Bonhams
Lot 449
An important Barr, Flight and Barr Worcester teacup and saucer by William Billingsley, circa 1808-10With a gilt ring handle, painted in a characteristic style by William Billingsley, with circular panels of garden flowers set against a sky blue background, the pale peach-coloured ground gilt with vermicelli and anthemions, saucer 13.5cm diam, impressed crown and BFB marks, printed mark referring to Royal patronage and Coventry Street address (2)Footnotes:ProvenanceBonhams, 3 October 2012, lot 199Charles Dawson CollectionIllustrated by Charles Dawson, Worcester Flight & Barr Porcelain (2023), p.100, fig.10.7. Dawson discusses the work of William Billingsley on pp.197-204. Billingsley's time at Worcester is also discussed by John Sandon, The Dictionary of Worcester Porcelain (1993), pp.66-67. Sandon illustrates a similar teacup and saucer and also a related slop bowl. Significantly, these pieces are very much in the Derby tradition of flower painting where some special cabinet pieces were painted with flowers against a sky-coloured background, a technique previously unknown at Worcester. Barr, Flight and Barr must have known that Billingsley was fleeing from his creditors and managed to engage him as a painter for little more than the wages of a common hand. Following his arrival in 1808, Billingsley probably painted flowers for the next two years, before he turned his attention to the improvement of the kilns and developing a new porcelain body. During this time, he appears to have been a prolific painter of table services but was allowed very little freedom to work on cabinet pieces such as this luxurious cup and saucer.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
