Minton Pair Of Rectangular Dishes, Newcastle Embossed, Flowers J. Bancroft, 1857

This is a stunning pair of rectangular dishes made by Minton in 1857. The dishes are beautifully moulded in the Newcastle Embossed shape, the moulding picked out and turquoise and gilt, and hand painted with flowers by Joseph Bancroft. These dishes belonged to a large dessert service.

We have the original service available as a setting for eight, as well as various other dishes and plates, please see separate listings.

Minton was one of the pioneers of English china production alongside other great potters such as Spode, Davenport, Ridgway, Coalport and others. They were located in Staffordshire and were known specifically for their wonderfully fine white bone china and top quality designs. Between 1798 and 1816 they made very fine porcelain with wonderful neoclassical designs. After a break during an economic crisis, they started their second period in 1824, creating Rococo Revival designs such as this popular "Newcastle embossed" shape.

The items are potted in the very fine bright white porcelain that Minton was so famous for. This shape is called the Newcastle Embossed shape; Minton called many of their shapes after European cities. This shape has beautiful moulded lattice shapes around each item and flower reserves enclosed by moulded scrolls. All the embossed surfaces are picked out in fresh turquoise and lavish gilding. The items are painted with delicate flowers by the famous painter Joseph Bancroft.

Bancroft had started his career as a porcelain painter at the famous Derby factory, then worked in the London decoration studios for a while, and finally settled in Staffordshire where he became one of Minton's prime flower painters in 1831. He worked there until at least 1858, when he was well into his sixties. Bancroft's flowers are recognisable as closely bunched, delicate and meticulous.

The dishes are not marked, which is not unusual for this era, but they bear the pattern number 4009, and the plates of the original service bear the impressed year ciphers for the year 1857-1858. The pattern is from about 1846, so it is likely that these were made as a replacement order. An image of a nearly identical service by Joseph Bancroft can be found in plate 41 of Geoffrey Godden's "Minton Pottery & Porcelain of the First Period 1793-1850".

CONDITION REPORT Both dishes are in perfect antique condition without any damage, repairs or crazing or even any significant wear.

Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account.

There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures!

DIMENSIONS 27cm X 21cm (10.6" X 8.25").

Condition report:

Good. Wear consistent with age and use. In perfect antique condition without any damage, repairs or crazing.