Platter, Reindeer and Seal

Item Number: P251
Item Shape:  Platter
Pattern Name: Reindeer and Seal
Dimensions:  L 16.25″, W 8.19″
Date:  c. 1790-1800
Maker: John Harrison
Maker’s Mark: ImpressedDescription:
A rare earthenware fish dish. This intriguing pattern appears on dinner wares. The uneven application of the string-like dagger band around the central pattern on the fish dish suggests that the transferrer encountered difficulty in applying it. Ceramic historian Renard Broughton called attention to a number of elements “of English invention” included in this early pattern such as the addition of the seal and heron. The hunter with bow and arrow has dismounted and leads the reindeer accompanied by a servant who carries the spoils of the hunt on a pole. The unusual addition of arctic animals in a Chinese setting invites speculation as to the “tale” the maker attempted to share with the viewer. The border design consists of a moth or butterfly motif combined with geometric shapes and botanical features. Reindeer and Seal was produced by the maker who used the impressed mark “IH”, now acknowledged to be John Harrison, thanks to the research of ceramic historian Roger Pomfret. Provenance: the Bill Coysh Collection.
Condition:  Very good.