Plate, Qianlong c.1750, with the arms of Amyas. Pair available.
A pair of 9 inch plates, available separately, with the arms of Amyas as granted to Thomas Amyas of Deopham, Norfolk, in 1575.
Five associated services were made between c.1745-50 for this Norfolk family. Two have arms after the same original: the two variants illustrated above with chain link design (one with European flowers in the centre and the other with Chinese flowers on the rim), and also a bowl with scenes of Fort St George in Madras.
Two further services have the arms of Beauchamp of Norfolk with Amyas quartering Brograve on an escutcheon of pretence, for a marriage with an Amyas daughter. In addition there is a very rare, probably unique, Yixing stoneware teapot or punch pot for the same marriage.
The third image is an allegorical armorial bookplate with legend ’Ames of Norfolke’, c.1720, supported by figures of Hermes, protector of merchants and commerce, and Urania, muse of astronomy with her celestial globe. Thought to have been used in the 1720s by Matthew Amyas and later by his sons. British Museum, Franks Collection F.438. See Blatchly, John; Some Suffolk and Norfolk Ex-Libris, p.34
It seems certain that all of the services mentioned above were for one of the children or grandchildren of Matthew Amyas and Susan Brograve. They left several children, of whom three sons are mentioned by Blatchly: the eldest, John, was also a surgeon but died in 1737; Matthew, a woollen draper of St Mary-le-Strand in London, and Francis Amyas, an attorney of Hingham. At least two grandsons also followed in this profession.
Reference : Howard, David S.; Chinese Armorial Porcelain, Volume I, p. 532 for the companion service with chain link border and identical arms, but there placed in the centre with panels of lotus flowers on the rim.
Condition : One perfect.
One with very faint rim hairline, now consolidated and totally invisible.
The enamels and gilding on both are original and very bright.
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