A mid-18th century Chelsea Porcelain 'Hans Sloane' plate

A mid-18th century Chelsea Porcelain 'Hans Sloane' plate, circa 1755,

of silver shape, hand-painted with two flowering botanical specimens (the first possibly Convolvulus or Calystegia), a butterfly, a ladybird and another winged insect, brown line rim, red anchor mark and numbered 3 to base

Dimension: 23.7cm diameter

Note: ‘Hans Sloane’ plates were produced circa 1755, and are named with reference to the royal physician, traveller, and natural historian who helped transform the Chelsea Physic Garden into a centre of botanical knowledge during the Enlightenment. Many of the subjects found on them were lifted from the botanical illustrations of Philip Miller, an early curator of the Garden. Although flowers, fruits and insects are often found on earlier porcelain, the lively naturalism of the Chelsea botanical pieces can be seen to reflect a broadening public interest in the natural world.