Porcelain manufacturers created tens of thousands of patterns in the early 19th Century - perhaps more, I don't think anyone has ever counted them! Many of these are obscure, undocumented or forgotten today. But some were very popular in their own time and have remained popular ever since. Coalport's pattern no. 759 is one of these: the iconic birds and flowers set in reserves on a cobalt blue ground with rich gilding. Love letters You can see a little collection of these ite

We all get it wrong sometimes... One of things I love about dealing with antique porcelain is that you never stop learning. I have assembled a large library of reference books and spend countless hours researching my pieces - and writing about them (watch the upcoming Homes & Antiques issues as I've been busy writing!). I have gotten to know many experts whose friendship and mentorship I treasure. I try to get things right, but sometimes get them wrong - and when I stand corr

Barr, Flight & Barr Kylin pattern dishes Today we have some very special dishes made by Barr Flight & Barr between 1807 and 1813. This pattern is sometimes called "Dragons in Compartments" and sometimes "Kylin". The original Worcester factory started this pattern back in the 1770s and variations of this have since been done many times by all three Worcester factories.⁠ ⁠ Kylin or qilin The word Kylin comes from the Chinese "qilin", or "kirin" in Japanese. It is a mythical mon

A rare set of plates Today I have a beautiful and very rare set of plates. And having grown up in The Netherlands, to me this is a Royal colour: beautiful warm orange. This set was snapped up before I could even place it in the shop... when I was lucky enough to purchase it I sent a triumphant snapshot to a friend I was chatting to across the world, and off they went! But they still deserve to be shown as these are of a quality you don't come across too often. Chamberlains W