Lowestoft porcelain basket

In the mid eighteenth century, clay suitable for making porcelain was found near Lowestoft. In those days, a ceramics factory had to be sited near its sources of raw materials, as it was too cumbersome and costly to transport clay too far. For this reason the first and only porcelain factory in East Anglia was based in Lowestoft. It opened around 1757. It was one of the first English porcelain manufacturers, along with Chelsea, Worcester and Bow.

Porcelain was first made in China and the technique had been known there for centuries, but the technology was new in Europe at this time. It was a fashionable new luxury product, but also expensive and difficult to make. Frequent new designs were needed to keep up with changing trends. Several English factories went out of business quickly.

The Lowestoft factory stayed afloat for forty years. They were prudent, testing their market and building their clientele. At first they produced wares decorated in blue only, to minimise costs, and only branched out into polychrome later. This bowl is one of their earliest known wares. The design, in Chinese style, is simple and would have been quick for an experienced painter to produce. The pierced design of the bowl on the other hand, although striking, would have been time-consuming to make, and fragile. This is the only known example. Other early wares are of less complex shapes. Every factory had to steer a fine line between being fashionably innovative, and economically viable.