London Delftware Lobed Dish

A rare mid-17th century London delftware lobed dish, finely painted in cobalt blue with a central Chinese garden scene depicting a seated figure beneath parasols surrounded by trees, rockwork, and pavilions. The cavetto is divided into radiating panels alternately decorated with stylised blossoms and floral scrolls, and with further chinoiserie landscapes, the whole framed within an undulating lobed rim.
This form, with its scalloped edges and alternating panel decoration, reflects the early English delftware potters’ direct response to imported Chinese porcelain of the Transitional period. The painting style—characterised by its looser brushwork, softer outlines, and atmospheric washes of blue—is typical of London workshops active in Southwark and Lambeth between 1650 and 1670.
London delftware dishes of this period are relatively uncommon, particularly in this lobed form. The present example illustrates the interplay between Asian models and the emerging English taste for blue-and-white ceramics that would dominate decorative fashions for the next century.