English Delft Plate c.1740

English delft has a mysterious quality all of its own. 

Here we have a plate glazed with a tin-glaze which has a cool blue/grey quality and decorated with colours which sink into the glaze making them soft and muted.

The design is outlined in a purple/brown manganese and then coloured with yellow blue and green.  All these colours are under the glaze rather than on-glaze enamels.

The pattern is a type of 'Rock and Peonies' pattern copied from Chinese import porcelains. A rock formation with peonies growing though it and some sort of bug or insect flying above it.

The shape of the plate tells us that it could date from the 1730's onwards.  I think the date for this plate is more likely 1740-60.

On the back we see the three characteristic stilt marks common to English delft ware plates.

A very lovely example.

Maker's marks:
No makers mark.  The number 8 in manganese brown, presumably a decorators mark

Dimensions:
221mm diameter at the rim

Weight:
310 g

Age:
285 years

Condition:
Good antique condition:  Rim chips and a hairline across the rim

Maker:
English delft, possibly Bristol