W&R Carlton Ware Dancing Graces Bowl

Sold as presented; to be candled by Salvage Bohemia.

Approx. 85 oz wax pour • $2.30 per oz

An elegant antique Carlton Ware bowl by Wiltshaw & Robinson of Stoke-on-Trent, combining a soft powder-blue ground with crisp white applied classical figures and an original silver-plated rim.

The decoration is wonderfully Neoclassical. A procession of white relief figures circles the bowl, with classically dressed men and women appearing to dance hand-in-hand across the blue ground. Above them runs a delicate applied border of white floral swags, creating a second band of relief immediately beneath the silver plate rim. The contrast of pale blue, white and softly aged metal gives the piece a distinctly English classical character.

Wiltshaw & Robinson established their pottery at the Carlton Works in Stoke-on-Trent in 1890, introducing the Carlton Ware trade name a few years later. Among the firm's early production were sprigged wares in various colors, a style contemporary pottery histories specifically describe as reminiscent of Wedgwood. Rather than painting the figures onto the surface, the white ornament is applied in relief against the contrasting colored body, creating the dimensional effect seen here. 

If the underside of your piece carries the W&R Stoke-on-Trent Carlton Ware Crown mark, that gives us a particularly useful dating window: Carlton Ware World dates the principal Crown mark to approximately 1894–1926. The upper metal mount is stamped EPNS, indicating electroplated nickel silver. That combination of ceramic body and silver plate gives the bowl a more finished tableware quality and makes the mellowing and patina of the metal particularly attractive against the cool blue ground.

The low, broad form allows the procession of classical figures to wrap uninterrupted around the candle, while the silver plate rim provides a beautiful transition between ceramic and wax. Once the candle is finished, the bowl remains a collectible piece of early Carlton Ware and can be displayed as a decorative bowl or catchall. Style it with antique silver, old books, blue-and-white ceramics, classical engravings, intaglios, or other Neoclassical pieces.

Origin: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, c. 1894–1926
Maker: Wiltshaw & Robinson, Carlton Ware
Material: Glazed earthenware with applied relief decoration; EPNS silver-plated mount
Condition: Excellent antique condition with light signs of age and use.