Cup: EC.28 & A & B-1938

Current Location: Gallery 26 (Lower Marlay)

Maker(s)

Factory: Derby Porcelain Manufactory
Painter: Brewer, Robert (Uncertain)
Painter: Brewer, John (Uncertain)

Entities

Cup
cup with cover and saucer

Description

Soft-paste porcelain cup with cover and saucer, decorated with a pale yellow ground, painting in polychome enamels, and gilding. On the front is a shipping scene.

Soft-paste porcelain, decorated with a pale yellow ground, painting in pale blue, dark greyish-green, pale red, shades of brown, grey and black enamels, and gilding. Cylindrical cup with ear-shaped handle and slightly recessed base, the cover of shallow domed form rising up in the centre to a small circular platform on which is a three-sided handle.Circular saucer with sloping sides, flat centre and recessed base. The front of the cup is decorated with a shipping scene with three sailing vessels of graduated size, with distant cliffs and headland, surrounded by a gold border with reserved white triangular motifs. The rest of the exterior has a pale yellow ground overlaid by black architectural ornament reminiscent of wrought ironwork. There are gold bands round the top and bottom, and the handle is decorated with four vertical lines separated by spots. The base is inscribed in blue enamel: 'Before the Wind, Light/Breeze.' The cover is decorated to match the sides and handle, and the sides of the saucer likewise, with a border of gold leaves and berries between concentric circles on the base.

Notes

History note: Wallace Elliot: sold Sotheby's, 24-26 May 1938, Fine Old English Pottery and Porcelain, lot 292

Legal notes

Bought with the Glaisher Fund

Place(s) associated

Derby ⪼ Derbyshire ⪼ England

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bought (1938) by Sotheby's

Dating

18th Century, Late#
George III
Circa 1795 CE - 1800 CE

Note

The painting was attributed to Robert Brewer, who worked at Derby after 1797, but is more likely, as the label on the base states, to have been by John Brewer (1764-1816), who worked at the factory from 1793 and later became a drawing master (c. 1808-15).

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamels ( polychrome) gold
Saucer Diameter 13.8 cm Diameter 5 3/8 in Height 1 1/4 in
Rim Of Cup Diameter 7.1 cm
Cup Height 3 3/4 in Width 3 3/4 in

Materials used in production

presumed lead Lead-glaze
Soft-paste porcelain

Techniques used in production

Glazing (coating) : Soft-paste porcelain cup with cover and saucer, decorated with a pale yellow ground, painting in polychome enamels, and gilding.

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: 'D', above which two crossed batons with three dots per side, surmounted by a crown

Location: On cup
Method of creation: Painted in blue enamel
Type: Factory mark

Inscription present: a 'D', above which two crossed batons with three dots per side, surmounted by a crown

Location: On saucer
Method of creation: Painted in puce enamel
Type: Mark

Text: Before the Wind, Light/Breeze.
Location: On base of cup above the factory mark
Method of creation: Blue painted in enamel
Type: Inscription

Inscription present: rectagular with maroon line border, on the left an elephant's head crest with No (raised o) to the right

Text: 524/DERBY/3RD (raised RD) PERIOD/1786-1796
Location: On base of cup, and on the inside of the cover
Method of creation: Printed in marroon and hand-written in faded blue-black ink
Type: Label

Inscription present: narrow rectangular white paper stick on label