Coalport ‘oil lamp’ inkwell, flower decorated, with original lid, c. 1820
$760.00 AUD
Remarkable Coalport ‘oil lamp’ inkwell, shaped as an ancient Roman lamp with twin nozzles and scrolled handle, retaining original lid with plain button knob, all surfaces painted with an intense pattern of roses in linked octagonal panels, spaced by flowerhead motifs, reminiscent of the ‘Church Gresley’ pattern, the handle gilt.
Unmarked,
probably Coalport,
circa 1820
14cm across
Condition: small touch-ups visible only when lid is taken off, the gilt in good condition with some losses displays very well.
A similar example in our stock is ever so slightly different – the nozzles are shorter, the opening smaller. It is attributed to Coalport also, and probably decorated in London. Other examples on the web have been described as Chamberlain’s Worcester, pattern 240 ( rich Imari flowers & leaves) . It’s possible several factories made this shape, more research is needed.
The use of this shape is also up for debate: it’s too shallow to take an ink pot, and several have survived with their lids like this. A quiz pen placed in the end looks very strange if it was simply a quill holder.One possibility is it was intended to act as a scent vessel: filled with scented water and with the lid placed back on, it could sit almost anywhere in the most decorative manner, and the open ‘wick’ holes would be fine for their required purpose, to slowly diffuse the scent into the air of the room. The decoration of this example with roses would certainly be appropriate for such a purpose.
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