Dish

Date1752-1758

Maker Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory (1745-1769)

MediumPorcelain, Soft-paste

DimensionsDIAM: 8 3/4" H: 1"

Credit LineGift of Mrs. H. Struve Hensel.

Object number1987-792

DescriptionSoft-paste porcelain plate with scalloped rim. The hand-painted decoration is asymmetrical and in the Hans Sloane style. The decoration consists of various fruits, plants, and insects. The fruits include tan gooseberries, purple plums, red-orange currants, and a red-orange cherry. The largest plant depicted is a single, green leaf that has yet to be identified. There is a small cluster of pink honeysuckles. Insects that appear on the plate are a yellow butterfly, caterpillar, and a fly. There is also a snail. There is a line of red, iron oxide on the rim.
Label TextDishes with this style of botanical decoration are often referred to as Hans Sloane style porcelain. Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753) practiced medicine and had a passion for studying nature. In 1713 he purchased a riverside manor in Chelsea which included the Chelsea Physic Garden. Sloane encouraged medical students and the Society of Apothecaries to study, record, and experiment with local and foreign species of plants at the garden. Chelsea’s Hans Sloane style dishes are a result of the research conducted at the Chelsea Physic Garden.
MarkingsRed anchor.
ProvenanceEx. Coll: Mr. H. Struve Hensel

Exhibition(s)