Here's a highlight from the Autumn Exhibition, currently showing in our Geelong premises:
"A pair of Flight & Barr Worcester jardinieres, the straight-sided conical forms with yellow ground, with wide band of superbly painted flowers on a black ground to the rim, with gilt line borders and moulded handles to either side.
Script mark 'Flighr & Barr/ manfs to Their Maj'y.. ' ,
also inscribed B
Circa 1800 "
The quality is simply superb, with very strong enamels, the level of detail is almost photo-realistic.
You'll find a similar shape illustrated in Sandon's 'Flight & Barr Worcester Porcelain', p62, also painted with fine flowers, C. 1800.
Our pair have the incised "B" mark, as well as the script mark 'Flighr & Barr/ manfs to Their Maj'y.. ' , allowing us to date them nicely between 1792 and 1804.
What makes these particularly exciting is their provenance: they come from the collection of Helen Gardiner, most of which is the basis for the Gardiner Collection in Toronto, Canada.
This collection is one of the finest Ceramics collections in the world.
For more from our Autumn Exhibition, click here.
