An extensive Worcester Giles-decorated part-dessert service, circa 1768-70

brightly painted in the atelier of James Giles with loose sprays of Wind Blown Flowers and scattered smaller flower sprigs with gilt-edged rims, comprising:
two lozenge-shaped fluted dishes, 26cm., 10 1/4 in. wide;
four leaf-shaped dishes, 23.2cm., 9 1/8 in. wide;
two kidney-shaped dishes, 26.2cm., 10 3/8 in. wide;
two lobed dishes, 23cm., 9in. diam.;
and 18 plates with fluted lobed rims, 21cm., 8 1/4 in. diam.

Newbattle Abbey, Midlothian, Inventory, 1930, p.30, China in Store room; 'An old Worcester dessert service white with flowers painted in colours'

One lozenge shaped dish with four minute chips to rim. One lobed dish with crack to body, possibly extending from a firing fault. three plates with a shallow rim chip, one plate with a hairline crack to body and two chips to footrim, and a plate with a minute rim chip.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

James Giles (1718-80) is widely regarded as one of the finest china and glass painters of his day. Although no signed pieces are known, the work of his studio has been appreciated and categorised by its distinctive fresh palette and bold and confident execution. The rare survival of so complete a service in outstanding condition would imply an unbroken provenance back to the time of manufacture.

Giles completed his apprenticeship in 1740 and in 1756 moved to Kentish town to take over an existing workshop and kiln. He moved to 82 Berwick Street in 1763 and in the same year he placed an advertisement in Thomas Mortimer's The Universal Director announcing that he was painting 'China and Enamel' from premises. He was based there until finally quitting the business in 1776/7. His surviving work is known on plain, cut and coloured glass, opaque white glass, Chinese and Liverpool porcelains but it is for his work on Worcester porcelain for which he is best known, though his relationship with the factory is not clear.

James Giles' ledger for the period between 1771-1776 miraculously survives and is preserved in the English Ceramics Circle Toppin Library housed at the Society of Antiquaries in London. This listing of Giles' clients includes the entry on page 12:

'Lady Ancram D[ebit], 1771 November 5th... "To a parcel China sold"... 5 [shillings]/ Lady Ancram C[redit], 1773 Jan 23rd... Cash in full... 5 [shillings].'
(reproduced here in figs. 1 and 2)

As Gerald Coke writes, this entry almost certainly refers to Lady Elizabeth Ancram, who married William John Kerr, Earl of Ancram, later the 5th Marquess of Lothian.ⁱ This brief entry is characteristically short like all of the entries in the ledger and this limited information provides few details for scholars of James Giles. In this delivery order, it is difficult to be certain what the 'parcel' included but it is clear that the sum of 5 shillings seems incredibly low for a service of this size; therefore it is conceivable that Lady Ancram was already in possession of Worcester porcelain in this pattern and this transaction was for additional pieces. Equally possible, Lady Ancram may have started the service with this small transaction and added pieces at a later date. Tantalisingly the ledger entry makes reference to a 'Page 21' of a separate account book, which seemingly has been lost to history.

Lady Elizabeth Ancram, born in 1745 was the only daughter of Chichester Fortescue of Dromiskin, Co. Louth and granddaughter of 1st Lord Mornington. On 15th July 1762 she married General William John Kerr, Earl of Ancram, who inherited the title of the Marquess of Lothian in 1775. She died on 30th September 1780.

^{[i] A list of James Giles' customers taken from his Ledger for 1771-76 is partially transcribed by Gerald Coke, In search of James Giles (1718-1780), Kent, 1983, p. 113-18, appendix B.}