Bone china plate
Object No. 2005/200/27
The London porcelain factory, Chelsea, made this dinner plate during the 'gold anchor' period that spanned from 1758 to 1769. This was the most opulent phase in the factory's history as it witnessed the introduction of rich ground colours, delicate imagery and elaborate gilding. Perhaps the most popular of these new ground colours, mazarine blue appeared on all manner of objects and emphasised gilded and enamelled decoration. This plate, with a mazarine border, is an exceptional example of the porcelain from that period. French artisans, Charles Gouyan and Nichols Sprimont, established the Chelsea porcelain factory in London in 1743 and modelled their soft-paste porcelain wares upon the exceptional pieces produced by Sèvres and Meissen. Employing highly skilled craftsmen, the pair manufactured some of the best examples of English porcelain and catered exclusively to the local luxury market. Their wares are now divided into four periods that are defined by changes to the porcelain marks. These are the 'triangle' period from 1743 to 1750; the 'raised anchor' period from 1750 to 1756; the 'red anchor' period from 1753 to 1758 (it overlapped the previous period by three years); and the 'gold anchor' from 1758 to 1769. Sprimont sold the Chelsea business to Derby in 1770, and the two enterprises operated under the combined name, 'Chelsea-Derby', until 1784.
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Summary
Object Statement
Plate, bone china, made by Chelsea Porcelain Works, England, 1757-1769
Physical Description
Plate, bone china, made by Chelsea Porcelain Works, England, 1757-1769 A round, white porcelain plate with a scalloped and gilt edge, a mazarine blue ground and four reserves. The central reserve features a hand painted branch of yellow fruit and four insects. Around the border are three reserves with hand-painted birds and branches. Surrounding each reserve is border of gilt foliage. The underside of the rim is decorated with three branches of gilt foliage.
DIMENSIONS
Height
27 mm
Diameter
215 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
The London porcelain factory, Chelsea, made this plate between 1758 and 1769. The dry body was painted with the mazarine border and then fired. It was then glazed, re-fired and painted with enamels. The piece was fired a third time, fusing the enamel colours to the glaze. Gilt details were applied, and the plate was fired a final time.
HISTORY
Notes
This plate was transferred to the Powerhouse Museum in 1998 as part of the collection that Annie Maria Gillies (Mrs Sinclair Gillies) bequeathed to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1953. This collection consisted of around 191 objects, including important examples of eighteenth-century English furniture and porcelain. The Gallery never accessioned these items, and decided to sell the majority in 1997, transferring a portion to the Powerhouse Museum.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Bequest of Annie Maria Gillies 1953, transferred from Art Gallery of NSW 1998
Acquisition Date
15 September 2005
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
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