English Urns

Pair of bleu celeste ground porcelain vases with fluted necks and four painted scenes of what appears to be two young members of the high court on the front and back of each vase. Th...

On offer is a sublime and very rare centre piece made by Minton between 1862 and 1870, which was the Victorian era. The centre piece is made in the Sèvres style and decorated in a mazarine or cobalt blue ground with rich and very fine gilding. The piece is probably made as a potpourri. This piece would make a fabulous display on your Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas table! Minton was one of the pioneers of English china production alongside other great potters such as Spode, Davenport, Ridgway, Coalport and others. They were located in Staffordshire and were known specifically for their wonderfully fine white bone china and bright colours; there is a colour called "Minton Blue" which is a fresh azure blue that was very fashionable during the Victorian era. Throughout the different phases of its existence, the factory made top quality creamware, porcelain, majolica and ultimately the finest parian porcelain. Minton excelled in their decorations and gilt work; these were often executed by artists who came from the Sèvres factory in France and brought their skills with them. This large centre piece consists of three pieces: the base, the actual comport that can hold a liberal amount of food such as a large piece of game, and the cover. That being so, these pieces are more known for their decorative value and make a stunning display at the centre of a table setting. This piece is not documented and no pictures are known of it other than one I have heard about in the grapevine but never seen myself: an image in a collection of images of the designs made by Minton for Thomas Goode, the famous retailer in London. The relationship between Minton and Thomas Goode was a long and fruitful one. Goode, who was a close friend of Herbert Minton, commissioned a series of Victorian ornamental pieces in imitation of the late 18th Century Sèvres pieces that Goode had in his own collection. Minton did not just copy the Sèvres pieces, but created entirely new ones using the old 18th Century designs, hereby moving decidedly away from the English Rococo style, which had become increasingly strange and a little tired over the years. Minton, who had taken on Léon Arnoux, previously a painter at Sèvres, as Art Director. Arnoux was able to revive the design of ornamental wares in English soft paste porcelain...

An alabaster urn and cover inlaid with blue John on square slate base. English, circa early 19th century.