DERBY CHINA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18381, 23 April 1923, Page 12

DERBY CHINA.

'-' The father of the Derby porcelain 'industry ; was a young William* Duesbury, a native of Staffordshire, who in 1751 was working as an enameller in London. For- ' tunately for collectors, Duesbury kept a work-book or diary, which throws much light on various points connected with the foundation of the Derby factory. In Loudon, then, young Duesbury stated that he was decorating china "figars" of various kinds, referred to by him as "Bogh or Bow," "Chelsea," "Darby," and "Staffordshire." From this it is gathered that there was a factory of some kind in Derby at that time, though there is no Derby mark on any specimen, identified as earlier than 1770, when the Chelsea works were taken over by Duesbury,. by this time the prosperous owner ' of the Derby works. The Chelsea-Derby period, commencing at the time when Dueabury bought up the Chelsea works, marked the highest achievements of the Derby factory. Derby china is soft paste and straw-coloured when held to the light. It at first contained glassy grit clay, then "soapy rock" was added, and in 1770 bone ash introduced from Chelsea. In 1786, William Duesbury, junior, took over the management on his father's death. At this time the work was improved still further by the artistic and beautifullymodelled, figures of Spengler, a modeller from Zurich. The old Derby figures are very valuable. Among the finest and best known are "The Dead Bird" and "The Gardener," fashioned in . white unglazed biscuit porcelain. The Derby artists were directed to hide small blemishes and spots by painting little rosebuds over them, and these may frequently be found on the backs of plates and saucers. Billingslcy was undoubtedly the greatest of the flower painters employed in Derby. _ A plate which he painted as an apprentice, : and now known as the 'Prentice Plate, , Is to be found in the Derby Museum, and is a -wonderful. piece of craftsmanship. Vases were the great feature of the Derby 1 factory, and blue, green, yellow and a ' fine claret colour were colours much used. Celebrated artists were employed in painting flowers, birds and landscapes; Zachariah Boreman, William Pegg, and Hill (who was minus the first three right-hand Sneers), were among the most famous. William Duesbury 111., managed the factory until 1811, when it was taken over by'Bloor, after which time the work deteriorated. "Derby Japan" porcelain is *« the most common, and has many classes SStof design, "Old," "Witches," "Grecian, "Rock" "Rose" and "Exeter' among them. This style consisted of blue underglaze (the blue always painted by women), with an Oriental design in red, :Vreen and gold. -'-.William Kean introduced Derby-Japan. The first known mark of Derby consists of a D and the Chelsea anchor; in 1773 a jewelled crown was • added, and in 1782» tw0 crossed batons and six dots under the crown with a monogram D.K., for" Duesbury and Kean. Sometimes in early pieces there is only a D The'mark in red belongs to the later period, and the word Bloor. in an • oval was used from 1811 to 1844, after . ■ which the Roman D surmounted by a "crown, came into use.