London porcelain factory, Chelsea, made this Kakiemon style tea bowl and saucer between 1750 and 1756 during the 'raised anchor' period when it produced many Japanese-inspired wares. Combining images of birds, flowers and mythical beasts, the style was inspired by the work of the Kakiemon family that ran the Arita kilns in Japan in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. It had a decisive influence upon late eighteenth-century English porcelain.

French artisans, Charles Gouyan and Nichols Sprimont, established the Chelsea porcelain factory in London in 1743 and modelled their soft-paste porcelain wares upon the exceptional pieces produced by Sèvres and Meissen. Employing highly skilled craftsmen, the pair manufactured some of the best examples of English porcelain and catered exclusively to the local luxury market. Their wares are now divided into four periods that are defined by changes to the porcelain marks. These are the 'triangle' period from 1743 to 1750; the 'raised anchor' period from 1750 to 1756; the 'red anchor' period from 1753 to 1758 (it overlapped the previous period by three years); and the 'gold anchor' from 1758 to 1769. Sprimont sold the Chelsea business to Derby in 1770, and the two enterprises operated under the combined name, 'Chelsea-Derby', until 1784.

English porcelain factory, Chelsea, made this tea bowl and saucer between 1750 and 1756 in the Kakiemon style. The pieces were made by firing the wet moulded porcelain, glazing and painting the surfaces with enamel colours, and then firing the pieces a second time to fuse the glaze and colours to the bodies. The most important aspects of Kakiemon decoration were an appreciation for the porcelain surface, apparent in the balance of painted and unpainted surfaces, and a careful judgement of asymmetry.

This tea bowl and saucer were transferred to the Powerhouse Museum in 1998 as part of the collection that Annie Maria Gillies (Mrs Sinclair Gillies) bequeathed to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1953. This collection consisted of around 191 objects, including important examples of eighteenth-century English furniture and porcelain. The Gallery never accessioned these items, and decided to sell the majority in 1997, transferring a portion to the Powerhouse Museum.

Tea bowl and saucer, bone china, made by Chelsea Porcelain Works, England, 1750-1756

A tea bowl in white porcelain with Kakiemon style decoration. The octagonal body rises from a small foot and terminates with an iron-red and yellow band. Surrounding the body are hand-painted motifs in the Kakiemon style, including a prunus branch, a dragon and bird. In the base of the well is a hand-painted reserve featuring a dragon.

A white porcelain saucer with Kakiemon style decoration. The octagonal form rises from a small foot. In the centre of the well is a hand-painted reserve featuring a dragon motif contained in a circular band of gold and iron-red. Around the well are hand-painted enamel motifs, including a prunus branch, a dragon and bird. An iron-red band surrounds the lip.

Made: Chelsea Porcelain Works; London, England; 1750 - 1756


Used: Art Gallery of New South Wales; Sydney

See part records for details.

2005/200/23

1750 - 1756