London Delftware lobed dish

A rare and impressive large London Delftware lobed dish, painted in blue with a Chinese garden scene. The decoration shows two standing figures beneath tall stylised trees, with pavilions, rockwork, and floral motifs dispersed throughout, all within a broad lobed border highlighted with floral sprays.
The lobed form directly reflects Dutch prototypes of the mid-17th century, yet the handling of the brushwork—with its freer, more spontaneous line and less rigid structure—points convincingly to a London origin. The palette, with its softer cobalt tones and looser rendering of architectural details, is characteristic of the London workshops at Southwark and Lambeth active during this period.
Such dishes reflect the growing English taste for chinoiserie decoration, inspired both by imported Chinese porcelain and by Dutch Delftware imports. This example demonstrates the ability of London potters to adapt Continental models for a metropolitan clientele eager for fashionable wares.