Georgian Derby Porcelain Plate Painted Lowther Castle Service Antique c 1807

A rare, very collectable and highly decorative Georgian octagonal porcelain plate by one of the best makers of English porcelain, Derby, from a named dinner service. This Derby porcelain plate is from the Lowther Castle service ordered in 1807 by Lord Lonsdale to replace some broken items from a Chinese Qianlong dinner service that had been acquired by one of his predecessors.

The plate is enamelled and gilt in a very distinctive design with a central lotus and willow tree medallion, the blue ground with four bat wing shaped panels with a hollow blue rock and flowering plants, in a lappeted border and brown rim. The palette is in blue, green, iron red, brown, black and gold. Some collectors may call this an Imari pattern.

Illustrated: Twitchett (J), Derby... an Illustrated Guide, Woodbridge 2002, colour plt 195. Another plate from the Lowther Service is illustrated, Twitchett (J), Derby Porcelain, 1980, plt 280, also discussed in Derby Porcelain: The Golden Years, 1780 - 1830 by Howell Edwards, Morgan Denyer.

The plate made of soft paste porcelain and marked on the back with the hand painted iron red crown and crossed swords mark of Derby. There is also a painted number 34, this we think is possibly a serial number for the items being replace as we have seen a similar plate but, with a different number. It is not the pattern number as the reconstruction of the pattern book shows a completely different pattern.

See the excellent website www.georgianhouseantiques.co.uk/derby-plate-patterns-1-100.

It is in excellent antique condition without chips, cracks nor restoration, some extremely minor scratching and gilt wear. It would make a great addition to any collection of Georgian English porcelain or Derby porcelain or for a collector of named porcelain services.

Width 8 3/4 inches ( 22.4 cm)
Diameter 9 1/4 inches (23.5 cm)
Height 3/4 inch (1.9 cm)
Weight 363 grammes unpacked

Free UK and international postage with this item.