Master Art

English Market
from the Golden Gate Collection

A pair of Chinese export porcelain armorial trencher salts, the sides with border panels of Whampoa and Plymouth.

The arm are of Miller of Devon and later of Islington, London: Azure, an escutcheon between four mascles or. Crest should be: A demi lion rampant gardant holding a mascle or (but in this case a whole lion has been drawn by the Chinese artist.
Perhaps this is for Sanderson Miller (1717-1780) an amateur architect and pioneer of Gothic revival, who designed follies for his friends, notably at Lacock Abbey. He collaborated with Thomas Anson at Shugborough. Anson’s brother, Admiral Anson, had a well known armorial service with similar border panels, which is now at Shugborough.

The two side panels show Whampoa near Canton in China and a folly at Mount Edgecombe, near Plymouth. These represent the beginning and end of the long voage taken taken by this porcelain the 18th century from factory to customer.

References: Howard 1974, p329, a plate from this service; Bullivant Collection, Phillips, March 1988, lot 214, a charger.