The most celebrated of Davis subject matters adorned a dozen
pieces from a private collection of Royal Worcester seen at
Dreweatt Neate's (15% buyer's premium) Donnington Priory on June
23. Leading this £162,000 sale of ceramics and glass - and the
front cover image to the catalogue - was the 16in (41cm) high ewer
of 1903 with typical Highland decoration pictured top right. There
was a restored section to the pierced scroll handle but it made its
low estimate at £5000, selling to an overseas telephone
bidder.
A smaller, but superbly painted, bulbous ovoid vase, 6 1/2in
(16.5cm) high, decorated with lowland sheep grazing in a meadow of
bluebells and date-coded for 1926 sold for £4400 (estimate
£3000-£5000) while a slender two-handled ovoid vase, 9in (22cm)
high, painted with hill sheep in a Highland landscape, date-coded
for 1914, sold for £3200 (estimate £2000-£3000).
Although they had chips, other damages and repairs, among the most
colourful and visually impressive lots in the sale was a pair of
18in (46cm) high Minton majolica wall sconces, modelled as two
half-length figures of men in Renaissance dress holding torches,
one with date code for 1866. They sold for £4500 (estimate
£2000-£3000).
High quality early 20th century porcelain also found admirers at
the specialist sale held by Bonhams Chester (17.5% buyer's premium)
on June 16. The c.1900 Coalport vase pictured bottom right stands
an impressive 18in (45cm) high and, to its gilded dark blue and
pale yellow ground, are two finely-painted views of Windsor Castle.
Both are signed by the respected factory artist John Hugh Plant.
Its only imperfections some crazing lines around the base, it led
the sale at £3800 (estimate £2500-3500).
Royal Worcester sheep with a following…
FOR 71 of his 84 years Harry Davis (1885-1969) worked as a decorator at the Royal Worcester factory, ultimately rising to the post of foreman painter. He painted a wide variety of subjects, but is best known for his sheep-decorated landscapes, all produced in the first quarter of the 20th century.