A DERBY PORCELAIN PEACH-GROUND COFFEE-CAN AND SAUCER

CIRCA 1790, PAINTED PUCE CROWN, CROSSED BATONS AND D MARK, PATTERN NO. 221, IMPRESSED O AND N, ATTRIBUTED TO GEORGE COMPLIN

Details

A DERBY PORCELAIN PEACH-GROUND COFFEE-CAN AND SAUCER
CIRCA 1790, PAINTED PUCE CROWN, CROSSED BATONS AND D MARK, PATTERN NO. 221, IMPRESSED O AND N, ATTRIBUTED TO GEORGE COMPLIN
The first painted with two birds perched among fruit, including grapes, peaches, pears and plums, within a gilt dash surround, reserved on a white 'jewel' and gilt star peach-ground set with panels of roses in gilt surrounds, the ear-shaped handle entwined with a ribbon, on a conforming saucer; together wtih an English topographical shell-form dish, painted with a pastoral landscape within a circular gilt surround, the gilt border alternating acanthus leaves and key-pattern, named in iron-red on the reverse 'Thames- Castle,'
8 in. (20.3 cm.) wide, the shell dish (3)

Sale room notice

Another similar cup and saucer from the Charles Norman Collection is at Fairfax House, York, England.

For a detailed discussion of botanical painting at Derby, written by the director of Fairfax House and illustrated with this and other examples from the Norman Collection, see Peter Brown, "Derby Porcelain: The work of floral and botanical artists, 1790-1805", The Magazine Antiques, June 2005, pp. 102-111.

Lot Essay

George Complin joined Derby in 1789, and though his origins are unconfirmed, he is thought to be French. He was greatly admired by his contemporary at Derby, Edward Withers, who thought him to be 'a better painter than Hilliard- another aspirant for the factory.' He was celebrated for his meticulous 'Fruit & birds' painting such as that found on the present lot. It is interesting to note that in these compositions, the birds are usually disproportionately small in comparison to the fruit.

For a very similar example located in the Royal Crown Derby Museum and another in the Hermitage, Leningrad see John Twitchett, Derby Porcelain, London, 1980, p. 124, colour pl. 25 and p. 174, pl. 207. Also see p. 87 for a plate illustrating this form as drawn in the Old Derby Pattern Books.

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