An extremely rare and stunning early 18th century decorative plate featuring a beautiful, rich and radiant cobalt "Blue Willow" pattern, over milky white background.  This is a beautiful and a very early surviving example of the world famous "Blue Willow" pattern, that originated in England in the 18th century.  

What's unique about this plate is the treatment of the outer border.  It was manually embossed with the repeating diamond shapes, made up by leaves patterns, and then covered with thick radiant blue cobalt glaze.  The inside pattern is applied using the tissue transfer technique.

The plate is made with high craftsmanship level, yet is has an artisanal feel to it - the diamond shapes are applied at varying distances from one another, one can also see the spaces between the shapes, the glaze is applied thickly, leaving waves and bulbs on the surface, the blue glaze has leaks on the white background.

The plate bears no maker's marks, but has incised letters 2 and below 8x.  The latter probably refers to the size - 8 inches. Whilst a different lighting revelas BH or BR.  

The plate comes in a great condition given its age, with not a single scratch, crack or loss.  There is a spot free of glaze in the bottom right corner rim, exposing the white clay, as well as on the three spots on the rim, with regular intervals between them.  These form a right triangle and are most probably left by tripod-like stilts used to prevent the plates from sticking together during the firing process. Concentration of the blue glaze on the outer rim indicates that the plate was fired upside down, with the glaze dripping to the edge of the outer rim.  

The back side outer rim has brownish burns, they also seem to have appeared during the firing. 

The glaze has crackings all over, as seen from the photographs.  

The plate comes with an ancient wall hanger.

Diameter 21,5 cm / 8,5 in


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Check out my other items:

- 19th century European decorative ceramics - vases, center tables, cachepots and jardinieres
- Ancient Decorative Plates
- Iznik, Kutahya Ottoman Empire vases and decorative vessels
- Westerwald Vases and Ewers
- Karl Ens birds figurines
- A variety of other manufacturers birds figurines
- Vintage wall shelves, perfect for displaying your birds collection
- Other antique, vintage and decorative art items  

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Item appearance and description

Condition corresponds to the photos of the item.  I only use the images of the of the items I sell herein.  Please study the photos as they are part of the description. Despite trying to be as thorough as possible, there may be discrepancies not noted. All items are sold AS IS. The item sold in this listing is not new manufacture, is antique or vintage, it is pre-owned and expected to show signs of age, use and wear, consistent with its age.  I aim to provide correct description to all and picture them in their current condition at the time of sale and based on the research of publicly available information about the item.

In case of queries please email me through eBay, I will be happy to answer your questions related to this listing.


Shipping and taxes

I ship only to the approved address registered on eBay.  I do combined shipping whenever possible.  Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.    


Handling time 

I will do my best to ship the item as soon as possible, but reserve the right to ship within the next 3 business days after receipt of a cleared payment. 


Returns

Returns are accepted within 30 days from item receipt.  Refunds will be made after return of the item in original condition.  
If you return your purchase you will be responsible for the cost of shipping it back to me.  You will be refunded the purchase price less the outbound shipping cost and a 15% restocking fee as permitted by eBay Seller Rules.

I guarantee that you will receive the exact item pictured in this listing, and that I package all of my items carefully to ensure that they arrive to you safely. 

If you receive an item damaged in the mail, please do not attempt to return the item.  Should the damage occur despite my careful packaging, this must be handled through the shipping agent with an insurance claim.  I will be happy to assist with it. Please take and send photos of 1) the damage and 2) the packaging so we may file for an insurance claim with the carrier.  Please retain the original packaging as the shipping agent may request to examine it.

If you have concerns after receiving your item, please contact me directly immediately, before leaving the feedback.  I will work with you to solve any problem.  My goal is to keep you a happy and returning customer! 


Thank you for shopping!  

Please add me to your favourites list as I continuously add new items for sale and check out my other items!