Rare Small Lafayette's Landing Vegetable Dish

Circa 1820s: In part one of Sam Laidacker's seminal 1938 study Anglo-American China, he lists four sizes of vegetable dishes made in Clews' famous The Landing of General Lafayette At Castle Garden, New York, 16 August, 1824, pattern, the small 7.75" size being the rarest and most valuable. In fact, in our nearly two decades in the antiques trade, this is the first 7 3/4" x 5 5/8" historical Staffordshire serving dish we have encountered in any pattern. Miraculously, the bowl's condition is superlative. It remains in essentially as fired condition with no scratches, chips, cracks, or repairs, and only typical firing anomalies as made. Furthermore, the transfer itself is essentially nearly flawless. The 200th anniversary of Lafayette's storied tour of the United States is close at hand, and this incredibly scarce serving dish is a handsome reminder of the great French general's selfless heroism during the American Revolutuionary War and our citizens' remembrance of his service to our foundling nation fifty years hence. Ex Routson collection.