English Delft Blue and White Punch Bowl Fluted Circa 1715

“Only the best” was the guiding principle of Syd Leventhal as he assembled the Longridge Collection, one of the most important collections of early English pottery ever formed. This blue and white London delftware punch bowl, circa 1715, closely matches in form and painted scheme item D309 illustrated on page 341 of The Longridge Collection of English Slipware and Delftware by Leslie B. Grigsby. Its close correspondence to the Longridge example anchors the bowl firmly within a documented and highly regarded group of circa 1715 London production, elevating it beyond typical unrecorded Delftware. For collectors of early English Delftware, documented comparability to the Longridge Collection carries particular weight, placing this bowl within a small and historically significant body of surviving work from the formative years of London tin-glaze production. Sculptural fluted punch bowls from the second decade of the eighteenth century are scarce survivals, and few combine this scale, confident brushwork, and documented comparability. The bowl is molded with rounded flutes that rise to a scalloped rim edged in dark cobalt blue. The broad surfaces of the flutes catch and release light, while the dark blue edge crisply defines the form’s silhouette. The cobalt ranges from dense, inky passages in the rim border and leaf outlines to pale translucent washes across the petals. The contrast between saturated and diluted blue gives the decoration depth and sharpens the definition of each leaf and petal. The sculptural modeling and expert hand painting combine to create a bowl of remarkable beauty. Dimensions: 11.75″ diameter x 6.85″ tall x 5″ diameter acrosss the base Condition: Good. Surface glaze imperfections and small frits consistent with age. Some glaze pops invisibly restored. Decoration: Hand-painted in cobalt blue, with exterior floral sprigs within molded flutes, a bird and foliage in the well, and a scrolling leafy border at the rim. Material: Tin-glazed earthenware (English delftware). Style: Early 18th-century London tin-glaze with chinoiserie influence. Origin: London, England. Date: Circa 1715 Notable Details: Closely matching Longridge Collection no. D309, p. 341 Related border motifs to Longridge examples D116 and D117 and to dated dishes of 1712 and 1716 Form associated with dated dishes of 1712 and 1716 Deeply molded fluting with scalloped rim Strong cobalt tonal variation