Wall Bracket
ca. 1752-1755 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This is one of a pair of brackets with C.60A-1968 designed for use on a wall in a domestic interior and may have been intended to support small figures or vases of Rococo design. Certainly, French engravings show brackets of this type supporting small Rococo vases, although the earliest such vases from the Derby porcelain factory are slightly later in date. Similar brackets were also used for supporting vases made at the royal French porcelain factory at Sévres. In 1775 Lady Sarah Bunbury advised a friend with property in Ireland that 'if the [drawing room] hangings are white, their plainness must be broken by your pretty blue and green Sévres china vases, on pretty brackets'. Ceramic figures were also displayed on brackets in the middle years of the 18th century: 'single Figures for Brackets' were included in an auction of Chelsea porcelain held in 1759.
Design & Designing
The brackets may have been inspired by French gilt-bronze examples. Their designer had a remarkably good understanding of the principles of continental Rococo design. The Derby porcelain factory may have bought the casting models for these and other early Rococo pieces from freelance London sculptors.
This is one of a pair of brackets with C.60A-1968 designed for use on a wall in a domestic interior and may have been intended to support small figures or vases of Rococo design. Certainly, French engravings show brackets of this type supporting small Rococo vases, although the earliest such vases from the Derby porcelain factory are slightly later in date. Similar brackets were also used for supporting vases made at the royal French porcelain factory at Sévres. In 1775 Lady Sarah Bunbury advised a friend with property in Ireland that 'if the [drawing room] hangings are white, their plainness must be broken by your pretty blue and green Sévres china vases, on pretty brackets'. Ceramic figures were also displayed on brackets in the middle years of the 18th century: 'single Figures for Brackets' were included in an auction of Chelsea porcelain held in 1759.
Design & Designing
The brackets may have been inspired by French gilt-bronze examples. Their designer had a remarkably good understanding of the principles of continental Rococo design. The Derby porcelain factory may have bought the casting models for these and other early Rococo pieces from freelance London sculptors.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Soft-paste porcelain |
| Brief description | One of a pair of brackets. Derby 'Dry-edge' class, probably from a factory directed by Andrew Planche. Glassy, glazed white soft-paste porcelain. |
| Physical description | One of a pair of wall brackets in the shape of a cornucopia, its entire front surface moulded with a medley of scrolls and shelly rocaille motifs. The unglazed upper surface bowed at the front, providing a flat platform for objects to be displayed. The flat back, also unglazed, has two holes for suspension. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Made at the Derby porcelain factory |
| Summary | Object Type This is one of a pair of brackets with C.60A-1968 designed for use on a wall in a domestic interior and may have been intended to support small figures or vases of Rococo design. Certainly, French engravings show brackets of this type supporting small Rococo vases, although the earliest such vases from the Derby porcelain factory are slightly later in date. Similar brackets were also used for supporting vases made at the royal French porcelain factory at Sévres. In 1775 Lady Sarah Bunbury advised a friend with property in Ireland that 'if the [drawing room] hangings are white, their plainness must be broken by your pretty blue and green Sévres china vases, on pretty brackets'. Ceramic figures were also displayed on brackets in the middle years of the 18th century: 'single Figures for Brackets' were included in an auction of Chelsea porcelain held in 1759. Design & Designing The brackets may have been inspired by French gilt-bronze examples. Their designer had a remarkably good understanding of the principles of continental Rococo design. The Derby porcelain factory may have bought the casting models for these and other early Rococo pieces from freelance London sculptors. |
| Bibliographic reference | Mallet, J.V.G. 'Agostino Carlini and Dry-Edge Derby' in Walford, Tom and Hilary Young British Ceramic Design, 1600-2002: Papers presented at the colloquium celebrating the 75th anniversary of the English Ceramic Circle, 1927-2002. 2003, p. 45, fig. 5 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.60-1968 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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