Appetiser plate

A yellowish faience appetiser plate in the shape of a crescent-shaped, shallow trough, adapted to be placed alongside a round, shallow plate. The plate’s well is flat, while the lip is steep, that is, inclined outward. The lip is decorated with a type of border featuring a two-tone poppy pattern (flower petals in burgundy-red, stems and leaves in dark sea green), stylised in the spirit of moderate Art Nouveau. The pattern consists of four cup-shaped flowers standing between pairs of leaves (corresponding to axial points), interlinked and at the same time intersected by two flower buds on long, winding stems, which loop and intertwine at their meeting point. The border is framed by two brown stripes, the thinner one outlining the plate’s well, and the thicker one running along the edge of the lip. The design was painted semi-mechanically using a stencil, the so-called pouncing. The leaves and stems were applied directly through the stencil using an underglaze dark green paint. The flower petals, however, were painted free-hand, also with an underglaze burgundy-red paint. The surface of the plate is covered with a fine grid of glaze cracks. On the underside of the plate are two signatures in green, stamped print. One features an anchor mark within an oval, with the inscription S.B. and S /ENGLAND underneath, the other is the signature of the London store SOUTH AUDLEY ST/ T. GOODE&Co/ LONDON. W. The floral pattern on the lip appears somewhat randomly arranged. Between the above signatures, there is a flower painter’s mark in the form of a burgundy dot. 

Joanna Kluz