Large Scottish earthenware dish scraffito decorated with a fully rigged sailing,the rim named and dated 1773 Adam Waddel and Beatrex Willson

Reference: 4243

Dated: 1773 Morrison Haven Scotland

An exceptionally rare historic earthenware deep sided dish with a strong scraffito image of a fully rigged sailing ship.(Scrafitto is the reverse of trailed slipware. A thin layer of white slip is applied to the surface and decorations are incised in the slip. A clear lead glaze is applied which gives a dark creamy soft texture to the surface.This technique enables more sophisticated decoration than the use of trailed slip. The decoration is enhanced on the dish with the addition of green oxide .
The image of the ship is spectacular and executed with confidence with much attention to detail such as the interesting figure head on the bow.
The border of the dish is named and dated in scraffito "Adam Waddel and Beatrex (Willson) his Spouse April 21st 1773".
The dish is almost certainly a betrothal commemorative.
Adam Waddell is recorded in the National Record Archives as Clerk to the Captain of his Majesty's ship the Dunkirk in 1774. It is reasonable to assume that the ship on the dish is HMS Dunkirk a 60 gun ship of the Royal Navy which was in action during the American War of Independence capturing a French and Dutch ships of war.
The dish was produced as a special commission at Morrison Haven Prestonpans Pottery on the North East coast of Scotland.
The artist who decorated this dish with such assurance and strength of image will probably remain unknown.
The fact that the piece has survived for so long is a lasting acknowledgement to his or her work.

Diameter: 15.00inch

Medium: earthenware pottery ceramic scraffito

Signed/Dated/Inscribed: Adam Waddel and Beatrex (Willson) his spouse April 21st 1773

Current Condition Stable crack at top rim.
No restorations.

Literature: Public Records Office The National Archive UK.

Sold