Fine early Worcester Baluster Shaped Mug, Circa 1754
An extremely fine early Worcester Baluster Shaped Mug, the fluted strap handle with kicked lower terminal, beautifully painted in tones of underglaze blue with a previously unrecorded pattern mixing both the ‘Cormorant’ pattern and the ‘Zig Zag Fence’ pattern together, the cormorant perched upon a holed rock and startled by another two birds, above the fenced garden. The reverse with a particularly striking and stylised flowering peony and tobacco leaves, the handle with stylised floral elements.
Marks:
Three workman’s marks in underglaze
Provenance
Privately sold from the Zorensky Collection, to Paul Riley. The Paul and Helga Riley Collection.
Although there are instances of artists slightly straying from designated patterns this appears to be an example where two patterns have been incorporated together with amazing effect, particularly when noting the use of the different shades of blue. The occurrence of more than one workman’s mark on this early shape is very unusual. An apt name for this pattern would be ‘Fenced Cormorant’.