The museum's collections of art created on the European continent encompass artistic styles across the time line of history, from the ancient world to the Middle Ages, and the Early Modern era to the 21st century.
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English, established 1751
Decorated by Jefferyes O'Neale, Irish, c. 1734–1801
Vase with Three Lions
c. 1768–70
Soft-paste porcelain
19 x 8 1/2 inches
The Rienzi Collection
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson, by exchange
The great ceramic decorator Jefferyes O´Neale produced some of the Worcester factory´s most impressive and memorable works. O´Neale is best known for his ceramic pieces decorated with scenes inspired by the English illustrator Francis Barlow´s Aesop´s Fables.
Probably born in Ireland in 1734, by the 1750s he was living in London and working as a china painter at the Chelsea Porcelain Factory. He later moved to Worcester where he worked as an independent decorator. This stunning vase has all the hallmarks of O´Neale´s work: heart-shaped reserves, mauve clouds, faceted rocks, blue mountains, leggy tree canopies and lively animals, all rendered with an illustrator´s whimsy.