Period: Early Victorian
Maker: John Ridgway
A splendid botanical dessert plate of clematis, from the factory of John Ridgway, ‘Potter to Her Majesty’ Queen Victoria.
The purple clematis is painted with verve and vigour. It is seen reproducing red pods with yellow seeds while the green leaves and stems are spreading with sinewy energy. On the green border, in between cut windows, are curling acanthus and vine tendrils, traced in delicate gilding.
We are also offering for sale two sister plates of convolvulus and daffodils.
The pattern number, 8192, is painted in puce on the back. John Ridgway continued his father’s simple progressive number system for dessert and dinner patterns.
We do not know the identity of the painter. ‘Unfortunately, very little is known about the Ridgway artists and they were not permitted to sign their works,’ Geoffrey Godden noted in his book Ridgway Porcelains.
Condition Excellent. A few miniscule spots of gilt rubbing to the trailing vine that encircles the central reserve.
Diameter: 23.4 cm
Weight: 448 g
Medium: Bone china (porcelain)
Origin: Stoke-on-Trent, England
See Ridgway partnerships at Cauldon Place in Makers & Artists for background on the factory.
