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Jug
Chamberlain, Robert - Enlarge image
Jug
- Place of origin:
Caughley, England (made)
Worcester, England (decorated) - Date:
ca. 1785-1790 (decorated)
ca. 1775-1799 (made) - Artist/Maker:
Chamberlain, Robert (decorator)
Davis, George (probably, painter (artist))
Caughley Porcelain Factory (manufacturer) - Materials and Techniques:
Soft-paste porcelain moulded in relief and painted with enamels and gilded
- Credit Line:
Given by Alfred Darby, Esq.
- Museum number:
C.47-1921
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 52a, case 2
Object Type
These jugs with cabbage-leaf moulded patterns were introduced in the 1750s. They remained very popular in Britain until about 1800. The lip was sometimes formed as a mask, as in this example, or the jug could have a plain cylindrical neck.
Place
The jugs were first made at the Worcester porcelain factory, and then at Lowestoft (Suffolk), Caughley and several of the Liverpool factories. The design was also copied in Chinese porcelain for export to the West.
People
Robert Chamberlain (1736-1798) had been apprenticed to learn 'pot painting' at the Worcester porcelain factory and in due course was put in charge of the 'ornamental part of the production.' Around 1786 he left the factory and started his own business in Worcester. At first he ran this as an enamelling studio, working as a subcontractor for Caughley, but he also bought Caughley wares and decorated them for resale on his own account.
The bird painting here is probably by George Davis, who also prepared some of the enamel colours used by the factory and ground the gold for the gilding.
