This is a very rare plate made by John Rose in Coalport in about 1805. The plate has a beautiful cobalt blue ground, rich gilding and a stunning flower painting in the centre. There are still a few plates of this service around (I had one a while ago) and It is thought that they might have been painted by Thomas Baxter.
 
Coalport was one of the leading potters in 19th and 20th Century Staffordshire. They worked alongside other great potters such as Spode, Davenport and Minton, and came out with many innovative designs. When we say "Coalport" we usually think of the one Coalport factory that became famous, but in its beginning years there were two factories, one run by John Rose and the other by his brother Thomas Rose. Thomas Rose went into partnership with Robert Anstice and Robert Horton and they were located directly opposite John Rose, across the canal. The brothers' factories had much in common with each other and they shared many different shapes and patterns. Ultimately, the John Rose factory proved more profitable and John Rose bought Thomas' factory in 1814, making it the one Coalport factory that became so famous. Many of the Coalport items, of either factory, are now collectors' items.
 
This plate would have belonged to a large dinner or dessert service. It was potted in a simple shape in the heavy, very white porcelain that was common for the early John Rose factory. The plate has an underglaze cobalt blue ground and striking gilt patterns around the rim; this is a very similar pattern to famous "Animal Service" that John Rose made  in the year 1800. But rather than animals, this plate shows beautifully hand painted flowers in the centre. The decoration was done in an independent decorators studio, but we don't know which one as there are no records of this; however the style of the flowers is unusual and very advanced for the time, so they were certainly done by a top painter and it is thought that this might have been Thomas Baxter.
 
CONDITION REPORT The plate is in good condition and is beautiful for display, but has some minor flaws. There is crazing although this is mostly visible on the underside and there is a firing crack on the foot rim that has caused a tight crack over time (this is not visible from the front of the plate). There is rubbing to the gilt on the outer rim of the plate, but on the face the flower painting and gilding are still sublime.
 
The plate is unmarked, as was usual for that period.
 
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. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account.
 
There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures!
 
DIMENSIONS (diameter) 24cm (9.5"), hight 3cm (1.2").