A delftware Plate, probably Liverpool, circa 1750
This delftware plate is painted in blue with a Chinese garden scene in which bamboo and a peony issue from a hollow rock. The outer edge is painted with four floral sprays.
In Chinese art, both bamboo and rocks symbolise longevity, whilst the peony represents wealth and virtue.
Small spur or peg marks can be seen on the reverse, indicating how such wares were stacked and fired in the kiln.
Condition: Good – No cracks or restoration, just a couple of chips to the rim and typical flaking to the fragile tin-glaze. There are many small white dots in the glaze, particularly visible on the painted areas.
Dimensions: Diameter 23.3 cm
Delftware: The Tin-glazed Earthenware of the British Isles, Michael Archer (V&A/HMSO, 1997).
English Delftware, F.H. Garner and Michael Archer (Faber & Faber, 1972).