A rare Chelsea Porcelain Sunflower Sweetmeat or Dessert Dish, moulded in crisp low relief with a Sunflower, the petals picked out in yellow, the handle formed from green stalks bound together with a puce-patterned ribbon, a leafy branch to one side bearing four brightly coloured flowers, including poppies and Convolvulus.

A Chelsea sunflower dish of this small size was in the Selwyn Parkinson Collection, sold at Sotheby's London, 21 June 1966, lot 155 and also the collection of Mrs Chrysler Garbisch, Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 17 May 1980.

During the Red Anchor Period of Production the formula of the paste was further refined and enhanced with a tight fitting glaze over a closely grained and finely mixed body, which took crisply moulded detail extremely well. The Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory became a ‘melting pot’ of enlightened rococo naturalistic design which breathed life upon the tables of the Aristocracy and showed an abundance afforded by these interpretations of God’s dazzling creation. The Chelsea Manufactory, such was the success in terms of the composition of this dessert dish, chose to enlarge the design dramatically for use as the Stand to the Great Hen Tureens, made as ‘Big as the Life’, that also date from this year of production.

Provenance:   Private collection

Marks:  Anchor mark picked out in red enamel to the underside.