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19th century Staffordshire and Aesthetic Transferware ~ Layaway Available!

Fontaine's Fables ~ Two Doves Plate 1880

Porcelain : Antique : Aesthetic Transferware

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$325 USD
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Rare Earthenware Aesthetic Movement Plate

Fontaine / Aesops Fables ~ TWO DOVES

Brown Westhead and Moore Potteries

Staffordshire England ~ c. 1880

This is a superb and quite scare transferware plate registered around 1880. The plate measures 10 3/8 " in diameter. The plate is finely potted. The decoration is based on a woodcut etching from the highly coveted Nature series made by Brown Westhead and Moore, most commonly found on architectural tiles. It is decorated in a brilliant flow mulberry.

Two doves, White-coat and Blue-feather, lived in a dovecote. They were brothers and were very fond of each other. White-coat was a great home body, but Blue-feather liked to travel.

One day Blue-feather said to White-coat, "I want to see the world. This place is very tame.

"Don't go, Blue-feather," said White-coat. "We have all we want to eat here, everyone is kind, and we have a good home. I have heard that in other places men set traps for birds or shoot them, and that sometimes large hawks swoop down and carry them off. You might be caught out in a storm and find no shelter; besides, it would almost kill me to be separated from you long. You might be able to bear it, but not I. Surely it is best to stay at home."

"White-coat, why do you make such a fuss about nothing? I shall not be gone more than three days; then you shall hear of all the wonderful things I saw. I shall tell what happened to me from the beginning of my journey until its close. It will be almost as good as going yourself."

At this, they said. a sad good-by to each other, and Blue-feather flew away.

A dark cloud covered the sky. Blue-feather looked about for shelter. He flew to the only tree near, but its leaves could not keep off the driving rain, so his coat was wet through and through.

On the borders of a wood he spied some scattered grains of wheat. He was hungry and saw no reason why he should not pick them up. As he flew down, a snare was drawn about him. The wheat had been put there to tempt pigeons so that they might get caught. It was well for Blue-feather that the snare had been in use a long time and was rotten. By using his beak and wings he got loose, but he lost a few feathers out of his pretty coat.

A hawk saw him as he rose. Blue-feather was dragging a piece of the string which he could not loosen from his leg. The hawk was about to seize him. It seemed as if there was no help for him. But just at that moment an eagle caught the hawk and carried him off.

Blue-feather flew as fast as he could to a high fence, where he stopped to rest. He thought his dangers were over. He was very homesick.

While Blue-feather was sitting on the fence, a boy saw him. He nearly killed the poor bird with a shot from his sling.

Blue-feather was just able to fly. His leg was lame, and one wing was hurt, but he steered straight for home.

Late at night he arrived at his own dovecote, tired and hungry, but happy to be safe at home again. He found White-coat waiting for him.

MORAL: The Two Doves

Since happiness is found so rare,

Much it behoves us to beware,

Being blest in the possession,

'Tis not lost by our transgression;

Foolish experiments, 'tis known,

Are ever better let alone.

The plate is in EXCELLENT condition, clean bright and shiny with no cracks, hairlines or repairs. A very tiny glaze flake to the front rim. The images are clear and crisp with intricate detail and whimsical styling. The plate was made with great attention to detail. This fantastic transferware plate will make a gorgeous addition to any serious collection of Aesthetic movement wares.

Item ID: AMT586