A rare and small Liverpool delftware Dish, circa 1760
This rare and small Liverpool delftware dish is painted in blue with a ‘Lady in a Pavilion’. The brown line rim is imitative of Japanese fuchi-beni (‘lip rouge’) found on late 17th-century Kakiemon porcelain decorated with underglaze blue painting. The subject of a contemplative lady sitting within a pavilion is probably based on a scene from a literary work, such as the Romance of the Western Chamber or the Tale of Genji. These stories were popular with scholars and provided a source of inspiration for both Chinese and Japanese artists.
Condition: Minor chips and typical losses to the rim. No cracks or restoration.
Dimensions: Diameter 17.5 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).