12 Chamberlain Factory Vase

This vase was made by Chamberlains c.1815 and shows their factory front and centre with a scene of Worcester behind. We see their prominent advertising banner proclaiming their appointment as ‘Manufacturers to the Prince Regent’ which everybody approaching Worcester down the Bath road at that time would have seen as they approached.  In the foreground we see the tollgate at the city boundary.

At this time there were two rival factories in Worcester – Flights and Chamberlains – both making the highest quality of porcelain for important customers – so both were busily engaged in advertising and promotion of their wares.

The vase is made of a special type of porcelain known as ‘Regent Body’ which adapted the soft paste body used by most English factories at the time into slightly more of a hard paste fabric. Chamberlains claimed to have perfected this body after the visit of the Prince Regent in 1807 and by giving it this name they were underlining their status as Royal Warrant holders and suppliers to the royal household. They subsequently used it for the Prince’s harlequin service.

The vase’s shape, gilded decoration and application of ram’s head handles is typical of the Regency period. It was probably made for Chamberlain’s London Showroom and remained in the factory collection.