English Creamware Pottery Large Sailor's Farewell Bowl With a Chinoiserie Scene on the Reverse

Details

Description

A World Away: Creamware Sailor's Farewell and Chinoiserie Punch Bowl

Origin: England (likely Staffordshire)
Date: circa 1800–1820 (Early 19th Century)
… Read more A World Away: Creamware Sailor's Farewell and Chinoiserie Punch Bowl

Origin: England (likely Staffordshire)
Date: circa 1800–1820 (Early 19th Century)
Material: Creamware Earthenware, Polychrome Enamels
Dimensions: 10 3/4 inches (27.31 cm) Diameter x 4 1/2 inches (11.42 cm) High

This is a handsome, large Creamware Punch Bowl crafted in England during the late Georgian to early Regency period. The piece is distinguished by its vibrant polychrome enamel decoration featuring two contrasting narrative scenes on its exterior.

The bowl’s smooth creamware body and footed, open form are characteristic of English ceramics used for communal drinking, particularly punch, in the early 19th century.

Scene 1: The Sailor's Farewell (Occidental Subject) Depicts a sentimental, patriotic scene where a naval officer stands resolutely with crossed arms, a sword at his hip. His female companion turns away in sorrow, holding a parasol. In the distance, a Royal Navy frigate lies at anchor, and a longboat rows toward it, symbolizing the imminent departure. This scene was a popular transfer-print or enamel motif reflecting Britain's naval dominance and the sacrifices of maritime life.

Scene 2: Chinoiserie Fantasy (Oriental Subject) On the reverse side is a decorative, fanciful Chinoiserie scene. Two women and a young boy, all dressed in stylized Asian clothing, observe a child bringing a potted, flowering plant toward them beneath a blossoming tree and a hovering bird. A small pagoda is used as a landscape filler between the main scenes.

Condition Note: Below the Chinoiserie scene on the foot rim, a small hole has been carefully bored. This alteration was likely performed by a previous owner who wished to display the large bowl as a wall hanging, a practice not uncommon for particularly decorative items.

Historical Context
This bowl is a fantastic illustration of the diverse global influences and sentimental narratives that dominated English consumer taste at the turn of the 19th century.

The Two Worlds of Georgian Ceramics
It is highly characteristic of the era to find two completely disparate themes on a single piece of pottery:

Nautical and Sentimental: The "Sailor's Farewell" theme was hugely popular in ceramics, printed mugs, and lithographs, reflecting the cultural impact of Britain's sustained naval engagement during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (c. 1792–1815).

Exotic and Decorative: Chinoiserie, the Western European imitation of Chinese art, remained a key decorative style from the 18th century well into the 19th. The scene provides a whimsical, escapist contrast to the somber nautical reality.

The Creamware Body
The bowl is made from Creamware, a high-quality, lightweight earthenware perfected by Josiah Wedgwood and others in Staffordshire in the late 18th century. Its clean, pale body proved an ideal canvas for the bright, relatively inexpensive hand-painted polychrome (multi-color) enameling that would have been applied over a base glaze. As a large, multi-use piece intended for punch or serving, it represents the heart of Georgian domestic and social life.

References
Price, R. K. W. English Pottery and Porcelain. (References the popularity of the sailor’s farewell and similar sentimental themes in 19th-century English ceramics).

Godden, Geoffrey A. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of British Pottery and Porcelain. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1966. (Context for Creamware production and decorative techniques, c. 1780–1820).

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) and other collections: Hold examples of English creamware and lusterware bowls featuring both nautical and Chinoiserie/sentimental scenes, confirming the pairing of these motifs.

(Ref: ny8590-nrrr) See less