Royal Crown Derby Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chelsea

The Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company had its origins in a deal struck by the trio of André Planché, William Duesbury and John Heath in the 1750s, as the reign of George II was coming to an end. Only William Duesbury persisted with improving the company and it is his name that is now synonymous with the early years of Royal Crown Derby. From the early 1770s to the mid-1780s, Royal Crown Derby had a base in Chelsea, London and due to this anything produced by the company in this period is described as Chelsea-Derby.

As a postscript, even though Royal Crown Derby has been referred to, the company only acquired the right to use the "Crown" name in 1773 and the "Royal" name in 1890. As an additional postscript, the reference to a flower show in the question hints at the Chelsea Flower Show, an annual event organised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

Answer: George III

Royal approval is about as important an endorsement as a company can get in the ceramics business of the United Kingdom. Not only could Derby now be referred to as Crown Derby but the company would be allowed to include a picture of the royal crown in their backstamp thereon in. Derby was honoured in such a way by King George III in 1773, who had by that time served roughly thirteen years of his fifty-nine-year reign.

Answer: Turbulent

The glory days of Crown Derby under the leadership of the Duesbury family came to a disappointing end upon the premature death of William Duesbury II in 1797. The administration of Michael Kean did not live up to the high standards of his predecessors; the stability of the company's finances were weakened and the relationship between senior management and a significant portion of the skilled workforce was sour at best. Such disharmony led to some artists leaving the company and this marred Crown Derby's image and reputation.

Answer: Japan

There is a wide variety of Imari prints but the particular print that Crown Derby adopted in this period is called Kinrande. Kinrande is characterised by two main colours, blue and red, along with a less liberal dose of gold. The striking blue colour, achieved using cobalt, next to the regal red has made Kinrande Imari porcelain a desirable product over the centuries. Crown Derby already had a history of creating floral prints and the combination of the flowers with the colours of Kinrande Imari makes such a piece of porcelain the most easily recognisable Crown Derby product. Since the Bloor era, other types of Imari porcelain have been produced for general purchase.

Answer: Portraits

After his tentative beginnings at Crown Derby, John Haslem would become a prolific portrait painter. His choice of surface on which to paint was usually enamel and many of his most valuable pieces of work are of members of the British Royal Family.

The German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter painted a portrait of Queen Victoria in her wedding dress. This was upon the request of Queen Victoria herself, and the portrait was to be a gift to her beloved husband, Prince Albert. John Haslem produced a miniaturised version of this portrait on enamel. This Haslem enamel miniature was acquired by Queen Victoria in 1848 and as the original portrait predated the death of Prince Albert (who died in 1861), Queen Victoria is seen in clothing of a colour other than black.

Answer: Quakers

One of the best porcelain artists in the company during the management of William Bloor was William Pegg. He was responsible for the creation of many of Crown Derby's floral prints in the Bloor era and floral patterns still somewhat typified pieces made by the company in the 21st century.

However, Crown Derby lost one of its greatest talents upon the resignation of William Pegg, whose Quaker faith led him to believe that his job was inherently sinful.

Answer: No

The passionate owner of Crown Derby, William Bloor, died in 1845 and the owner who succeeded him could only keep the company going for a further three years. The company ceased production and the factory that had been home to Crown Derby for decades was shut down. In 1877, the company was revived and production moved to another factory which ushered in a new, modern era.

Answer: William Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone visited Derby in 1883, during his second of four administrations, and was presented with a dessert service by a group of locals. Most of the service's paintings were by Georg Holzendorff and these paintings were of various scenes of Derbyshire, both rural and urban.

Answer: Victoria

In 1773, Derby became Crown Derby after the company piqued the interest of King George III. In 1890, Crown Derby became Royal Crown Derby and had the honour of manufacturing and supplying porcelain for use of the Royal Family headed by Queen Victoria.

Other companies that have been proclaimed "Royal" by Warrant include Royal Doulton and Royal Worcester where the latter, founded in 1751, is one of the oldest pottery manufacturing companies in the UK.

Answer: Paperweights

By the end of the 2010s, Royal Crown Derby was well known for its porcelain paperweights that usually depicted animals and wildlife. Paperweights of rabbits, hedgehogs, members of the cat family and various other animals were made in traditional Royal Crown Derby style. By 2010 many of the new Royal Crown Derby paperweights were selling for prices around £100.

However, some of the larger and more elaborate designs were being sold in the region of £1,000 to £2,000.