Ridgway Porcelain Botanical Desert Service with Fruit

Magnificent Coalport 'Famille Rose' Inspired Dessert Service English, Late Regency/William IV Period, Circa 1820-1835 This superb forty-one-piece dessert service is a testament to the artistic and technical achievements of the celebrated John Rose Coalport factory, one of England's premier porcelain manufacturers. Representing the pinnacle of the opulent and eclectic taste that defined the late Regency era, the service is distinguished by its fine feldspathic porcelain body, its elegant and varied shapes, and its brilliantly colored, intricate decoration. Description and Design The design is a masterful blend of influences, centered around a vibrant floral pattern inspired by Chinese Export famille rose porcelain. Each piece features a swirling composition of pink and yellow flowers, accented by a distinctive and fashionable aqua blue. This central motif is framed by a wide, complex border on a beautifully crimped rim. The border alternates between two luxurious patterns: one panel features a rich mazarine blue ground with reverse flower-heads overlaid with a fine gilt "cracked ice" pattern—a classic Chinoiserie motif. The other panel consists of an intricate diaper pattern on a vibrant yellow ground, punctuated by further floral sprays. The lavish use of gold throughout unifies the design and would have created a dazzling effect in the candlelight of a formal 19th-century dining room. Historical Background & Context 🧐 The Dessert Course as Theater: In the grand homes of Regency England, the dessert course was the culinary and decorative climax of the meal. It was an opportunity for the host to display their wealth and sophisticated taste, and a large, highly decorated porcelain service like this was the ultimate status symbol. John Rose's Coalport Factory: By the 1820s, the Coalport factory in Shropshire, under the ambitious leadership of John Rose, was a dominant force in the British porcelain industry, competing directly with Spode and Worcester. Coalport was renowned for its technically superb porcelain and its often flamboyant, richly gilded Rococo Revival designs. This service, with its confident blend of Chinese-inspired motifs and exuberant English styling, is a hallmark of the factory's finest work from this period. Attribution: While the service is unmarked, which was common for dessert wares of the period, the pattern is confidently attributed to John Rose's Coalport factory. The attribution is based on an identical marked tea service and is confirmed by references in Geoffrey Godden's definitive Encyclopedia of British Porcelain Manufacturers. Components and Condition The service comprises a remarkable forty-one pieces: One Tazza (Centerpiece) Two Sauce Tureens, Covers, and Stands Four Oval Dishes Four Shell-Shaped Dishes Five Rectangular Dishes...

Gilded Age Coalport Porcelain Set of Desert Plates, Set of Twelve, Circa 1900 (Before 1911) The set of twelve plates are beautifuly designed with a rich red border with small gilt l...

Comprising pair of sauce tureens on stands, pair of shell dishes, 4 oval dishes, 4 rectangular dishes, 18 plates. Inscribed in gilt with botanical i...

English Scenic porcelain Dessert service, mid-19th century, polychrome hand-painted with three various romantic landscape scenes in a round cartouches on a pink border, decorated wit...