A small London delftware Plate, painted with a Chinese landscape, probably William Griffith, Lambeth, circa 1750
This small London delftware plate is painted in blue with a Chinese landscape. In the centre is a man in a fenced garden. To his right, a willow issues from a large rock formation, and hillocks can be seen in the foreground and the distance. The border is decorated with stylised flowers and sprigs. The pattern is probably based on an original Chinese design.
There are similarities with the decoration on a circa 1750 Thomas Cantle (Bristol) plate and a circa 1750 William Griffith (Lambeth High Street Pottery) pickle tray (V&A C.17-1928 and C.5-1963 respectively). See also the painting style on a circa 1750 Lambeth wall pocket (V&A C.72-1967).
Condition: Rim chips, faint cracks to the ‘lumpy’ glaze typical of Lambeth delftware, and minor manufacturing flaws. No restoration.
Dimensions: Diameter 19.5 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).