Owl

Art Historical Context

Created around 1760 at the Bow Porcelain Factory in London, this charming soft-paste porcelain owl exemplifies the early efforts of British manufacturers to produce affordable alternatives to costly imported Chinese porcelain. Standing just over seven inches tall, the figure captures the bird with alert eyes and textured plumage, showcasing the factory’s skill in modeling lively animal forms that appealed to middle-class collectors seeking decorative accents for their homes. Bow’s soft-paste porcelain, developed in the 1740s, was fired at lower temperatures than hard-paste varieties, resultin...

About the Artist

Bow Porcelain Factory · 1747–1776

The Bow Porcelain Factory, established around 1747 in East London near Bow and relocated by 1749 to "New Canton" east of the River Lea, emerged as one of England's pioneering soft-paste porcelain manufacturers, rivaling the Chelsea factory. Founded by merchant Edward Heylyn and Irish painter Thomas Frye, who secured key patents in 1744 and 1748–49 for using Cherokee kaolin and bone ash, the factor...