- Museum number
- 1981.31A
1981.31B - Object
- Covered vase, Bow Porcelain Factory, soft-paste Porcelain, about 1760
- Description
- Vase and cover, one of a garniture of three, English, Bow factory 1760-65. Soft-paste porcelain with applied moulded relief flowers and a bird, decorated in enamel colours, translucent glaze. The vase of baluster shape with three larger and three smaller lattice apertures around the shoulders, the intersections decorated with moulded small blue and yellow flowers, insects painted in blue, yellow and purple on the body between the apertures, above is a narrow neck with a ring of small holes and raised blue dots, below is a gently spirally-fluted body with, on either side, masks encircled by applied relief moulded flowers beneath larger petals all painted in bright colours with straight sprays of leaves in red and yellow above and below, a raised band of similar stylised red and yellow leaves half way between the heads; the whole of the rest of the main body decorated with applied relief moulded flower heads, small buds and stems in bright colours, butterflies, leaves and insects painted on the body itself, a lower band of projecting relief-moulded petals painted in bright colours, below which the smooth body of the vase decorated with three insects, the round base decorated with small blue and yellow flowers similar to those on the shoulders. The cover is conicallly shaped, pierced with numerous small holes, surmounted by a naturalistically moulded figure of a finch, brown and white body, black and yellow wings, red plumage on head, brown beak, the head turning to the left, perched above applied moulded relief flowers painted in bright colours in a manner similar to the vase, smaller moulded intersectin crosses of stylised leaves in red and yellow, small blue and yellow leaves and green leaves.
- Materials
- Porcelain
- Inscription
- None
- On display?
- Yes
Further description
- Simple name
- Ceramic
Lid - Subject
- Floral
- Dimensions
- regular: 17.0cm (h) x 13.2cm (l) x 32.0cm (w)
Covered vase
Bow Porcelain Factory
Soft-paste Porcelain, about 1760
1981.31
Given by Miss K A M Harper, 1981
Plants and flowers were a major source of inspiration for the designers of eighteenth-century porcelain. They were painted in underglaze blue, brightly coloured overglaze enamels or gleaming gold. In naturalistic rococo pieces moulded flowers and leaves form decorative finials, handles and even entire objects.
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