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AN ASSEMBLED WORCESTER AND CHAMBERLAIN'S WORCESTER PORCELAIN 'BENGAL TIGER' PART DINNER-SERVICE

CIRCA 1770-1810, SOME PIECES WITH BLUE SEAL MARKS, OTHERS WITH SCRIPT CHAMBERLAIN'S WORCESTER MARKS

Details

AN ASSEMBLED WORCESTER AND CHAMBERLAIN'S WORCESTER PORCELAIN 'BENGAL TIGER' PART DINNER-SERVICE
CIRCA 1770-1810, SOME PIECES WITH BLUE SEAL MARKS, OTHERS WITH SCRIPT CHAMBERLAIN'S WORCESTER MARKS
Each painted with stylized dragons in panels alternating with flowers, the Chamberlain's Worcester pieces with central armorials of Parker quartering Kentwood impaling Palmer, comprising: a two-handled oval soup-tureen, cover and stand; two two-handled ice-pails, liners and covers; two shaped square vegetable-tureens and covers; a large well-and-tree platter; two large oval platters, one smaller; two oval dishes; an oval bowl; two shell-shaped dishes; two flower-pots; ten soup-plates; sixteen dinner-plates with shaped rims; fifteen circular dinner-plates; seventeen starter-plates; two circular cake-plates; four shaped cake-plates; a small stand; two large saucers; two fluted coffee-cups; seven fluted teabowls; and three small fluted saucers
16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide overall, the tureen

Provenance

Acquired from J. Rochelle Thomas, London, 1935, by Lucy Truman Alrdrich (the 18th century teawares).
Estate of Lucy T. Aldrich, bequest to David Rockefeller, 1955 (the 18th century teawares).

Most of the present service was purchased in various quantities from the following dealers and auctions: Richard Lehne, New York, 1944; A. Schmidt, New York, 1946; Carlton Antique Silver, New York, 1948; The Symons Galleries Inc., New York, 1949; Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 7 May 1949, lots 427 and 429 A; Delomosne & Son, London, 1949 and 1977; James Robinson, New York, 1955 and 1967.

Literature

D. Fennimore et al., The David and Peggy Rockefeller Collection: Decorative Arts, New York, 1992, vol. IV, pp. 173-174, no. 186.

Special notice

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Lot Essay

When Aunt Lucy was feeling in an especially outgoing and affectionate mood, she would sometimes ask us if there were two or three things in her collection that we would like most particularly to have her leave us. One which I mentioned was the "Bengal Tiger" service, and, in fact, she did leave it to me outright in her will rather than including it in the general items available for distribution to twenty of her relatives. Prior to this gift, Peggy and I had bought dinner and dessert pieces of this same pattern but made during the later chamberlain period of the Worcester factory.
D.R.

This decoration on this service is alternatively known as the 'Kylin', 'Bengal Tiger' and 'Dragon and Compartments' pattern. Taken directly from an early 18th century Chinese famille verte design of the Kangxi period, it proved to be extremely popular and was produced at Worcester, Coalport, Spode, and other English factories.

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