Worcester Dr Wall Two Quail Cup and Saucer with Turquoise Border, 18th C. Circa 1770

This cup and saucer show Worcester’s celebrated interpretation of the Two Quail pattern, hand-painted during the Dr Wall period, produced around 1768 to 1775, when the factory achieved its finest balance of Japanese-derived motifs and European rococo ornament. At the center of each piece, the familiar pair of quails sit together on a grassy mound beneath a flowering tree. One bird is painted in warm iron red, the other in soft blue, and both carry the little green topknot that is characteristic of Worcester’s polychrome Two Quail decoration. The tree rises in a gentle curve, its blossoms rendered in iron red, blue, green, and that distinctive Worcester turquoise, arranged with the asymmetry and spaciousness that reflects the original Kakiemon source while clearly interpreted through an English hand. The fluted shapes contribute significantly to the visual effect. Worcester’s soft-paste porcelain responds beautifully to fluting, allowing light to move across the surface in a subtle play of highlights that sits comfortably beneath the fine overglaze enamels. This was one of the factory’s preferred shapes for Kakiemon-inspired patterns because the form adds delicacy without disturbing the clarity of the painted scene. Around the rim, the wide turquoise rococo border provides the unmistakably Worcester frame used for their best mid-18th-century pieces. Its rich color, softened by gilt accents, creates a striking contrast with the white ground and draws the viewer’s attention back toward the central motif. This combination of fluting, turquoise border, and Two Quail painting is among the most highly regarded configurations in Dr. Wall Worcester. The enamel work here is particularly refined. The quails are lively, the foliage well spaced, and the blossoms painted with the precision and warmth associated with the best hands in the factory. The turquoise border remains vibrant, and the gilding is carefully applied along the scalloped edges. Worcester produced the Two Quail pattern for only a limited period, and examples combining this palette with fluted shapes and turquoise rococo borders are especially prized among collectors. This set represents an ideal expression of Worcester’s adaptation of East Asian design, filtered through the taste and technical sophistication of the late 18th century. Dimensions: Saucer 5.5″ diameter, cup 2.5″ tall x 2.5″ diameter Condition: Excellent Decoration: Hand-painted Two Quail pattern with turquoise and gilt rococo borderMaterial: Soft-paste porcelainStyle: Dr Wall period WorcesterOrigin: Worcester, EnglandDate: Circa 1768–1775