A UNIQUE, DOCUMENTARY AND DOCUMENTED LOWESTOFT PLATE

A UNIQUE, DOCUMENTARY AND DOCUMENTED LOWESTOFT PLATE

DATED 1766

painted in underglaze blue with a flowering auricula, the reverse with the inscription 'Charles+Ward July the 5 1766' between 'doodle' like decoration of a bird, cross and heart motifs, and 'C' and 'S' scrolls

22.7cm diameter

Literature

Geoffrey A. Godden, The Illustrated Guide to Lowestoft Porcelain, 1969, pp. 60 and 61 for a brief discussion on the plate and illustration 58 showing both sides of the plate.

Catalogue Note

The style of the inscription and doodling is very similar to those found on the base of a Lowestoft inkpot held at the British Museum, registration number 1938,0314.51.CR. The inscription in the inkpot reads 'John Mills July the 4th. 1766'. The inkpot is also discussed on page 60 of Geoffrey Godden's book and shown in illustration 57. It was also illustrated in The Connoisseur, June 1927, as part of Mr Wallace Elliot's Collection of English Porcelain.

Wallace Elliot was a businessman and founder member of the English Ceramic Circle and its President from 1930 until his death in 1938. He bequeathed 100 pieces of English pottery and porcelain to the British Museum and another 100 pieces to the Victoria and Albert Museum with the remainder of his collection sold at Sotheby's on May 24th to 26th, 1938. This sale included the plate being sold here. (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG69056)

Provenance

Sotheby's, The Wallace Elliot Collection, 24 - 26 May 1938.

Acquired from Sotheby's, February 1968.

The Lobbenberg Collection, inventory number 121.