Basket
c. 1770
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain, underglaze blue, polychrome enamels and gilding
Dimensions
18.1 × 22.8 cm (7 1/8 × 9 in.)
Classification
tableware
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
76476
Art Historical Context
This elegant basket from the Worcester Porcelain, crafted around 1770, exemplifies the height of 18th-century British porcelain artistry. Measuring 18.1 × 22.8 cm, this soft-paste porcelain piece—decorated with underglaze blue, vibrant polychrome enamels, intricate gilding—was designed as luxurious tableware, likely for serving sweets or fruit at grand dinners. Worcester, founded in 1751, was a leader in England's porcelain industry during the Dr. Wall period rivaling elite European makers like Meissen by blending technical innovation with opulent design. Soft-paste porcelain, made from clay ...
About the Artist
Worcester Porcelain Factory · 1751–1783
**Worcester Porcelain Factory (1751–1783)** The Worcester Porcelain Factory, often called the Dr. Wall Period, was established in 1751 in Worcester, England, by physician Dr. John Wall and apothecary William Davis, who rallied 13 local businessmen to invest £4,500. Site at Warmstry House on the River Severn, the "Worcester Tonquin Manufactory" produced soft-paste porcelain using a steatite (soapr...