A Chelsea fable decorated octagonal saucer, c.1753, painted perhaps by Jefferyes Hamett O'Neale with

A Chelsea fable decorated octagonal saucer, c.1753, painted perhaps by Jefferyes Hamett O'Neale with the fable of The Dog and the Piece of Flesh (sometimes called The Dog and his Reflection), a large black and white hound holding a meat joint in his mouth and looking down into the water below, the wide rim with flower sprays, brown line rim, 11.8cm.

Illustrated: Stephen Hanscombe, Jefferyes Hamett O'Neale, no.16.

Acquired from Simon Spero. Previously in a part service at Belton House, Grantham and sold at Christie's in May 1984. The decoration on the other 15 pieces in that service was attributed to O'Neale but doubts have been raised over whether this piece might be by a different hand. The scene is after a design by O'Neale that was produced for The Ladies Amusement, and another example of this fable is known on Tournai porcelain. Hanscombe considers the possibility that either Henri-Joseph Duvivier or Michel-Joseph Duvivier may have painted this under O'Neale's direction during their time at Chelsea.