English London delftware polychrome large dish featuring Lunardi’s balloon assent

Ref: 6386 Categories: ,

£2850

Dated: 1785 Lambeth Pottery London

A very rare sized delftware pottery dish showing Lunardi's balloon flight in 1784. The ballon is painted flying above the fence of a grand house well coloured in blue, manganese and moss green on a pale blue ground tin glaze. The rim is profusely decorated with swags in the same colour palette. NOTES; Vicenzo Lunardi was a pioneering Italian aeronaut, born in Lucca ,he arrived in England as Secretary to Prince Caramanico, the Neapolitan Ambassador. The English were skeptical about balloon flight, and so George Biggin and Vincent Lunardi, together decided to demonstrate a hydrogen balloon flight at the Artillery Ground of the Honourable Artillery Company in London on 15 September 1784. A 200,000 strong crowd (which included eminent statesmen and the Prince of Wales) had grown very impatient during pre- flight proceedings so Lunardi decided to take off without his friend Biggin as the balloon was not fully inflated.Charmingly he was accompanied by a dog, a cat and a caged pigeon. The flight from the Artillery Ground travelled in a northerly direction towards Hertfordshire, with Lunardi making a stop in Welham Green, where the cat was set free as it seemed airsick.The flight ended at Standon Green End. The road junction in Welham Green near to the site Lunardi made his first stop is called Balloon Corner to this day to commemorate the landing.

Dimensions: 1.75 inches high, 14 inches wide, 14 inches long

Diameter: 14 inches

Current Condition: Fine clean unrestored condition with only minor wear related to age.

Provenance: Private Collection Warwickshire

Literature: Page 164 ref. 163 and figure 20 London Delftware by Frank Britton published by Jonathan Horne in 1987

£2850    $3277

Description

A very rare sized delftware pottery dish showing Lunardi’s balloon flight in 1784. The ballon is painted flying above the fence of a grand house well coloured in blue, manganese and moss green on a pale blue ground tin glaze. The rim is profusely decorated with swags in the same colour palette.
NOTES;
Vicenzo Lunardi was a pioneering Italian aeronaut, born in Lucca ,he arrived
in England as Secretary to Prince Caramanico, the Neapolitan Ambassador.
The English were skeptical about balloon flight, and so George Biggin and Vincent Lunardi, together decided to demonstrate a hydrogen balloon flight at the Artillery Ground of the Honourable Artillery Company in London on 15 September 1784.
A 200,000 strong crowd (which included eminent statesmen and the Prince of Wales) had grown very impatient during pre- flight proceedings so Lunardi decided to take off without his friend Biggin as the balloon was not fully inflated.Charmingly he was accompanied by a dog, a cat and a caged pigeon. The flight from the Artillery Ground travelled in a northerly direction towards Hertfordshire, with Lunardi making a stop in Welham Green, where the cat was set free as it seemed airsick.The flight ended at Standon Green End. The road junction in Welham Green near to the site Lunardi made his first stop is called Balloon Corner to this day to commemorate the landing.

Additional information

Dimensions 14 × 14 × 1.75 in