Mid 19th Century Grainger Worcester Blue and White Parian Porcelain Vase

Description

A rare, small blue and white Parian porcelain vase made by G. Grainger & Co. circa 1839.

This petite vase, … more A rare, small blue and white Parian porcelain vase made by G. Grainger & Co. circa 1839.

This petite vase, a rare style made by G. Grainger & Co. circa 1839, features a design of oak leaves carved in relief on an unglazed porcelain ground and accentuated with hand-painted blue Rococo details. The interior of the vessel is glazed and has a lovely, delicate laurel design encircling the mouth of the vessel.

The Grainger porcelain factory was based out of the English ceramic hub of Worcester. Thomas Grainger (1783-1839) partnered with John Wood to establish a porcelain company there in 1801. Both had apprenticed at Robert Chamberlain’s Worcester factory; in fact, Grainger was Chamberlain’s nephew. They began by decorating blank pieces made by other companies, but graduated to producing their own porcelain in 1807. After Thomas’s death in 1839, his son, George, took over the company. Under George’s ownership the company produced Neo-Rococo style wares as well as Semi-porcelain and Chemical Porcelain.

George Grainger excelled at pierced bodied porcelain, thus the prevalence of such wares on the market today. This vase’s design is carved in relief rather than reticulated, making it a rare and early piece of George Grainger’s. Also supporting the early dating of this piece is its red hand-painted mark “G. Grainger & Co. Worcester.” The company inscribed its wares with these words between 1839 to 1869; however marks’ styles varied over this period. A comparison of the style of this mark with that of a “Grainger, Lee & Co” mark that dates between 1814-1839 reveals a strong similarity. Thus, the vase probably dates close to 1839 and marks the transition of the factory from Thomas Grainger and his partner James Lee to George Grainger.

Condition: Excellent

Dimensions: 4 3/4 in height x 6 in. diameter (12 cm height x 15.25 cm diameter). less