London Delftware Lobed Dish with Chinoiserie Scene

A rare 17th-century London delftware lobed dish, painted in blue with a central octagonal reserve depicting a chinoiserie garden scene. The composition shows a seated oriental figure beside a fence amid stylised rockwork and foliage, beneath flying birds. The broad cavetto and rim are divided into alternating petal-shaped panels, each filled with scrolling foliate ornament, echoing the lobed shape.
This dish reflects the English fascination with Chinese porcelain during the mid-17th century, when London delft potters actively imitated imported wares in both form and decoration. The lobed form itself derives ultimately from Chinese kraak porcelain, while the central figure follows the European taste for chinoiserie imagery, filtered through Dutch and English print sources.
Comparable examples are held in the collections of the Museum of London and the Victoria & Albert Museum, illustrating the influence of Chinese porcelain on English delftware of the period.