and a large matching tray. This set is very fine and with its restrained cream-white colour it would make a wonderful wedding gift! If you ever thought Belleek fine china looks, sounds and feels unique, you are right. There is a back story to this extraordinarily fine Irish eggshell porcelain, which has an unusually high amount of "frit" and therefore is thinner and finer than any other china. Pottery in Belleek (in the now Northern-Irish area of Fermanagh) had started in 1849 with John Caldwell Bloomfield, who was a wealthy land owner. During the Irish famine he realised that unless he would find a way for his tenants to make a profit off the land, they would starve. Agriculture had become impossible due to the agricultural diseases. This caused millions to starve and more millions to leave. As an amateur mineralogist, John Caldwell Bloomfield realised that his land had exactly the right mineral deposits to be used as clay for porcelain. He involved several investors and scientists and after many years of research, trial, error, the building of a railway line to import coal from England, and building a factory, the Belleek pottery resulted, employing the local people and soon producing the finest china made with clay from the Belleek area. What had started as a way to fend off famine among the local tenants had became a story of incredible success by the 1880s as Queen Victoria fell in love with the fine white china and the many homely, slightly bizarre but nature-loving designs; this was different from English tradition, yet it was very much to the taste of the British who had developed a real love for home-made fine china since it was introduced in the late 18th Century. Belleek not only brought out many tea services, but started a new tradition of intricately woven porcelain baskets. Soon the English nobility started to place big orders and the pottery is still flourishing today and selling its wares the world over, while in England most potteries have long disappeared. Belleek made many cabaret services, often called breakfast services or "tête-à-tête" services; these were used to carry breakfast tea up to the bedroom. Queen Victoria bought one in the Echinus style during a visit to the factory in the 1860s, and ever since Belleek's cabaret services have been in great demand. Nowadays there are very few of these left and it is rare to find a full service like this. The Erne series was named after the river right besides the Belleek factory. This river forms the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with the factory on the Northern Irish end of the bridge at Belleek. The pattern seems to be a play on the baskets and nets of the fishermen who once fished the abundant trout and salmon on the river Erne and the lake that belongs to it. The items carry the second Black Mark, which was used between 1891 and 1926, however the very fine quality of the porcelain indicates that most pieces of the set are more likely to be from the 1890s than from the 20th Century. You will see that the shade of cob lustre is different on each item; this is normal for Belleek tea sets...

Meissen Porcelain plate/tray with hand painted floral motives and rich gold decor.

This is a very charming "breakfast" teacup and saucer with a plate, made by Derby / Bloor Derby between 1806 and 1825. It is likely that the set was potted between 1806 and 1825, the...

Meissen porcelain plate in relief decor and hand painted in gold.

This is a beautiful coffee cup and saucer made by Samuel Alcock around 1830, which was the Rococo Revival era. The set is decorated with a bold Imari pattern and has a "ring-moulded" shape. Samuel Alcock was one of the many potters in Staffordshire such as Spode, Coalport, H&R Daniel and many others during the 1830s and 1840s. He was perhaps not the most well-known of potters but produced very high quality wares and original designs, often standing out for their bright choice of colours and beautiful shapes. The Alcock factory is not well documented so although they had a huge output, items are often mis-identified and we don't know much about the production process of artists, even though the wares have a very high quality that equals that of the more well known factories. The Rococo style was originally a style of the 18th Century. After the Baroque style, which was highly symmetrical and well-designed as it aimed to express the perfection of God, the Rococo style was a reaction that expressed the unpredictability and flow of nature. "Rococo" is derived from the French word "rocaille", which stands for a mass of pebbles that are self-organised in a completely unpredictable mess, for instance on the beach or in the mountains. Rococo moved away from the stranglehold that religion had on the arts: it was capricious, asymmetrical, charming and worldly. As Europe got mired in various wars between Germany, France and Britain, the general style got much more austere again and people embraced neo-classicism. But in the 1830s and 1840s, the seemingly unlimited fortunes of the Industrial Revolution sparked a revival of Rococo, once again creating natural shapes that are not always symmetrical and don't particularly make rational sense. This coffee cup can...

Early 19th century old Paris porcelain vase, hand-painted floral detailing and gilt gold design details on a white base. Measures: 8.5" H x...

A good quality pair of 19th century 'Sevres' porcelain hand-painted classical vases, depicting romantic scenes to the panels, set in a dark blue background with gilded decoration and...

A 19th century oyster plate made by the Union Porcelain Works of Greenpoint, New York. Hand-painted with pale pink ground and gilt accents. Nicely shap...

This is a rare and gorgeous Belleek cabaret tea service, or dejeuner set, in the famous Shamrock design, consisting of a teapot, two teacups and saucers, a milk jug, a sugar bowl, and a salt and pepper, all placed on a large matching tray. It is extremely rare to come across an entire cabaret set of these antique items, particularly when in such good condition, so this is a rare opportunity! If you ever thought Belleek fine china looks, sounds and feels unique, you are right. There is a back story to this extraordinarily fine Irish eggshell porcelain, which has an unusually high amount of "frit" and therefore is thinner and finer than any other china. Pottery in Belleek (in the now Northern-Irish area of Fermanagh) had started in 1849 with John Caldwell Bloomfield, who was a wealthy land owner. During the Irish famine...

This is a charming teacup and saucer made by the Derby King Street factory in 1889. The set is decorated with a striking Imari pattern, which is characteristic for the Derby factory....

This is a wonderful "true trio" made by the Derby Porcelain factory between 1800 and 1810. The trio is decorated in an overglaze green ground with cheerful red flowers. In the late 18th and early 19th Century cups and saucers...