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

A while ago I asked for help from all the readers of this blog to identify a pair of potpourri vases from about 1835-1840, which I had been told were Minton - but I was not sure they were. Previously, it had also been thought that they'd been made by Samuel Alcock, which certainly wasn't correct. How did we know that? The pattern numbers weren't right. But it was a mystery who made them. I've had these vases before, and have noticed them elsewhere, although they are rare. And

It is Christmas Eve and today there is no story about porcelain, but just some thoughts about the holidays... Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or neither... aren't all these festivals essentially about the same thing? Compassion, a kind thought for those around you, some self-reflection, and most of all a joyful coming together and giving to everyone around us. For many, 2022 has not been the easiest year. But I find that in times of challenge giving is the ultimate

The holidays are upon us - and some of you will already have had several important holidays such as Thanksgiving or Hanukkah. Here in the Northern Hemisphere the days are now getting very short and temperatures have plummeted, making a cozy dinner with loved ones more attractive than ever. Or, if you are down under and hitting the middle of summer, what better than a long evening dinner on the terrace? To help you entertain I have lots of table services. There is nothing like

It's that time of the year... and if you are as busy and disorganised as me, you still need to get some very special gifts for those very special loved ones. It's not too late - shipping before Christmas is still possible. But after the second week of December it always gets more tricky, so I suggest you act quickly! Shipments anywhere in the UK or to the US generally take about 2 or 3 days at the moment, and I ship exclusively by DHL. I have made a special page with small gi

I have been a little quiet online, but that's because last week I was standing at one of Britain's biggest antiques fairs, the Art & Antiques for Everyone Fair at the NEC in Birmingham. This fair is sometimes called the "Porcelain Paradise" as there are usually a lot of porcelain dealers. Four days of meeting countless porcelain enthusiasts and seeing lots of my excellent colleagues has left me exhausted but satisfied - it was fantastic to see so much beauty in one space, and

Liverpool has a secret. I write about it in my latest column in Homes & Antiques: the Herculaneum Pottery, which emerged in the early 19th Century and made some of Britain's most beautiful Neoclassical porcelain, as well as a huge quantity of useful items made of earthenware. These pieces are probably all over the world but often not recognised as Herculaneum did not mark its porcelain, and the excellent pieces are usually mis-attributed to other, more famous factories. Hercu

You may know that I like collecting pieces from H & R Daniel, the rather short-lived factory headed up by Henry Daniel and his son between 1822 and 1846. Henry Daniel was the Spode art director before opening his own factory, and even while still at Spode he was responsible for some of the most beautiful porcelain designs ever made.⁠ ⁠ As I live in a small London flat, space is running out so I am reluctantly letting go of some treasures... creating an opportunity for the Dan

A while ago I showed you a stunning pair of porcelain figures by Derby, called Juno and Jupiter. The two gods flew through the sky in their chariots, Juno with her peacock and Jupiter waving a handful of lightning. Today I have the pair again, but in a very different shape. This Juno was made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1765 and you see Juno with an eagle by her side, which is Jupiter in one of his favourite disguises. In Roman mythology Juno and Jupiter, or Hera an