George III Serving Bowls

This is a very rare square dish from the famous "Earl of Camden" service made by the Derby Porcelain Company in 1795. The service was painted with typical English roses by William Billingsley, one of Britain's most famous painters, and responsible for exactly this type of rose painting on British porcelain. There are more items available in this pattern, see separate listings. To keep these items together we'd be happy to offer a discount on multiple purchases - please ask! The Derby Porcelain Company, later called Royal Crown Derby, is currently the oldest British porcelain factory still in production. The Derby pottery was one of the most prominent potteries right from the start of English porcelain production in the mid 1700s to today, and the factory went through many iterations. In the 1820s, it was called "Bloor Derby" as it came under the ownership of Robert Bloor; this factory later closed but its legacy was continued under the ownership of a group of employees, and later this was merged into a new factory called Royal Crown Derby, which is still in operation today and still carries forward some of the oldest patterns that have made it famous over the centuries. 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, which you can see in this design. 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. Items painted by William Billingsley are rare and very much in demand - together with Thomas Baxter's work they are probably among the most desired pieces of British porcelain. The Earl of Camden service was a huge service ordered by Lady Camden in 1795. It had to be produced under great, and unrealistic, time pressure and was notoriously late, much to Lady Camden's chagrin. She wanted the service to be produced by only the best artisans and therefore William Billingsley was tasked with painting all items - but it is thought that when it was clear the deadline was impossible to make, he enlisted the help of John Brewer for some of the last items, such as the ice pails. This plate shows the typical "Billingsley" roses: a beautiful naturally flowing garland of English roses interspersed with buds, trailing around a crisp gilt ribbon. The way the roses link into each other, the way each individual one is completely different, the light effects achieved by rubbing out some of the pink paint, and the very fine buds and foliage all point to these being from Billingsley's hand. This dish came together with a plate that bears labels that point to a rich provenance: the Doris Wheatley Collection, the Daniel Collection, Derek Gardner...

Irish Glass Fold Over Rim Pedestal Bowl, 1800-10 A Fine Irish pedestal bowl with hand blown bowl and pressed glass lemon squeezer foot. The turned over...

This is a beautiful oval dish or stand made by Flight in Worcester probably around the year 1785. The dish is decorated with a mazarine and gilt rim and has beautiful hand painted fl...

Reference : The Dictionary of Worcester Porcelain Volume One,1751-1851 (John Sandon, 1993) page 113 Sandon concludes that pieces of this nature were either caudle or chocolate cup...

This is a rare dish made by Worcester around 1770 in their 1st or "Dr Wall" period. It was originally a stand for a chestnut basket but it serves beautifully in its own right. Wor...

This is a beautiful moulded and pierced stand for a chestnut basket made by Worcester between 1770 and 1775 in their 1st or "Dr Wall" period. The stand would have served to hold a ch...

This is a rare and beautiful oval dish or tureen stand made by Worcester between 1765 and 1770 in their First or the "Dr Wall" period. The dish has a blue scale ground and gilded res...

This is a rare pierced basket with encrusted flowers and leaves, made by Worcester around 1770 in their 1st or "Dr Wall" period. The basket has a cover and and a stand. These baskets...

Rare and fine antique English George III hand painted imari decor bowl, attributed to spode. Exceptional "imari" painting with "pink marbled" motif lower h...

Exquisite quality antique English Derby Porcelain hand painted floral motif and richly gilt cobalt large round bowl Red painted "Derby" mark on base is attributed to the first period of "Stevenson and...

Wedgwood plain creamware rectangular basket & stand, circa 1840 The basket and stand are of an unusual rectangular shape with oval and diamond-sha...

This is a rare pierced basket with applied flowers and leaves, made by Worcester circa 1770 in their 1st or "Dr Wall" period. This basket has a rich provenance of well-known Worce...