Blue & White Table Centre in two parts, c.1760

Unlike many other English porcelain factories, very little transfer printed blue & white china was produced at Derby. Transfer printing made the wares cheaper, and it was usually applied to ordinary wares for the middle-class market. But William Duesbury aimed at aristocratic clients, and preferred his artists to paint the design by hand. However, among the few Derby blue & white wares there are items of outstanding quality. The fashion for porcelain modelled as rockwork, seaweed and shells was first introduced in England in the early days of the Chelsea factory. Shapes were often taken from natural objects, and also from silverware of an ornate style.

Image from: Derby Museum and Art Gallery