This is the first major book on English blue and white porcelain since the early 1970s. Not only is it the latest and most up-to-date work, but it includes types not previously studied and extends the range of wares into the early years of the nineteenth-century. It is a unique overall study. The number of instructive illustrations exceeds 700, including helpful comparison photographs and details of identifying features - footrims, handle forms, manufacturing characteristics and marks. Apart from introductory chapters on collecting blue and white and on the introduction and development of this popular mode of decoration, this unique coverage comprises details of over twenty distinct makers, including the relatively newly researched eighteenth century factories at Isleworth, Limehouse and Vauxhall. The inclusion of the several post-1790 factories covers new ground. The section on fakes and reproductions will also prove instructive and helpful. Guidance is given on the popularity of the various types in the market and on past and more recent prices paid for specimens in the London auction rooms. Particular attention has been directed at the three large sales of the late Dr Bernard Watney's world-renowned collection, held by Messrs. Phillips in 1999 and 2000. General estimates of market values are also offered. This Godden study of popular and collectable blue and white porcelain complements all previous works, updating and greatly extending the coverage and introducing a large selection of new illustrations of both rare and more available specimens. It will be of great interest and assistance to the new collector as well as to the advanced specialist - a vital tool for auctioneers and the trade alike.
