English Creamware Large Shaped Chinoiserie Dishes

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Parasols and Porcelain: Chinoiserie Charm on 18th-Century Creamware

This attractive pair of English Pottery Creamware Large Dishes, dating from Circa … Read more Parasols and Porcelain: Chinoiserie Charm on 18th-Century Creamware

This attractive pair of English Pottery Creamware Large Dishes, dating from Circa 1775–1785, showcases a charming and unusual hand-painted Chinoiserie design. With their warm, pale yellow glaze, the dishes feature a scalloped, molded rim typical of late 18th-century earthenware.

The central well of each dish presents a colorful figural scene: a Chinese lady is seated in a wood chair, attended by two figures. One attendant holds a large parasol (or fan), while the other offers a tray, possibly holding red apples. The figures are set against red bushes and stand on green ground.

The decoration is completed by scattered small, charming flowering sprigs with green leaves dispersed across the well and the shaped rim, linking the central scene to the border.

Dimensions: 12 3/4 inches diameter x 1 1/4 inches (32.39cm diameter x 3.18cm high).

Historical Context: Creamware and the Chinoiserie Craze

The Rise of Creamware
These dishes were produced during the golden age of English Creamware (also known as Queen's Ware), a refined type of earthenware perfected by Josiah Wedgwood around 1762. Creamware’s pale, delicate cream color, achieved through a light-colored body and a clear lead glaze, made it a fashionable and more affordable alternative to expensive Chinese and European porcelain. Its popularity in England and throughout Europe solidified the dominance of Staffordshire potters.

Hand-Painted Chinoiserie
The decoration on these dishes is a prime example of the Chinoiserie style—a European artistic interpretation of East Asian design—which was immensely popular throughout the 18th century.

Exotic Appeal: The designs here are hand−painted in a limited palette of colored enamels directly onto the glazed surface. This approach provided a painterly, individual touch to the piece.

Thematic Fantasy: The central figural group, featuring exotic clothing and accessories, represents the European fascination with the perceived leisure and elegance of Chinese aristocratic life. These scenes were decorative fantasies rather than accurate depictions, meeting the Western demand for charming, exotic dinnerware.

These large dishes would have been highly desirable objects, serving not only a utilitarian function but also as symbols of the owner's taste and engagement with the era's fashionable aesthetic currents.

(Ref: NY10447-lamx) See less