“In addition to Meissen and Sèvres, our treasures include Worcester, Tournai, and Derby.”
—Tudor Place Historic House and Garden Executive Director Leslie L. Buhler
Part of a remarkable Meissen tea, coffee, and chocolate service, ca. 1740; all the pieces are superbly decorated in the manner of Christain Frederich Herold with hand-painted topographical scenes, each one presenting a distinctive, unique harbor view, masterfully enlivened with gilt embellishments.
Now a house museum, it exists in its original setting, surrounded by sweeping green lawns, parterres, and mature woodlands. Without doubt Tudor Place makes a unique statement on American cultural heritage, which traces the life of direct descendants of Martha Washington — the Peter family — over six generations from 1805 to 1983.
Among the Peters’ accomplishments, the family amassed an impressive collection of decorative arts that still adds luster to Tudor Place. To inspire us, among the artful objects, there is an astonishingly diverse collection of some of the world’s most rare and desirable ceramics, evidencing true artistry and technical sophistication. Highlights from the collection are our focus on these pages. Meissen, the innovative German factory that first mastered porcelain making in the West in 1715 is handsomely represented. So is Sèvres, the royal French factory that set the style in porcelains in Europe and just about everywhere else from the middle of the 18th-century through most of the 19th-century. The Peters’ collection may capture our imagination and transport us back to a time when ceramics were very cutting-edge and were collected with great relish.
A corner cabinet showcases an elegant arrangement of varied and historic Continental porcelains. On the bottom shelf, Sèvres examples of blanc de chine porcelain with delicate gold borders, ca. 1778-85, originally part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon dinner service, are flanked by a pair of deep Sèvres plates decorated with ribbon and floral motifs by Charles Tandart, ca. 1770. The middle shelf accommodates dinner plates and a sauceboat also from the Sèvres Mount Vernon dinner service, along with a pair of Meissen sweetmeat bowls balanced by African figures, ca. 1870. Above, on the top shelf, an important Sèvres covered sauce tureen and stand decorated with birds and flowers, ca. 1759, is presented together with an exceptional pair of 19th-century Meissen stag and doe candlesticks.
A rare Chinese Export punch bowl, ca. 1765-75, with Mount Vernon history. It was likely purchased by the first Tudor Place owners, Thomas and Martha Peter, at the 1802 estate sale of Martha Peter's grandmother, Martha Washington.
On the table is the shepherd with his dog and shepherdess with her lamb (foreground), along with a grouping of four figures gathered around an obelisk symbolizing “The Four Seasons,” which is sided by a pair of elaborate candlesticks, each depicting a rural character against a backdrop of finely-modeled flowers.
Elegant covered urns, ca. 1890, grace a mantle, evoking the neoclassical style of the Louis XVI period. The pair, attributed to the Sèvres factory, is distinguished by the fine polychrome enamel and gilt decoration.
A charming Worcester “Three Flowers” tea service, ca. 1770-80, is displayed on Martha Washington’s English Georgian mahogany tea table, ca. 1750-75. First produced in 1751, much of the early Worcester porcelains were decorated with Chinese-inspired designs; “Three Flowers,” arguably Worcester’s most popular transfer-printed underglaze blue chinoiserie pattern, is characterized by floral sprays and butterflies.
In the Butler’s Pantry, the display of an exemplary porcelain service produced at the Tournai manufactory in Belgium, ca. 1776-90, is an eye-catcher. This service shows fanciful rural scenes, featuring naturalistic rendered cockerels and other domestic fowl. The discriminating blue of the charming motifs that alternate on the rim of the plates is similar to the bleu de roi of Sèvres. The plate warmer, which appears below the cupboard, was installed at Tudor Place in 1914.
This earthenware covered sauce tureen with an attached stand, ca. 1780-95, was most probably made by Spode. It is an exquisite example of English creamware from Staffordshire, expressing neoclassical style, which relates beautifully to the architecture of Tudor Place. The bold Greek key design in rust and black was hand-painted over the glaze and remains in pristine condition.
These Worcester examples of the period of Flight & Barr, ca. 1792-1807, are noteworthy for their rich decoration. The yellow-ground crocus pot with a front panel depicts a stunning peacock amidst a fantastic landscape, while the pail-shaped cobalt blue and gold jardinière shows exotic birds.
Click here for more photos of this early 19th-century Georgetown residence museum.
John F. Andreu is a Contributing Editor for ChesapeakeHome.
Contact:
Tudor Place: tudorplace.org
