A Rare First Period Worcester Porcelain Hop Trellis Tea Caddy c1775
Directory: Antiques: Decorative Art: Ceramics: English: Porcelain: Pre 1800: Item # 1345299
Please refer to our stock # p1138 when inquiring.
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A wonderful example of a rare Dr. Wall Worcester tea canister of fluted oval "French shape." There are several variations of the Hop Trellis pattern, with this one being less common. All versions of the pattern are highly collected. In the case of this variety, the upper border is a deep blue, while the lower border is a turquoise cailloute (a lacy network of oval or circular outlines, from the French, meaning "pebbled"). The main body of the caddy has iron-red trellises with gold bands twining around them. Interspersed between the trellis work are pendant hop vines with leaves and berries. Both the foot and the neck have additional gilding. In contrast to the great majority of surviving tea canisters, this piece retains its original cover, decorated in a similar manner to the canister and topped with an open gilded flower.
Marked on the bottom with a blue underglaze script "W", this piece, as was item # p1137 on this site, was part of the Robert Drane collection. Drane was a famous and distinguished Welsh collector of Worcester porcelain. Over 1000 pieces of his collection were catalogued, exhibited and sold by Albert Amor in 1922, and the exhibition catalogue of this sale is still available. The British Museum bought a considerable number of pieces of this collection.
The condition of this canister is magnificent, with no cracks, restoration, paint or gilding loss. The only blemishes, and they are truly a minor, is a tiny nick at the top of the rim, shown in the last photo, and a very minor restoration at the base of the stem of the finial. The substance on the underside of the lid is a soft material, easily removed, that was put there to avoid chipping when the lid is placed on the canister.The height of the canister, including the lid, is 6 3/4", and without the lid is 5 1/2".
NOTE: For a further discussion of this pattern see "Worcester Porcelain 1751-1790 The Zorensky Collection", page 301.
