A rare Herculaneum vase, circa 1815


Modelled in the French taste with handles formed as winged caryatids picked out in gold, painted with a girl seated in a rustic landscape, probably by W Dixon after 'The Gypsy Girl' by Sir Joshua Reynolds, reserved on a green ground within wide gilded borders, 24cm high, printed mark with 'Liver Bird' in puce
|A vase of similar form was exhibited in 'Made in Liverpool', The Seventh Exhibition from the Northern Ceramic Society and is illustrated in the catalogue at p.152. A bough pot shown on the same page appears to be painted by the same hand as the present lot and is inscribed 'Painted by W Dixon 1811 Liverpool. W Smith and Child'. Smith was manager of the pottery and Dixon an independent decorator who later worked at the factory