Royal Worcester “Empress” Shell-Form Porcelain Dish with Moonlit River Gorge, 1897, Unsigned

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Royal Worcester “Empress” Shell-Form Porcelain Dish with Moonlit River Gorge, 1897, Unsigned

Royal Worcester “Empress” shell-form porcelain cabinet dish, dated … Read more Royal Worcester “Empress” Shell-Form Porcelain Dish with Moonlit River Gorge, 1897, Unsigned

Royal Worcester “Empress” shell-form porcelain cabinet dish, dated 1897, featuring a rare hand-painted moonlit river gorge. The central circular reserve depicts a rushing river framed by steep rocky cliffs beneath a luminous full moon. Executed in atmospheric shades of blue, violet, gray, and deep green, the unsigned scene relates stylistically to the late-19th-century Royal Worcester landscape studio and particularly to the work of Edwin “Ted” Salter, an accomplished painter of landscapes and fish. No direct artist attribution is made.

The elaborate molded porcelain body combines scalloped shell contours, rocaille scrollwork, diaper-patterned grounds, and a prominent foliate shell handle. A warm ivory and blush ground is enriched with extensive hand-applied gilding. Individual cartouches contain delicate scattered sprays of forget-me-nots, roses, asters, and other stylized meadow flowers in blue, pink, red, yellow, and green.

The puce Royal Worcester factory mark bears six date dots—three on either side of the crown—identifying manufacture in 1897. The central “51” commemorates the Worcester factory’s founding in 1751. Two small handwritten “12” marks are understood as internal decorator, gilder, or workshop control marks rather than artist signatures.

Light age-related wear to the gilding and painted decoration, consistent with its age.

Dimensions: 9.5 in. W × 8.5 in. D × 1 in. H. See less