You know I love Derby porcelain figures from the 18th Century; to some they may look like kitsch at first sight because there have been so many bad reproductions and imitations in the 19th and 20th Century, but in fact they are little master pieces. They were not made to, say, stand in the glass cabinet of your old auntie, but they were used to decorated the dining table, forming a talking point and sometimes being part of a spectacular display including gardens and fountains

It's time for a new episode of my column in Homes & Antiques, this time about the continuation of the great Worcester factory. This is an era that is usually called "Flight & Barr". And if you feel confused by this era and the many names the factory went by (Flight, Flight & Barr, Barr Flight & Barr, and Flight Barr & Barr!) you are not the only one - so that's why we simply call it "Flight & Barr". The story is of extraordinary talent and resilience. After the death of Dr.

No, this is not a joke, but well, two flower painters walked into a pub... A while ago I was offered a large porter mug that was quite intriguing. Porter mugs were used for porter, a strong dark ale that had become very popular in the late 18th and early 19th Century and that derived its name from the London porters, who made it fashionable. Porcelain factories started making beautiful named mugs that people could give each other at special occasions. The recipient could keep

A while ago I came across a pair of truly spectacular and rare figures by Derby, which I had never seen before: Europa with the Bull, and Leda with the Swan. I offered them to a collector who now is the happy (and lucky) owner, and who has kindly agreed for me to show them to you - as I couldn't resist, they are so special! My special thanks to him. I've written before about how these figures used to adorn the dinner table, telling stories or entertaining the guests. A popula

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you've had a wonderful holiday period and starting the new year refreshed. Today I am catching up, after a few days complete rest, on my latest article in Homes & Antiques. This time it's about the "minor" factories of the early 19th Century, which actually played quite a major role in British porcelain. It is thought that in the early 19th Century there were about 300 factories in the Staffordshire Potteries, churning out huge numbers of beaut