Worcester Coffee cup & saucer, banded hedge pattern, C.1770

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Worcester Scale Blue coffee cup & saucer, painted with a Japanese inspired ‘banded hedge’ pattern, set with in elaborate scroll-edged reserves with gilt scroll borders.

Circa 1770-80

A Worcester invention, scale blue was achieved by applying a light wash of cobalt oxide around the reserves. Once it dried, darker blue scales were painted on, and the piece glazed and fired to produce the effect. Variously described as the “Banded Hedge” or perhaps incorrectly as the “Wheatsheaf” pattern, the reserves in the blue scale ground in these pieces are decorated in Kakiemon style with chrysanthemum flower heads, sprigs of prunus, an insect, and a stylised sheaf of reed or rice. The reserves are surrounded with intricate scroll gilding. John Sandon suggests that “wheatsheaf” should be used “only for the version with alternate panels between wide deep blue stripes reserved with mons”, similar to the “Queens” pattern.

Provenance: English Private Collection
Reference : Sandon, J. “The Dictionary of Worcester Porcelain Vol. I 1751-1851” pp. 50 and 364 (discussion on pattern) and (discussion on blue scale)

Literature: McNair, A. “Catalogue of the Lady Ludlow Collection of English Porcelain at the Bowes Museum” p. 221 (a jug with the same decoration)
Sandon, J. “The Dictionary of Worcester Porcelain Vol. I 1751-1851” p. 129, colour plate 28
Spero, S. “Worcester Porcelain, The Klepser Collection” p. 107, pl. 113 (pattern on a teapot)
Hobson, R.L. “Catalogue of the Frank Lloyd Collection of Worcester Porcelain of the Wall Period” pl. 15, no 205

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