Date: circa 1850
Period: Early Victorian
Maker: John Ridgway
A beautiful botanical dessert plate of convolvulus (‘Morning Glory’), from the factory of John Ridgway, ‘Potter to Her Majesty’ Queen Victoria.
Behind the white and blue trumpet flowers of the convolvulus are small red poppies. In between cut windows on the green border are curling acanthus and vine tendrils, traced in delicate gilding.
We are also offering for sale two sister plates of clematis 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 There is a 1.7 cm-long diagonal crack from the rim edge to one of the cut windows on the border. It is not noticeable from the front (see close-up photographs). Otherwise, condition is very good. Minor gilt rubbing to the trailing vine that encircles the central reserve and few scratches to gilt bands next to it. Minute rubbing to edge gilding on rim.
Diameter: 23.3 cm
Weight: 451 g
Medium Bone china (porcelain)
Origin: Stoke-on-Trent, England
See Ridgway partnerships at Cauldon Place in Makers & Artists for background on the factory.
