Bloor Derby Plate, Fancy Birds by Richard Dodson, Regency, Ca 1815

This is a spectacular and very rare set of ten dessert plates made by Derby in about 1825, which was the Regency era. The plates are richly gilded, each with an individual gilt pattern, and have superb fruit paintings, also each unique, by the famous porcelain decorator Thomas Steel. One can occasionally find one of these plates in the market, but to find a whole set of 10 in such fabulous condition is extremely rare. The Derby factory, later reshaped into Royal Crown Derby, is currently the oldest British porcelain factory still in production. Derby was one of the most prominent potteries right from the start of English porcelain production in the mid 1700s to today. Their items are of exceptionally high quality and many of the designs have become iconic, particularly the Imari designs; many of these are still being made today. Derby made many exciting designs in the Regency era, and these plates are beautiful examples. The marking at the bottom indicates that the plates were produced some time between 1806 and 1825, when the company was called "Bloor Derby"; however the style is from between 1820 and 1825. Thomas Steel (sometimes written as Steele) is considered the very best 19th Century porcelain painter of fruits. He was born in Staffordshire in 1772 and was first apprenticed by Wedgwood. He moved to Derby in 1815, where he became the foremost flower and fruit painter. In 1825 he moved on to the Rockingham factory in Yorkshire, and a few years later to Minton in Staffordshire, where he worked the rest of his life. Steel had a very recognisable style of fruit painting, perhaps best described by the biographer John Haslem: "Steele painted both flowers and insects well, but as a painter of fruit on china he had no superior, if, indeed, he had any equal in his day... His grouping is harmonious, the light and shade well managed, each piece of fruit is well rounded, and the outline softened and blended into the one next to it, each partaking of the reflected colour from the other." These plates each have a different richly gilded border, and octagonal paintings...

This is a very rare and beautiful plate made by Coalport between 1815 and 1820. The plate is relief moulded in the "New Embossed" shape and has a fabulous pattern in cobalt blue, gil...

This is a beautiful Crown Derby plate made in about 1785. The very charming decoration of a puce putto is by Richard Askew. The Derby Porcelain factory has its roots in the late 174...

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, then decorated and brought to the market around 1825. A breakfast cup is a large teacup...

This is a stunning dessert plate made by Flight Barr & Barr around the year 1815. It is decorated with what is often called the "Rich Imari" pattern, and sometimes the "crazy Japan" ...

This is a dessert plate made by Spode in about 1822, which was the Regency era. The plate is made of Felspar porcelain and decorated with a beautiful hand painted landscape scene. The plate would have belonged to a large dessert service of which each piece had a unique landscape; in fact I sold a dessert service in this pattern a while ago. Spode was the great pioneer among the Georgian potters in England. Around the year 1800 he perfected the bone china recipe that has been used by British potters ever since, and he was also the leading potter behind the technique of transferware, making it possible for English potters to replace the Chinese export china...

A superb early 19th century Derby twin handled porcelain basket circa 1815. This lovely example has a large central reserve hand painted with birds. The finely painted birds are almost certainly by Richard Dodson...

English derby plate, with an over glaze crown mark and is decorated with brilliant cobalt, red, and green floral patterns. There are bold gilt highlights.

A fine antique 19th century Derby hard paste porcelain plate. Decorated with a hand painted topographical scene to its center. The scene depicts a bucolic landscape 'Near Derby' in a gilt cartouche and surrounded by a gilt cornucopia...

Chamberlain Worcester porcelain "Crazy Cow" pattern plates, circa 1815-1820 Set of six The dessert plates in the 'crazy cow" pattern. The six plates are...

A very fine Bloor Derby porcelain figure of a seated Turk, sitting cross-legged in traditional costume, a hookah at his side, on a cushion base ...

A fine pair of Bloor Derby ‘Mansion House’ Dwarfs c.1825. Each moustached figure modelled wearing a comically large hat bearing an advertisement, one wearing a tasselled sash about h...