Early Derby, Patch Period, Garland Shepherds, C. 1765

Quite rare early Derby figurines of a “Garland Shepherds”. Figure of a shepherdess in soft-paste porcelain painted in enamels and gilded. She stands upright wearing a wide-brimmed hat, green bodice and pink skirt painted with flowers. She is placing a garland of flowers round the neck of a lamb that stands upright at her side. The figure of a shepherd made in the Derby manner, dressed in a floral waistcoat and breeches and in a long jacket in pale turquoise color. They stands on a circular bases embellished with rococo scrollwork. Figurines rich enameled and decorated with gild. Patch marks on bottom.

The Derby Porcelain factory has its roots in the late 1740s, when Andrew Planché, a Walloon Huguenot refugee, started making simple porcelain toys shaped like animals in his back yard. In 1756 Staffordshire enameller William Duysbury and banker John Heath started a new porcelain factory with Planché and this was to grow out to the largest factory of its time, buying up the bankrupted Chelsea and Bow factories, as well as the stock of several other workshops including that of James Giles. The combination of various traditions, porcelain making skills and sophisticated clients enabled Duesbury to create one of the best porcelain factories of the 18th and 19th Centuries, which after many ups and downs is still operative today.

The reputation of the factory’s output was at its 18th century peak and in self-published advertising material, the “Derby Porcelain Manufactory” was proclaiming itself to be “the second Dresden”.

Duesbury maintained what would now be termed “retail space” independent of the Chelsea works, at a former pub – The Castle Tavern – in Bedford Street, Covent Garden. This was both a warehousing facility and an exhibition area, and was the shopfront for what had by now become “a very thriving and lucrative trade”. Derby porcelain was hand painted, some with with imari patterns, in London at the Chelsea pemises and the output from this dual operation is Chelsea Derby. Ultimately, the Chelsea site was closed down and the name Derby continued in increasingly splendid isolation, to the point where continued Royal patronage afforded Duesbury license to append a crown to his trademark, Royal Crown Derby Porcelain was born. It’s worth noting that Duesbury also used representations of the marks used on Sevres, Dresden and Berlin-made porcelain, as he considered his own wares to be superior to every other source other than those three.

Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. Some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account.

Dimensions:

Shepherd - Height 21.2 cm, width 10 cm, depth 8.7 cm, weight 652 grams

Shepherdess - Height 21.5 cm, width 10 cm, depth 8.8 cm, weight 627 grams

Condition:

Shepherd - In his left hand he was holding some object that is now missing, where his right foot touches the tree, traces of paint are visible under ultraviolet light - perhaps these are traces of a very professional restoration that is not visible to the naked eye. The hat is overpainted.

Minor chips on plant leaves. Minor