“N.B.—Soon after, when everything is sold belonging to the manufactory and the large warehouse cleared, there will be some most beautiful pieces of the truly inimitable Mazarine blue, crimson, and gold, that Mr. Sprimont has thought deserving finishing; that will be sold at Chelsea, as the whole remaining and the last produce of that once most magnificent porcelain manufactory.”
This was in 1764, but no purchaser came forward, and the factory lingered on till 1769, when again we find it advertised, and the end of Chelsea china is very near, Mr. Sprimont having entirely left off making the same. Josiah Wedgwood had some idea of purchasing some of the Chelsea china: “There’s an immense amount of fine things,” he writes to Bentley. But at this date, Mr. William Duesbury, of the Derby manufactory, took over the Chelsea works as he had previously taken over those of Bow, and carried them on for some years until 1784, when he pulled down the buildings, and removed all that was useful to his factory at Derby, and thus the manufacture of Chelsea china came to an end.
CHELSEA DISHES.
Painted with tropical birds in brilliant colours.
(Width, 121⁄2 in.).
The earliest examples of Chelsea china were in imitation of the ordinary blue Delft patterns, but later, Oriental patterns were very successfully copied, both in blue and white, and in mixed colours. Both Sèvres and Dresden were then adopted as models, and with very fine results. The colours were remarkably vivid, and only skilful artists were employed, the specimens they turned out being exquisitely decorated and finely conceived. The fine vases in the French style in imitation of Sèvres, with gros bleu, crimson, turquoise, and apple-green were made from 1760 to 1765.
Later, debased French forms were copied and an over elaboration was employed which marked the decadence of Chelsea. This over elaboration in art often marks the period of its decline. When wood engraving attempted to copy the refinements and delicacy of steel engraving it exceeded its limitations. To-day the glass-blower of Venice commits the same blunder when he, with false art puts lace patterns on his glass ware.
