The cylindrical body with spreading base painted with three floral swags divided by pendant garlands and two ladybirds suspended from an iron-red ribbon.

This tankard belongs to the early phase of Bow porcelain which predates the ‘Canton’ inkwells dated 1750 and are characterised by a muted palette on a glossy glaze of ‘mushroom’ tone. The incised line (or sometimes ‘R’) occurs on a group of exceptionally finely potted wheel thrown pieces.

Pieces of this period are probably the earliest made to the formula of the Bow ‘Second Patent’ which Thomas Frye applied for in November 1748 and was granted in late 1749. The Patent specified the use of “virgin earth” or bone ash (calcium phosphate).

Two closely related tankards of this group are in the Geoffrey Freeman collection.[i]

Condition:

Fine 2.5 cm crack from rim

Provenance:

John A. Ainslie Esq. (Paper label A.236), Sotheby’s, London,7 March 1961, lot 163 (part)

Lady Davson (Kate Foster) (1938–2020)  Collection

Exhibited at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 2009-20

Anton Gabszewicz Collection no. 955

References:

Gabszewicz 1982
Anton Gabszewicz, Bow Porcelain, The collection formed by Geoffrey Freeman, (1982)

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[i] Gabszewicz 1982, pp. 28 nos.10 & 11

Price: £6,500