A fine and rare 18th-century English Delft shallow bowl, painted in bright polychrome enamels to commemorate Vincenzo Lunardi’s pioneering balloon ascent from the Artillery Ground, Moorfields, London, on 13 May 1785.
The central scene shows Lunardi’s hydrogen balloon rising above a landscape with buildings and trees, framed by a border of stylised green and blue floral sprigs.
Produced at the Lambeth Delftworks, this bowl captures the excitement of one of the earliest manned flights in Britain and is among the last major commemorative designs of the English tin-glaze tradition.
Dimensions
Diameter — 23 cm
Condition
Excellent display condition with a tiny shallow rim chip invisibly restored; no cracks or structural restoration. The glaze remains bright and clean throughout.
Period & Origin
England, Lambeth, circa 1785
Tin-glazed earthenware (“Delftware”)
Provenance
From a private English collection of commemorative and historical delftware.
Related Pieces
See our English Delft ceramics collection for comparable examples.
This shallow bowl dates to the early 18th century and sits comfortably alongside other examples featured on our 18th Century ceramics page, where related wares are grouped by period.
Enquiries
If you would like further photographs, condition details or shipping information, please contact us and mention the piece you are interested in quoting “English Delft Ballooning Bowl, Lambeth c.1785.”
