circa 1745, centered with the arms of Gell, shield form halved diagonally one half iron red, the other white, centered with rose and two six point stars, body with gilt floral sprays, and fleur de lis border to rim, C scroll handle, 5 in.

Note: "This family descends from Ralph Gell of Hopton Hall in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, born in 1491, whose descendant, Sir John Gell, was created a baronet in 1642. At the death of the 3rd Baronet in 1710 the Hopton estate passed to his nephew, John Eyre, who married Isabella Jessop of Broom Hall and in 1732 also assumed the name Gell after inheriting the Gell fortune on the death of his mother. John died in 1739 and the estates passed to the eldest of their seven children, Philip Eyre Gell (1723-95), for whom this service was almost certainly made.

The family wealth was based on the Derbyshire lead industry and Philip continued to develop these interests by building roads, and also leasing a mill to the textile manufacturer Richard Arkwright, a driving force of the Industrial Revolution, which was the first cotton mill in the world to use a steam engine. Philip Eyre Gell was appointed High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1755 and about this time had his portrait painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. He married late at the age of 50 to Dorothy Milnes and died in 1795 leaving two sons, the eldest of whom entered parliament, and the youngest, Sir William Gell, becoming an eminent antiquarian, noted for his work on the excavations of Pompeii."

Illustrated in: Chinese Armorial Porcelain Volume III, Angela Howard, to be published.

Provenance:

Heirloom & Howard, Ltd., UK, February 2006; Christopher M. Weld, Essex, Massachusetts

scratching, spotting, discoloration, wear to gilt and paint, anomalies (as made), labels to base, wear to foot ring, black light fluoresces reveals repair to handle, in-painting and repairs to rim