Date: circa 1858
Period: Mid-Victorian
Maker: Coalport Porcelain Works (John Rose & Co.)
This beautiful hand-painting of pears growing on a tree is by Jabez Aston, one of Coalport’s principal artists. Aston’s forte was the naturalistic painting of fruit, usually as the centre of a design. The dessert plate dates from around 1858.
“Aston’s painting was almost aggressively English in mood, although far from lacking subtlety, either in the gradation of colour or in the application of lights. His work has always been highly regarded by the discriminating,” Michael Messenger wrote in his book Coalport: 1796-1926.
The border is a chain of pink truncated ovals, separated by moulded anthemions. The pink ground colour is Coalport’s recreation of the celebrated fond rose Sèvres had introduced a century earlier [i] The wavy rim has raised moulding. Cotswold Antiques has a matching dessert plate painted with grapes by Aston.
Although the painting is unsigned we can tell it is by Aston thanks to the pattern number, 6/741, on the back of the plate (see Coalport & Coalbrookdale Porcelains by Geoffrey Godden, Page 101).
Condition Light rubbing of gilt decoration around the central white reserve, and two light utensil scratches on the pears, visible on close inspection. Otherwise perfect.
Origin: Coalport, Shropshire, England
Dimensions: 23.1 cm diameter
Weight: 405 g
Medium: Bone china (porcelain)
See Jabez Aston and Coalport (John Rose) in Makers & Artists for background information
[i]English dealers coined the names Rose Pompadour and Rose Dubarry for the pink ground, but there is no evidence that either Mme du Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV, or Mme du Barry, mistress of Louis XVI, favoured it over Sèvres ground colours.
