Skip to main content
Video Loading
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 17

Flight Barr & Barr Berry Bowl, Roses and Thistles by W. Billingsley, 1813

About the Item

This is a beautiful berry bowl made by Flight Barr & Barr probably in the year 1813. The dish is decorated with a beautiful continuous border of hand painted roses and thistles by the famous painter William Billingsley. It is possible that the pattern of roses and thistles have a political message of the Great British Union; roses are the symbol for England, and thistles for Scotland; some believe that this pattern might have been a trial for a Royal service. Flight Barr & Barr was the continuation of the famous Worcester Porcelain Company. In fact the factory went through various partnerships and names, most of which involved either the name Barr, Flight, or both (or double!). This confusing period in the factory's existence is often called the "Flight & Barr" period. Eventually the factory absorbed some of its spin-offs and was turned into the Royal Worcester, which became very famous in the late 19th and 20th Centuries. During the late 18th and entire 19th Century they were among the leaders of china production, producing exceptionally finely painted and sculpted forms. William Billingsley was a brilliant but notoriously difficult man who left behind a trail of debts, broken hearts and mystery - but he was also one of the most important people in the history British porcelain. Billingsley revolutionised the way British decorators painted flowers; he added a freedom and artistry that now singles out British flower painting, and he created a new technique for painting roses. Billingsley worked at Derby, Worcester and Mansfield. He also set up his own potteries in Pinxton and Nantgarw and created some of the best porcelain ever made, but racking up great debts, before running off in the dead of night and ending his days at Coalport painting flowers. Billingsley painted at Barr Flight & Barr between 1808 and 1810, and worked until about 1813 at the factory to improve the porcelain recipe, while still painting now and then. It is likely that this bowl was painted in 1813, because the impressed mark still shows Barr Flight & Barr, while the printed mark, which was used after 1813, shows Flight Barr & Barr. This indicates that the bowl was painted just as the factory was changing its name in 1813. PROVENANCE: Lord and Lady Flight Collection - this means that until recently, the dish has probably been in the continuous possession of the Flight family. DOCUMENTATION: A dish of this pattern is illustrated in W. D. John's "William Billingsley", plate 69d. A similar berry bowl was sold at Bonhams on 13 December 2006. CONDITION REPORT The dish is in perfect antique condition without any damage, repairs or crazing, and only very minimal rubbing, as visible in the pictures. Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account. There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures! DIMENSIONS (diameter) 18cm (7").

More From This Seller

View All
Barr Flight & Barr Plate, Gilt Vermiculé, Flowers by W. Billingsley, ca 1809 (2)
By William Billingsly, Barr, Flight & Barr Worcester
Located in London, GB
This is a beautiful plate made by Barr Flight & Barr between between 1808 and 1810. The plate was decorated by the famous painter William Billingsley with a gilt vermiculé (or vermic...
Category

Antique Early 1800s English Regency Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Barr Flight & Barr Plate, Flowers by W. Billingsley, Gilt Vermiculé, ca 1809 (1)
By William Billingsly, Barr, Flight & Barr Worcester
Located in London, GB
This is a beautiful plate made by Barr Flight & Barr between between 1808 and 1810. The plate was decorated by the famous painter William Billingsley with a gilt vermiculé (or vermic...
Category

Antique Early 1800s English Regency Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Barr Flight & Barr Part Dessert Service, Flowers by William Billingsley, 1808-10
By William Billingsly, Barr, Flight & Barr Worcester
Located in London, GB
This is a stunning and extremely rare part dessert service made by Barr Flight & Barr in Worcester, and painted with naturalistic flowers by William Billingsley between 1808 and 1810. The service consists of one deep central oval dish, four slightly smaller oval dishes, two round one-handled dishes, and six plates. We also have a pair of Derby ice pails available in a separate listing, painted by William Billingsley in a very similar style. These would make a great match. Provenance: The Charles Dawson Collection. One of the items has a label of the London Ceramic...
Category

Antique Early 1800s English Regency Dinner Plates

Materials

Porcelain

Flight Barr & Barr Dessert Service, Brown Vines and Berries, 1815-1820
By Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester
Located in London, GB
This is a beautiful and very rare dessert service made by Flight, Barr & Barr between 1815 and 1820. The service consists of a central comport, two sauce tureens with covers, a squar...
Category

Antique 1810s English Regency Dinner Plates

Materials

Porcelain

Set of 8 Barr Flight & Barr Porcelain Plates, Imari Fence, Regency, 1811-1813
By Barr, Flight & Barr Worcester
Located in London, GB
This is a spectacular set of eight plates made by Barr Flight & Barr between 1811 and 1813. They are made in one of the many versions of the "Imari Fence" or "Japan" pattern. Barr...
Category

Antique 1810s English Regency Dinner Plates

Materials

Porcelain

Derby Pair of Porcelain Ice Pails, Fine Flowers by William Billingsley, ca 1790
By William Billingsly, Derby
Located in London, GB
This is a pair of spectacular porcelain ice pails made by the Derby Porcelain Company in about 1790 and decorated with pattern 80, which consists of very fine flowers by the famous p...
Category

Antique 1790s English George III Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

You May Also Like

A magnificent pair of Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester Ice Pails c.1813
By Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester
Located in Exeter, GB
A magnificent and rare pair of Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester Porcelain Ice Pails c.1813. Superbly decorated with scenes including Windsor Castle, Binstead Cottage, Malvern Church and...
Category

Antique 19th Century British Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Chamberlain's Worchester, Flight, Barr and Barr Porcelain Dessert Service
By Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester
Located in Dallas, TX
A Chamberlain's Worchester, Flight, Barr and Barr English porcelain 24-piece dessert service with chinoiserie pattern, primarily red and gold on white. I...
Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Platters and Serveware

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Early Barr Flight Barr Porcelain Teacups and Saucers
By Barr, Flight & Barr Worcester
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A pair of early transferware English porcelain teacups and saucers, made by the Worcester Porcelain Factory during the Barr, Flight & Barr ...
Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Country Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

A Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester porcelain dessert plate c.1820
By Barr, Flight & Barr Worcester
Located in Exeter, GB
A Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester porcelain dessert plate c.1820. With gilt gadrooned rim and gilt seaweed background. The central circular well painted with a vignette in bright enamels with an exotic bird against a river landscape, in the manner of Charles Stinton. Impressed FBB mark along with printed mark referring to Coventry Street address...
Category

Antique 19th Century Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

A Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester porcelain dessert plate c.1820
By Barr, Flight & Barr Worcester
Located in Exeter, GB
A Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester porcelain dessert plate c.1820. With gilt gadrooned rim and gilt seaweed background. The central circular well painted with a vignette in bright enamels with an exotic bird against a river landscape, in the manner of Charles Stinton. Impressed FBB mark along with printed mark referring to Coventry Street address...
Category

Antique 19th Century Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

A Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester porcelain dessert plate c.1820
By Barr, Flight & Barr Worcester
Located in Exeter, GB
A Flight, Barr & Barr Worcester porcelain dessert plate c.1820. With gilt gadrooned rim and gilt seaweed background. The central circular well painted with a vignette in bright enamels with an exotic bird against a river landscape, in the manner of Charles Stinton. Impressed FBB mark along with printed mark referring to Coventry Street address...
Category

Antique 19th Century Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Recently Viewed

View All