Bonhams 1793 : An impressive pair of Royal Worcester Japanesque vases, dated 1880

Moulded to simulate carved bamboo with ribs picked out in gold, both with modelled figures in high relief within pierced panels, one with a Geisha holding a fan and dismissing a male suitor, the other with a Geisha offering food to a seated semi-naked male figure wearing a garment of leaves, the figures picked out in subtle tones of bronze, green and pink, framed by fan-shaped panels of birds and butterflies in raised gold and bronze, sprouting branches issuing leaves applied to the reverse, 39.8cm and 39.2cm high, green and puce marks (minor chips) (2)

Sold for £2,750 inc. premium

Footnotes

Worcester's 'Japanesque' porcelain featured heavily in their display at the Paris Exhibition in 1878. The third Paris World's Fair, known as the Exposition Universelle, ran from 1 May through to 10 November 1878. A drawing of one of these vases along with other pieces shown at the Exposition was published by R. W. Binns in the 1884 catalogue of The Royal Porcelain Works Museum and is reproduced here. The bamboo vases were modelled by James Hadley and probably decorated by Edward Bejot

Category: Decorative Arts / British Ceramics

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