A RARE CROWN DERBY EGGSHELL BODY DUCHESS CABINET CUP AND SAUCER

A RARE CROWN DERBY EGGSHELL BODY DUCHESS CABINET CUP AND SAUCER, 1884 painted by James Platts with portrait medallions of girls, the saucer with 'agates' on a richly gilt and raised gilt claret ground, saucer 10.5cm diam, printed mark, painted artist's initialA contemporary example of bute shape is in Royal Crown Derby Museum and illustrated Twitchett (J) and B Bailey, Royal Crown Derby, third edition, Woodbridge 1988, illus p104 and for an example of Duchess shape (pattern 1294) also dating from 1884 decorated by George Lambert see plt 25. A Crown Derby Devon plate, painted by James Platts in 1882 (Twitchett and Bailey, op cit, illus p107) is painted with the same girl as appears on one of the three portrait medallions on the present cup.