Davenport "Amoy" Flow Blue Butter Dish

A charming antique Davenport “Amoy” flow blue butter server, complete with its original pierced draining insert, decorated in the richly atmospheric Chinoiserie pattern.

The covered server features the characteristic “Amoy” landscape of East Asian-inspired architecture, figures, foliage, and water, rendered in deep cobalt blue with the soft, diffused quality of flow blue. The elaborate border of scrolling foliage and floral ornament adds another layer of detail to the piece.

The draining insert is an especially useful and desirable feature, designed to sit within the server and allow liquid from melting or salted butter to drain away while keeping the butter elevated above it. Specialized covered butter servers such as this were practical pieces of the Victorian table, while the elaborate transfer decoration made them equally decorative.

The “Amoy” pattern takes its name from Amoy (present-day Xiamen), China, a historic trading port whose name became associated with the 19th-century Western fascination with Chinese art and decorative motifs. Davenport translated this interest into an extensive range of tablewares decorated with exotic, Eastern-inspired landscapes.

Origin: Longport, Staffordshire, England
Maker: Davenport
Pattern: Amoy
Date: c. 1840–1860
Material: Earthenware
Decoration: Flow blue transferware
Dimensions: 7" diameter x 4" H
Condition: Antique condition with age-related crazing, discoloration, and minor imperfections consistent with age and use. Please see photographs for details.