Bow Bell Shape Mug, Rose Flower Sprigging, circa 1755

A rather splendid punch bowl from the Bow Porcelain Factory, enameled with flowers and insects in the Famille Rose style. A good size, at almost nine inches in diameter. Famille R...

An early coffee can, painted in under-glaze blue with flowers and insects. Painter’s mark 16 and a distinctive way of painting insects. Prov: Taylor Collection; Christie’s.     

From a series of figures representing The Four Seasons, Autumn is shown as a young man squeezing grapes into a cup, symbolic of harvest time, and recalling classical representations ...

This is a very charming orphaned coffee cup made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1755. The cup is decorated in a Chinese "famille rose" peony pattern. This cup would have been part of a large tea service, and the tiny size shows how expensive coffee was 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. The cup is unmarked, which is normal for Bow items of this era. Condition report the cup is in excellent condition without any damage or repairs. There are various glazing imperfections, which are quite normal for porcelain of this era. Antique British porcelain...