Restrained elegance
With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas coming up, we are well into the holiday season. It's time for tea and dinner parties, and what better than to serve your loved ones in some beautiful porcelain that lifts everyone's spirit in a time of not only short, dark days, but also a rather tumultuous world...
(And yes, I am aware that down under, you are all sweltering hot - although I've heard it is unusually wet in many places, so a good time for a summer dinner party!)
Let's look at a beautiful dessert service made by Barr, Flight & Barr in Worcester some time between 1815 and 1820. This service is in near- perfect condition and would make a real splash on your dinner table... even though its colour scheme is restrained.
This theme of brown vines, simple gilt and a tiny splash of fresh red berries was a popular colour scheme during the days of the Neoclassical fashion, which was a reaction to the richly decorative style of the Rococo that came before. Neoclassicism was inspired by - the word says it - the Classics. In the late 18th and early 19th Century many historical sites were excavated in Italy and Greece, revealing the extraordinary riches of Classical and pre-Classical culture. Greek, Roman and Etruscan patterns and shapes suddenly became all the rage. The British Museum was set up to provide a home for the many artefacts that were brought to Britain - a practice that today many would argue includes a lot of looting. This greatly influenced the decorative arts in Britain.
And there was another factor that played into this. In France, King Louis XVI and his family met a cruel fate in the hands of the people, who rebelled and staged a bloody revolution. In Britain, many of the wealthiest people felt deeply shaken and suddenly it didn't feel so safe to show off your riches too much. So this was another reason to embrace a more austere fashion and show your sophistication through restrained elegance rather than over-the-top abundance.
This wonderful service is for sale now, alongside many others I have. And in case you are wondering... I have combined it in these pictures with some adorable Rococo figures made by Bow about 60 years earlier. These figures were made for display at the dessert table and still perfectly do their job.
Where to find things
You can find all dessert services here, and you can find all my available stock here. If you always want to see the latest additions, follow me on Instagram... I post pictures and a story several times a week.
Happy weekend everyone!
This week's new treasures:
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