Antique English Fancy Birds Oval Dish, Attributed to Coalport, Cobalt Blue, C.1840-1850

An exceptional early Victorian English bone china oval serving dish or comport, attributed to Coalport, circa 1840-1850. The piece is finely modelled in an elaborate Neo-Rococo form, with a deep oval bowl, pierced shell-shaped handles and a raised oval pedestal foot with a shaped, undulating footrim.

The large central oval reserve is finely hand-painted with three exotic Fancy Birds set within a landscape of trees, rocks and water, in the Sèvres-inspired style fashionable among English porcelain manufacturers. The birds have smooth heads, elongated beaks, brilliantly coloured plumage and long tails, characteristic of the imaginative Fancy Bird tradition. The central landscape is surrounded by a rich cobalt-blue ground with four shaped white reserves, individually hand-painted with colourful flowers. The combination of deep cobalt blue, polychrome painting and extensive gilding was among the most luxurious decorative treatments of early Victorian English porcelain.

The dish is attributed to Coalport on stylistic grounds, particularly its elaborate early Victorian bone china form, rich cobalt-blue ground, extensive gilding and distinctive Fancy Bird decoration. Coalport, whose richly decorated wares of this period were also marketed under the Coalbrookdale name, produced numerous elaborate pieces inspired by earlier Chelsea and Sèvres porcelain, including examples decorated with exotic Fancy Birds derived from mid-18th-century originals. The present dish belongs closely to this revival tradition.

Many English manufacturers supplied wares unmarked at the request of fashionable London retailers, including those operating luxury establishments on Bond Street and other prestigious shopping districts. The underside reveals the substantial bone china body and distinctive shaped, undulating oval footrim; the dish is unmarked, consistent with this practice.

Dimensions: length 32 cm; width 23.2 cm; height 7 cm; weight 662 g. Condition: one edge of one handle appears to have been repainted on the reverse. Otherwise in excellent antique condition, with the original painted decoration and gilding fully preserved. Please study the accompanying photographs carefully as they form an integral part of this description. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them. The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance. Shipping costs include handling, packaging and postage.