Tuesday, May 05, 2009

PreRaphealite Stunner

This stunning dish recently came up for sale and sold for its maiden bid of £69.99 which to my mind has to be the bargain of the year. It's handpainted onto a basic charger type dish which has three looped feet to either stand it on a flat surface or, if you're feeling brave/reckless, hang it from a wall, perhaps with ribbon. Datewise it would be around the 1885-1900 point and was probably bought as a blank piece from Bisto to be decorated either at home by a talented amateur or perhaps by an art student at one of the great art schools of the day, maybe even in Burslem. This piece is so of its time and very accomplished. Notice in the background flower and foliate design, the motif of pomegranites and sunflowers, which is picked up on the woman's brooch. The William Morris and Arts & Crafts movement influence is clear as is the pre Raphaelite romantic vision. The colours are quite subdued but their restraint is very appealing.

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Sometimes, life doesn't turn out the way you expected. And sometimes, it is exactly as it was 'meant' to be. I believe that life is a both a learning experience and an obstacle course to be climbed and clambered over in the most creative way possible! In doing so, you'll get to where you should be even if it's not where you'd imagined.