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ID #SA1243285
FOR SALE
£1,950
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A Superb and Rare Duesbury Derby Porcelain Jug C.1770
For sale by Fine Antique English Porcelain
for sale €2,282     $2,477
£1,950
Fine Antique English Porcelain

Fine Antique English Porcelain

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jun 2021
Browse dealers 76 items
  • About Us
    Jonathan purt is a specialist in fine antique english porcelain
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A Superb and Rare Duesbury Derby Porcelain Jug C.1770

18th century
Description

A superb and rare Duesbury Derby porcelain jug c.1770. The oviform body on spreading foot and set with a maskhead spout moulded and delicately coloured with a portrait of a rosy-cheeked man wearing a tricorn hat and a ruff, the sides painted in the manner of Edward Withers in puce with floral sprays centred by an elaborate cartouche and in colours with the MacFarlan clan crest inscribed ‘This I’ll defend’, lined and embellished in gilt. 

Patch marks to the base.

Condition: Professional restoration to the tip of the spout, otherwise in very good condition.

The MacFarlan famously supported the infant King James VI of Scotland.  For a dated example of this fine jug see the one in the Victoria & Albert Museum, number 414: 465-1885.    

Literature: A jug of similar form is illustrated by John Twitchett, Derby Porcelain (2002), colour plate 196, p 214 where it is described as a Rodney jug. The portrait on the spout is, however, different from the example illustrated by Stephen Mitchell, The Marks on Chelsea-Derby and the Early Crossed-Batons Useful Wares (2007), pl 87 and inscribed in gold 'April the 12th 1782'. It is more likely that the mask represents King George III

Date of Manufacture

Fine Antique English Porcelain has dated this Derby Porcelain Mask Jug to the Georgian era.

Physical Dimensions
Height
23.5cm (9.25")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1243285
Dealers Notes

Jonathan Purt is an online dealer in the finest Antique English Porcelain.

Worldwide shipping available. Please ask for a quote.

For a larger selection of stock, please visit my online shop:

www.fineantiqueenglishporcelain.co.uk

Description
A superb and rare Duesbury Derby porcelain jug c.1770. The oviform body on spreading foot and set with a maskhead spout moulded and delicately coloured with a portrait of a rosy-cheeked man wearing a tricorn hat and a ruff, the sides painted in the manner of Edward Withers in puce with floral sprays centred by an elaborate cartouche and in colours with the MacFarlan clan crest inscribed ‘This I’ll defend’, lined and embellished in gilt. 
fig 1. An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details.
fig 1. A Superb and Rare Duesbury Derby Porcelain Jug C.1770

Patch marks to the base.

Condition: Professional restoration to the tip of the spout, otherwise in very good condition.

The MacFarlan famously supported the infant King James VI of Scotland.

“
  For a dated example of this fine jug see the one in the Victoria & Albert Museum, number 414: 465-1885.
Fine Antique English Porcelain

    

fig 2. An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details.
fig 2. A Superb and Rare Duesbury Derby Porcelain Jug C.1770

Literature: A jug of similar form is illustrated by John Twitchett, Derby Porcelain (2002), colour plate 196, p 214 where it is described as a Rodney jug. The portrait on the spout is, however, different from the example illustrated by Stephen Mitchell, The Marks on Chelsea-Derby and the Early Crossed-Batons Useful Wares (2007), pl 87 and inscribed in gold 'April the 12th 1782'. It is more likely that the mask represents King George III

Date of Manufacture

Fine Antique English Porcelain has dated this Derby Porcelain Mask Jug to the Georgian era.

Height
23.5cm (9.25")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1243285
Fine Antique English Porcelain
Fine Antique English Porcelain
Sellingantiques verified Since Jun 2021

Jonathan purt is a specialist in fine antique english porcelain

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Fine Antique English Porcelain Profile Page

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An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details.
1 / 9
Archive I An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details.

A Superb and Rare Duesbury Derby Porcelain Jug C.1770

Archive II An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details. View II
Archive III An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details. View III
Archive IV An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details. View IV
Archive V An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details. View V
Archive VI An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details. View VI
Archive VII An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details. View VII
Archive VIII An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details. View VIII
Archive IX An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details. View IX
Enlarged Archival View
Fine Antique English Porcelain

Fine Antique English Porcelain
Telephone 07791 358757
Location
Exeter
Devon
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/fineantiqueenglishporcelainco
Verified Since Jun 2021
Items For Sale 76
Items Sold 55
Fine Antique English Porcelain
Fine Antique English Porcelain
Verified Since Jun 2021
View Dealer Info
Location: Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/fineantiqueenglishporcelainco
Verified
Jun 2021
For Sale
76
Sold
55
An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details.
A superb and rare Duesbury Derby Porcelain jug c.1770
Ref: SA1243285
An eighteenth-century white porcelain jug featuring a moulded human face spout, hand-painted crest with the text THIS ILL DEFEND, gilded rococo framing, and pink floral details.
Detail View 1
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Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectJugs & Pitchers
  • Period18th century
  • StyleGeorgian
  • MaterialPorcelain, Gold Leaf, Enamel
  • ColourWhite and Gold
  • MotifsMask spout, Heraldic crest, Rococo gilding, Floral sprigs
  • SizeH 23.5 cm (9 in)

This Georgian Duesbury Derby porcelain jug originates from circa 1770 and follows an oviform shape on a spreading foot, finished in a white glaze with gold leaf and polychrome enamel decoration. The white glazed vessel incorporates a moulded maskhead spout depicting a rosy-cheeked man in a tricorn hat and ruff, an elaborate rococo gilt cartouche enclosing a hand-painted heraldic crest inscribed with the text 'This I'll defend', and hand-painted puce floral sprays across the sides. The piece stands 23.5 cm high and includes patch marks to the base, with professional restoration noted to the tip of the spout. Collectors and homeowners can place this decorative jug on a sideboard top in a traditional interior, where it serves as a historic display item.

FAQs

A mask spout jug is a ceramic or porcelain pouring vessel produced during the eighteenth century that features a moulded human or mythical face directly beneath the spout. Prominent English manufactories, including Derby and Worcester, produced these decorative utility items.

Eighteenth-century Derby pieces were primarily made from soft-paste porcelain, composed of white clay combined with ground glass or frit. Decoration was applied using hand-painted enamel colours and burnt-on gold leaf leafing for gilding.

Authentic pieces from this period often display specific characteristics such as patch marks on the underside base from kiln firing, translucent soft-paste bodies with a greenish tint under transmitted light, and hand-painted heraldic or floral enamelling.

A Georgian porcelain jug can be displayed as a standalone decorative object on a sideboard, placed within a glazed display cabinet, or styled on a fireplace mantelpiece alongside contemporary art to create contrast.

Clean gently using lukewarm water and mild dish soap with a soft microfiber cloth, avoiding immersion if repairs are present. Never use abrasive cleaners, chemical solvents, or automatic dishwashers, as these will damage gilt details and enamel glaze.
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