CIRCA 1768-1770

Worcester pickle dishes were made in multiples of three, six or nine shells and used as centerpices for pickles. The smaller examples were mostly made in blue and white as the vinegar and spices could have effected the enamles and gilding, while the larger pieces, like our elaborate example, were often coloured and may have served a different purpose. In 1769 the Worcester sale catalogue included 'A curious stand for the centre of a desert, decorated with shells & c'. See Simon Spero & John Sandon, Worcester Porcelain, 1751-1790, The Zorensky Collection, England, 1988.