Soft-Paste Porcelain Clover & Floral Sprig Plates, c. 1835–1850

Pair of antique English soft-paste porcelain plates decorated in the delicate sprig style that became so characteristic of English tea wares during the second quarter of the 19th century. Scattered green clover or shamrock-like motifs are paired with tiny pink floral sprays and accents, while scalloped gilt edges and molded gilt foliate details lend the otherwise restrained decoration a touch of formality.

The term “sprig” was used in the period itself for this type of small-scale painted decoration. By the early 1830s, English manufacturers were introducing tea patterns that used very little color and relatively few brushstrokes, making them considerably faster and less expensive to produce than the elaborate floral porcelains of the preceding generation. An 1831 advertisement is the earliest known reference to “printed and sprigged tea china,” while “Sprig Teas” appear in an 1841 American importer's invoice. Sprig painting became especially widespread on English whitewares from around 1835 through the beginning of the Civil War.

These plates are a particularly charming example of that transition toward lighter, more economical decoration while still retaining the elegant forms and gilding associated with the Victorian tea table. Likely Staffordshire, they would have formed part of a larger service such as the matching cups and coffee cups offered separately.

Origin: c.1835-1850;Staffordshire, England 
Material: Soft-paste porcelain, hand-painted decoration, gilt
Dimensions: 
Condition: Good antique condition with expected age-related wear to the gilt and painted decoration.