Decorated with scenes of Chinese pagodas, bridges and fishermen, this plate was made in about 1760 by Bow, one of the largest porcelain factories in England. Bow was well-known for its 'blue-and-white' wares that were designed in an oriental style of a blue ground with white reserves. This piece is from the range that copied early eighteenth-century Chinese porcelain, though other varieties employed Japanese-inspired motifs.

The Bow porcelain factory was established in 1744 along the Bow River in Essex. Its proprietors, Thomas Frye and Edward Heylan, sought a broad market and manufactured pieces that varied significantly in quality and design. The bulk of their production was decorated in the Oriental style, though their blue-and-white wares were largely responsible for their commercial success. However, the quality of both their porcelain and decoration deteriorated dramatically in the late 1760s, and Bow could no longer compete with Worcester and its superior wares. In the mid 1770s, the Bow factory closed and the Derby Porcelain Works purchased the remaining implements and moulds.

English porcelain factory, Bow, made this plate in around 1760 in the oriental style of a blue ground with white reserves. The 'blue-and-white' decoration was achieved by sprinkling a pigment evenly onto the biscuit surface after masking the areas that were to remain white. The body was then glazed and fired at a high temperature that transformed the pigment into an intense shade of blue. English factories were rarely able to achieve the crisp contrasts that Chinese porcelain makers created with such mastery. Instead, their works often showed blue staining along the edges of the white reserves.

This plate was 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.

Plate, earthenware, made by Bow China Works, England, c. 1760

A round, white earthenware plate with a scalloped edge and a cobalt blue ground. The white, central reserve is painted with a blue chinoiserie scene of a house, a pagoda, trees and a small figure in a boat. Around the edge are eight white reserves painted with blue chinoiserie scenes of flowers, pagodas and a moonlit lake. The white underside of the plate has three blue branch like decorations.

Made: Bow China Works; England; 1755 - 1765


Used: Art Gallery of New South Wales; Sydney

Mock oriental character mark on base in mottled overglaze blue
AGNSW accession number on base, handwritten in black ink, '8918'.
Round white paper label on base, handwritten in black ink, 'Worcester / 230'.
Blank rectangular white paper label

2005/200/4

1755 - 1765

32 mm

222 mm