An extremely fine First Period Dr Wall Worcester Dessert Plate from the Duke of Gloucester Service, Circa 1775

An extremely fine First Period Dr Wall Worcester Dessert Plate from the Duke of Gloucester Service, of lobed shape, beautifully decorated in characteristic full style with a central full spray of fruit including: a Quince, raspberries, plums and red currants together with smaller subsiduary sprigs, within a gilt feuille de choux border and indented gold and blue scrolled panels containing butterflies and insects in flight, with a sea green line rim. The underside with three small sprigs of fruit, berries and flowers.

Marks:  Crescent mark in Gold to the underside.

William Henry Duke of Gloucester (1743-1805) The Third Son of Frederick Prince of Walesand younger brother of King George III. The Duke’s son died in 1834 and the service was inherited by his Uncle Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge. Part of the Service was sold on 8th June 1904 at Christies, following the death of the 2nd Duke of Cambridge.The pattern copies the Chelsea Duke of Cambridge Service, though we now think that although it bears that name and was owned by Prince Adolphus Duke of Cambridge that it was probably commissioned by William Henry Duke of Gloucester from Chelsea circa 1763-65 after the manufacture of the Mecklenburg-Strelitz service which has a similarity of border design, this service was Comissioned by King George III for a gift for the cousin of the Queen Charlotte. Prince Adolphus was the 7th son of King George III born in 1774. The Worcester Duke of Gloucester Service was commissioned some 10 years after the Chelsea prototype service and was the first Royal Commission of the Worcester Porcelain manufactory, hence the mark being a gilded crescent.