Bowl
Samson, Edme et Cie
Category
Ceramics
Date
1900 - 1910
Materials
hard paste porcelain with overglaze enamels
Measurements
105 mm (Height); 252 mm (Diameter)
Place of origin
Paris
Order this imageCollection
Tyntesfield, North Somerset
NT 20146
Summary
Bowl, hard paste porcelain, decorated by Samson & Fils, Paris, ca 1900-10; decorated in hand painted enamels on the interior and exterior rim with a repeating border pattern of oak leaves and acorns in brown and green between two plain bands of gilt, with drapery and the inscription 'Nelson/22 April', the coat of arms of Lord Nelson at the inner base in polychrome enamels, with coronets, naval medals and the Order of St Ferdinand, plain bands of gilt at inner well.
Full description
Edmé Samson (1810-91) established his business in Paris in 1873. He often worked for collectors and museums, making high quality reproductions of porcelain by major factories such as Sèvres, Meissen and Worcester, as well as Chinese and Japanese porcelain. The firm tended to mark objects with a slight variation of the original factory mark. This bowl is a copy from a dessert service believed to have been presented by the City of London to Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) at the 1802 Lord Mayor’s inauguration – a century before this version at Tyntesfield was made. It is inscribed ‘Nelson / 22 April’ and ‘Nelson San Josef’, probably a reference to the Battle of Copenhagen (1801). The ‘Nelson Service’ comprised a Paris porcelain dessert service and a matching Coalport tea set. The ceramics were bought in as blanks (undecorated pieces) for the commission, then lavishly decorated in London at a specialist workshop.
Provenance
Purchased from the estate of the late Lord Wraxall with the assistance of the NHMF and donations from members and supporters.
Marks and inscriptions
PALMAMOUT / MERUIT FERAT (below coat-of-arms on bowl base)
Makers and roles
Samson, Edme et Cie , decorator