A coffee mug, decorated in under-glaze blue with over-glaze red enamel, c1769-70. Height 2.6 inches (6.7 cm). An almost identical piece was exhibited by Simon Spero, in October 1990. Simon said that the design is an adaptation of the Worcester "The Question Mark Island" pattern. A further example is in Godden's Blue and White Porcelain (plate 460). A mug with a similar design, but without the red, is in the Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery. The under-glaze blue has gone black, through oxidation in the kiln, this suggests Plymouth manufacture. The handle is crooked. Unmarked. Private collection.
A Plymouth sauceboat c1769-70. Length 8 inches (20.5 cm). It has a reeded scroll handle with a scroll thumb-piece and a fluted body. It is painted in a flaky under-glaze blue bamboo, flowering trees and rockwork, in fenced gardens, in Chinese style. The interior has a flower spray, beneath a cell diaper panelled flower head and scroll band. An imperfection has been covered with a spot of brown enamel. It has the tin mark, in under-glaze blue, on the base (a similar one exists with both the tin and X marks). It has a firing crack and a number of other original faults. The flaky blue and original faults both point to Plymouth manufacture. See Mackenna's 'Plymouth and Bristol Porcelain', at plate 25, for an identical sauceboat. Private collection.
A straight sided Plymouth mug c1769-70. Height 5.2 inches (13.5 cm). One and a half pint capacity. Marked with the tin sign in under-glaze blue.
A straight sided Plymouth mug c1769-70. Height 3.75 inches (9.6 cm). Half pint capacity. Marked with the tin sign in under-glaze blue.
A bell shaped Plymouth or Bristol mug c1770. Height 5.5 inches (14cm). One and half pint capacity. Marked with the tin sign and an X in under-glaze blue. Although the slaty blue suggests Plymouth manufacture, the presenece of the X suggests Bristol. Both Owen and MacKenna said that the X was only used at Bristol.
A mug, made at Plymouth c1769-70. The height is 5 inches (12.7 cm) and the capacity is 1 pint. It is of a bell-shape, with a ribbed strap handle. The under glaze blue painting consists of a chrysanthemum, pierced rockwork and insects. The blue has a slaty appearance, which suggests Plymouth manufacture rather than Bristol. It has an under glaze blue tin mark on the base. The form of the mark seems to be common to most marked blue and white pieces. See figure 8 in McKenna's "Cookworthy's Plymouth & Bristol Porcelain" for similar decoration on a straight sided mug.
A blue and white pickle dish made in Bristol c1770-4. The width is 4.5 inches (11.5 cm). It is moulded in a vine leaf shape and is painted with under-glaze blue floral sprays and sprigs. It is marked with an under-glaze X.
A Plymouth or Bristol leaf shaped pickle dish c1770. Width 3.7 inches (9.5 cm). Painted in underglaze blue and over-glaze iron-red with scattered sprigs of flowers below dentil borders and serrated rims. The border is in brown, which is painted over an original blue border. The blue is slaty, which probably indicates Plymouth manufacture. Unmarked.
A trefoil shaped dish, decorated in under-glaze blue, c1769-70. Its width is 4.7 inches (11.2 cm). This dish was originally one of six, surrounding a hexagonal center dish. Other examples are in the V and A (Schrieber collection number 1691)and the Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery. It is misshapen, the blue is uneven, and there is a piece of grit (specking) on the base; this points to Plymouth manufacture. Unmarked. Private collection. More.
A Plymouth saucer dish c1768-69. The diameter is 6.1 inches (15.5 cm). All Plymouth flat wares are extremely rare.
An ogee shaped tea bowl, painted with under-glaze blue, c1770-4. Diameter 3.05 inches (7.8 cm). Decorated with three floral sprays and a border, inside the rim. A blue mark, underneath, may be the numeral 1. The blue is dark, indicating problems in the kiln, and there are smudges of blue, which are separate from the decoration. Spiral wreathing indicates that it may have been trown on the potters' wheel, and then subsequently moulded. For a simlar shape see Hurlbutt (plate 27b) and Trapnell (342), the Hurlbutt piece is said to be Plymouth, although this was probably made in Bristol.