A six-well majolica glazed oyster plate by Simon Fielding, Stoke-on-Trent, England, circa 1878.

In the Japonisme taste, six fan shaped oyster wells glazed in a creamy yellow and chocolate brown sit on a textured turquoise ground. The fans extend slightly beyond the outer rim and radiate from a central blue and yellow glazed condiment well. The wells show alternating images of insects or flowering branches of prunus moving in a clock-wise direction from fan to fan. One well shows a yellow-beaked water bird sitting in etched reeds with an etched sailing ship in the background. The outer rim is bordered in brown, and all of the wells are bordered in a beaded navy blue. The plate sits on six raised scallop shell shaped feet.

A very complex mold showing the Asian Aesthetic influence on Fielding’s work.

Marked with an English registry diamond and the impressed makers mark, FIELDING Reference: Karsnitz, Oyster Plates, page 54. / Snyder, Collecting Oyster Plates, page 29, also shown on both front and back covers.
9.0 in. Diam. x .75 in. H.
This example shows a light overall crazing as expected – excellent for the age.