Rococo Porcelain

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...

This is a very rare and impressive complete set of large figures called The Four Elements, made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1765. It consists of Ceres representing Earth, V...

This is a fabulous pair of figures of Liberty and Matrimony made by the Bow Porcelain factory between 1760 and 1764. These figures were a popular pair portraying marriage. The bow...

This is a rare and beautiful figure of Venus with two doves, made by the bow porcelain factory between 1756 and 1764. We see Venus standing holding her robe with one hand, a flower p...

This is a very rare and impressive large figure of Juno with an eagle, made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1765. This figure formed part of a series of the Four Elements, with...

This is a wonderful pair of figures of Arlecchino and Columbina, made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1758. These figures formed part of a series of the Commedia dell'Arte, a very popular series of theatrical figures that served as decoration at the dinner table 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. These figures were used to adorn the dinner table when dessert was served; groups of figures served to express something about the host, the guests, or to direct the conversation. The Italian Commedia Dell'Arte, a comical form of masked theatre, was very popular in those days and Bow copied many figures of the German Meissen series that were brought out in the decades before. This pair dates from about 1758, which was at the height of Bow's ability to make beautiful figurines often copied from Chelsea or Meissen. The pair is modelled after a Meissen pair by Kaendler. The porcelain is translucent with a beautiful milky glaze - Bow was probably the first pottery using bone in its porcelain recipe. Arlecchino (Harlequin) is playing the bagpipes, dressed in an odd costume of mismatched chintz and playing cards and wearing a funny black trumpet...

Coffee pot, circa 1765-69: Coffee pot and cover of silver form with domed cover; the body of the pot and dome of the cover pineapple moulded between rims painted in blue with cell an...

Of Chinese export form with loop handle; the body imaginatively painted in a bright ‘early blue’ underglaze with pine, rock and bamboo after the Chinese. Yellow tinged body; clear gl...

From the Commedia dell’arte, shown seated on a tree stump and playing her favourite instrument. Probably after Kandler, who described the model as a Tyrolean maiden playing a lyre. ...

This is a wonderful little figure of a boy or putto made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1760. The Bow Porcelain Factory was one of the first potteries in Britain to make soft...

Small figure of a young woman wearing a puce-sprigged white skirt, lifted slightly with her left hand, pale pink jacket with typical Bow opaque blue collar and cuffs. We've called...

A rare, possibly unique, pair of candlesticks in the form of putti, representing The Four Seasons. This is the pair pictured in Stonor’s book (#94); we’ve b...

A pierced basket standing on a well-formed rococo base. Perhaps for potpourri, although the internal decoration suggests another use. We think probably oranges, chestnuts, etc. Pr...