A trio of Royal Worcester ‘polar bear’ vases decorated by Harry Davis came for sale at Nadeau’s (23% buyer’s premium) on May 18 as part of a New Jersey private collection.
Of all the many subjects painted by Harry Davis during his long and celebrated tenure at the Royal Worcester factory, among the rarest and most desirable are polar bears in an Arctic landscape.
A visit to London Zoo inspired this select range that used the matt blue ground that Royal Worcester had long used for vases decorated with swans in flight by fellow artist-decorator Charles Baldwyn.
In an interview late in life, Davis recalled painting ‘about 50’ polar bear vases, with most surviving examples dated to the years 1903-05.
Go with the floe
All three of the vases at Nadeau’s assumed the same 16in (41cm) form, the elaborate two-handled vase and cover known simply as model number 240989.
Depicting subtly different variations on the theme of polars bears on ice floe, they carried guides of $10,000-20,000 each in Connecticut and sold at $17,000 (£13,400), $18,000 (£14,300) and $19,000 (£15,000).
Long career
Worcester-born and bred, Harry Davis (1885-1970) started work for his local porcelain factory as an apprentice, aged just 13.
He proved a remarkably versatile decorator, although is best known as a painter of landscapes populated by sheep and highland cattle.
