English Urns

This is a stunning porcelain potpourri vase with a double cover made by Royal Worcester in 1901. It is painted with beautiful orchids against a soft blue background by the famous porcelain artist Frank Roberts. This vase is a beautiful decorative object. Potpourri vases were meant to hold a mix of scented dried flowers and leaves (the potpourri) to freshen the air in the often stuffy Georgian or Victorian homes in a time before vacuum cleaners. The covers are perforated to let the scent out. 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 for decorative objects full of flowers, birds and fruits. It was in operation until the early 21st Century but eventually succumbed to the changing times. Today the best 19th Century Royal Worcester pieces are desired collectors' items. This potpourri has a charming pumpkin shape and a cover with a Persian-style spire finial. The rims are set in carmine-red and gilt bands with white "pearls". Interestingly, the pot has a double cover: one to keep the potpourri inside airtight when not in use, and one to let out the scent. The body of the pot is superbly painted with softly hued ferns and orchids by Frank Roberts. Roberts was mostly known for his exceptional warmly coloured fruit paintings, but he also did some superb flower paintings, particularly orchids like the ones on these vases. Roberts was a quiet and religious person who kept to himself, but he had an iconic status among the Worcester painters. He was not only a painter, but was one of the few people who could trace and raise gold, a difficult technique. Ever since Roberts' time at Royal Worcester, apprentices were given his work to copy as part of their training. Roberts was born in 1857 and started working at Royal Worcester in 1872 when he was only 25 years old, until shortly before his death in 1920. The pot carries the green Royal Worcester...

An antique Aesthetic Movement covered urn by Royal Worcester offers porcelain construction with Moorish foliate reticulated neck and collar over bulbous vessel with hand painted foli...

This is a very fine pair of lidded potpourri vases made by Royal Worcester in 1909. The potpourris are in the "blush ivory" style with beautiful overlaid enamel flowers signed by the...

This is an extremely rare and sublimely made "Royal Stamp Box" made by Royal Worcester in 1902, on the cusp of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The stamp box is held up by two cheru...

This is a beautiful potpourri pot with cover made by Royal Worcester in 1914 Potpourri pots and vases were used to fill with scented dried flowers and seeds to freshen the air in the...

The pair of urns are each mounted on square plinths of grey veined marble. The lower sections of each of the urns are cylindrical and are decorated with gilt ground arabesque pattern...