A beautiful mid-19th-century English Staffordshire transferware plate in a soft, dreamy lavender-purple, featuring an elegant still-life scene of classical urns, vessels, foliage and flowers.

The plate has an especially pretty ornamental border of scrolling architectural motifs, shell-like details and delicate floral sprays, all rendered in varying shades of lavender and purple against a creamy white ground. The overall effect is refined and romantic—very much at home among other antique transferware, whether displayed on a plate wall or standing alone as a special accent.

This piece has an interesting American-market history. It was made in England and appears to have been produced by Joseph Clementson, then imported and sold in New York by Davenport Brothers, 203 Greenwich Street. The backstamp and registration evidence place it in the mid-to-late 1850s, with the registration mark corresponding to June 30, 1856.

I especially love the unusual lavender color. Purple transferware from this early period has such a soft, almost faded-lilac quality that is difficult to replicate today, and this example has wonderful decorative detail without feeling overly formal.

A lovely piece of Staffordshire history with a distinctly romantic palette—beautiful displayed vertically on a wall, layered with other transferware, or incorporated into a collected English-country display.

Measures: 8”

Good condition

This is a lovely example of an English Staffordshire piece made for the American market, probably by Joseph Clementson, and imported/sold by Davenport Brothers at 203 Greenwich Street, New York. The evidence places this particular mark in the mid-to-late 1850s, with the registration mark corresponding to June 30, 1856

Backstamp: Lavender transfer-printed Davenport Brothers mark, identifying the piece as made for Davenport Bros., 203 Greenwich St., New York.
The mark is associated with Staffordshire potter Joseph Clementson and dates to the mid-19th century, c. 1856–1860s.
The accompanying British registration diamond is consistent with a design registered in 1856.