Auction Insights

With a day to go till we sell the Tryhorn collection of 18th century porcelain I shall allow myself a little indulgence, having been so intimately involved with it and will try and narrow down my favourites. After much wrangling I have settled on four pieces.

A Bow porcelain craem jug circa 1758 (FS17/36)

Firstly I just love the Bow porcelain cream jug, it’s a real ‘double take’ - is it ugly pretty or just pretty ugly? Either way it has that well grounded, stable comely shape that you could take home to your and besides it probably has a great personality.

A Plymouth porcelain cream jug circa 1768-70 (FS17/50)

Next as a local man I just cannot refuse the flawed appeal of the rather smoke damaged Plymouth porcelain cream jug, if the Bow was a ‘wall flower’ this is downright ugly, so why do I love it so much? Well I’m a pragmatist and it doesn’t feel out of my league.

A Bow porcelain jar circa 1750-52 (FS17/28)

At the smart end it has to be the Bow porcelain oviform vase, a copy of a Chinese famille rose example, but rather than thin and precise in its execution the decoration is bold and confident, thickly applied and almost glutinous, it requires more than an admiring glance it needs to be handled.

A pair of Japanese Kakiemon dishes, late 17th century (FS17/141)

Finally if there are ‘super models’ in the Tryhorn collection then they are the pair of Japanese Kakiemon dishes, their decoration is sparse, but the broad expanse of pure white accentuates their Spartan and aloof  beauty. If ever ‘less was more’ this is it and they are in perfect preservation. A pair of 300 year old Geisha’s, dream on Nic!

Detail of a Japanese Kakiemon dish, late 17th century (FS17/141)