A rare and personal piece - an English creamware tureen inscribed with the date 1781, making it one of the few pieces in this collection with a precisely datable provenance. The inscription, worked in enamel over the glaze, reads clearly and confidently: this was a piece made for a specific person or occasion.

The form is a rounded oval tureen with a fitted lid, loop handles and a simple flower finial, decorated with a painted floral spray in the naturalistic manner of the period. The combination of a specific date and painted decoration makes this considerably more significant than an undated piece of equivalent quality.

Lid present. One small chip to the inner flange of the lid, not visible when closed. The tureen body is entirely perfect.

Length 32cm. Height with lid 20cm.