A Worcester porcelain 'Blind Earl' pattern sweetmeat dish, circa 1765

A Worcester porcelain 'Blind Earl' pattern sweetmeat dish, circa 1765,

of scalloped circular form with single crabstock handle terminating in buds, relief moulded with foliage, interspersed with insects, crescent and dot mark and sticker for 'ALBERT AMOR LTD 1994 EXHIBITION - THE STIRLING-LEE COLLECTION' to base

Dimension: 14.5cm wide

Note: Sources suggest the ‘Blind Earl’ pattern was named after George William Coventry (1722-1809), the sixth Earl of Coventry and Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire.

It is reputed that, after a hunting accident, the Earl began to lose his eyesight. He is then said to have ordered a relief moulded service in this pattern, wanting to feel the designs present in the porcelain.

Provenance: From the collection of Oliver Stirling Lee, MA, FRICS, (British,1920-2004). He served in the navy during WWII on a number of vessels and missions. Upon leaving the service in 1946 he moved into estate management.

He was a dedicated collector, firstly of Dr Wall's early blue and white Worcester porcelain, and latter of naval medals. In both cases he accrued substantial and ultimately important collections.