This is a very fine high-footed campana made by Royal Crown Derby in 1916 in the Edwardian style. The vase has a deep cobalt or mazarine blue ground with sublime raised gilt decorations and flower paintings by Cuthbert Gresley.
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 factory went through many ups and downs in the 19th Century and was completely re-consistituted in the late 19th Century; today it is one of the very few factories still operative.
This vase is a very fine example of some of the best pieces Royal Crown Derby made after their resurgence in the late 19th Century. The vase is in the famous "campana" shape, but placed on a high foot with an elaborately moulded heart-shaped cavity and beautiful details. The ground colour is deep cobalt or mazarine blue with exquisite raised gilding. This type of gilding was very difficult to apply and only the most skilled gilders were able to provide such high quality work.
The flower paintings on both sides were done by Cuthbert Gresley, who lived between 1876 and 1963 and started working at Royal Crown Derby in 1893. Gresley was considered one of Derby's finest and most versatile painters of that period, able to paint all manner of images: flowers, fruits, animals and landscapes. He was a keen singer and worked alongside his brother, son and grandson, who all stepped into his foot steps.
These flowers consist of roses in three colours, with some small flowers mixed in; they have been painted in a slightly sketchy and transparent way, providing a beautiful delicacy that looks quite modern.
The vase has the Royal Crown Derby mark with a year cipher for 1916 on the underside.
CONDITION REPORT The vase is in perfect antique condition without any damage, repairs, crazing or wear.
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 20cm (8") high, 14.5cm (5.5") wide.
SHIPPING I ship worldwide from the UK. I am happy to combine shipping charges on multiple items - please contact me to discuss. In principle I do not make a profit on shipping although for simplicity's sake I charge flat shipping fees. If the fee charged greatly exceeds the actual cost I will gladly refund you the difference - at the same time if it is slightly lower I will gladly make up the difference. Please note that due to the pandemic shipping costs have generally gone up steeply, and although I use only the most reliable couriers, there can sometimes be some delays.
Royal Crown Derby campana vase, cobalt blue, flowers signed C Gresley, 1916
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