A rare and early Brislington delftware Royal plate, c.1685-88, the octagonal well painted in shades

A rare and early Brislington delftware Royal plate, c.1685-88, the octagonal well painted in shades of blue, yellow and manganese with a standing portrait of James II holding a sceptre and a parchment, the rim moulded with an unusual repeated shell motif, broken in half and restuck, 24cm.

Provenance: a private collection from Devon and thence by familial descent.

Very few dishes with this unusual border are known, but another featuring James II (formerly in the Lipski Collection) was later sold at Christie's as part of the Longridge Collection on 11th June 2010, lot 102.

Following James II's deposition after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, many objects featuring his image were destroyed or hidden for the safety of their owners. Jacobite followers continued to grow in number into the 18th century and Devon was a key area, especially for a planned uprising in 1715, following the death of Queen Anne. Family legend reports that the dish was broken deliberately during this turbulent time but rescued by a relative who still held true to the old king and his descendants.