A Chinese porcelain English-decorated teabowl and saucer 1st half 18th century

A Chinese porcelain English-decorated teabowl and saucer 1st half 18th century, the lobed teabowl plain, the saucer with anhua petal decoration and three grasshoppers, later-enamelled in red, black and largely gilt with shaped panels containing a butterfly, with an identically-shaped saucer with Chinese decoration pencilled in red, black and gilt with mating butterflies within flower sprays, a coffee cup later-decorated with red and gilt flower sprays, 11.8cm max. (4)

Provenance: the Helen Espir Collection, no. 633, 668 and 547.

Illustrated: Helen Espir, European Decoration on Oriental Porcelain, p.232, pl.35 for the coffee cup.

The subtlety and delicacy of the Chinese-decorated saucer throws into sharp relief the somewhat heavy-handed approach to the London-decorated example. The petal-panelled design is often referred to on Worcester porcelain as the Queen's pattern, and is largely thought to have been carried out at the Giles atelier.