A LARGE collection of New Hall porcelain that includes several rare or important examples of this iconic brand will go under the hammer at a leading North Yorkshire auction house later this month.

Comprising around 50 separate lots, the pieces were acquired by the late Tony Allen from some of the UK’s top dealers.

Ranging from complete tea services to individual jugs and bowls, the collection is being presented by Elstob & Elstob at their fine art and antiques sale on June 27 and 28.

New Hall holds an important place in the history of English porcelain. Active between 1781 and 1835, it was a cooperative between several Staffordshire earthenware makers, who were offered the use of the Bristol porcelain license in return for financing a factory together.

The Staffordshire makers devised a new two-stage firing process, which finished pieces at lower temperatures than the classic hard paste porcelain.

This resulted in a product with its own unique properties – known as hybrid hard-paste – that was characterised by a milky white, translucent finish with a signature grey hue.

Over a period of 50 years, the factory produced over 3,000 patterns that were known for their attractive yet functional forms.

The main out-put was pieces intended for practical domestic use – such as dinner services, jugs, bowls and tea sets – with the intention of making these once luxury items more accessible to broader sections of the community.

Eventually, the New Hall factory followed public demand and moved towards bone china production – as popularised by Spode – but its many pleasing porcelains undoubtedly helped to turn the Staffordshire Potteries, previously famed only for its earthenware, into a porcelain-producing centre of world importance.

One of the stand-out pieces in the Tony Allen Collection is an important plate by Fidelle Duvivier, c.1787-90. With a corrugated border and shaped rim, the centre is painted with figures on horseback in a rural landscape. It was purchased from Charnwood Antiques and carries a price estimate of £2,000 to £3,000.

A rare cream jug, c. 1785 of ‘Low Chelsea Ewer’ form, purchased from Roderick Jellicoe in 2001, is expected to reach between £300 and £400. It is painted to pattern number 20 with Chinese figures with a parasol and windmill by a garden fence and has an overall height of 7.5cm.

Also offered is a rare pickle leaf dish, c. 1785 of vine leaf form with serrated rims and moulded leaf veins to the underside, printed in underglaze blue with the ‘Gazebo’ pattern within a formal border. It has a guide price of £400 to £600 and was again purchased from Charnwood Antiques in 1995.

“Because of the success of New Hall, their style was often copied by other contemporary factories. Many of the New Hall pieces are also unmarked, making it difficult for collectors to pick up genuine articles,” said David Elstob, director of the Ripon-based auction house. “The advantage of this collection is that the majority of the pieces have a known provenance with full purchase details.

“The pieces and designs in the collection are very varied, ranging from simple floral sprays to Oriental-style blue prints. However, it is the quality of the porcelain itself with its fine, light quality that brings them all together. This is the reason why New Hall remains so popular today and is increasingly collectible.”

The upcoming sale on 27 and 28 June is fully illustrated online with descriptions, images and condition reports. As part of the easing of the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the public will be allowed to view by appointment and bookings may be made to attend the auction. Live bids can also be made online or over the telephone.

For further information about the individual lots or the sales and services provided by Elstob & Elstob, call 01765-699200, email: info@elstobandelstob.co.uk or visit: www.elstobandelstob.co.uk