Anna Burnside
Head of Sale
Lot 184
A Worcester wet mustard pot and cover, circa 1754-56
1 December 2025, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£1,000 - £1,500
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Jim Peake
Head of Department
Fergus Gambon
Director
A Worcester wet mustard pot and cover, circa 1754-56
Of drum shape, the angular handle with a high scrolled thumbrest, printed in outline and hand-coloured with figures from the 'Chinese Musicians' pattern, one of whom is seated and playing a flute, a large insect nearby, the low domed cover also with flying insects, the pointed finial picked out in bright red and green, with black line rims, 8.2cm high (2)
Footnotes
Provenance
Thomas Grant Dixon Collection, bequeathed to Ampleforth Abbey
Sotheby's, 13 April 2011, lot 134
Literature
White, Mary, Eating at the Whites' House, Vol.3, 2022, p.318
The 'Chinese Musicians' pattern, copied from Chinese Export porcelain, is unusual for Worcester as the rare printed and hand-coloured version predates the fully hand-painted version which became popular in the 1760s. The earlier printed version is found on small hexagonal bottle vases and mustard pots. A mustard pot of inverted baluster shape from the Rous Lench Collection was sold by Christie's on 30 May 1990, lot 467. Worcester also produced dry mustard pots, see lot 182 in this sale.