An oval platter

An oval platter with a wide lip, featuring an Art Nouveau painted decoration with a motif of stylised poppies. The leaves, stems, and flower outlines are dark green and applied using a stencil, while the flower petals are hand-painted with a burgundy-red paint. The oval well is adorned with a stylised bouquet of poppies. The central flower, viewed from above, along with its stem, forms the axis of the composition, symmetrically flanked by the remaining flowers and buds on thin, S-curved stems with leaves. At the base of the bouquet, three leaves complete the design: two long leaves extending outward and a small one on the axis. The platter's lip is bordered by two brown stripes—an outer, wider stripe and an inner, narrower one—between which runs a continuous, repeating ornament, composed of fully open, cup-shaped flowers and blooming buds intertwined with long, curved stems. On the underside of the platter, there is the manufacturer’s signature: an anchor within an oval with the inscription S. B. and S/ENGLAND underneath, and next to it, the signature of the store: SOUTH AUDLEY ST. /T GOODE&Co/ LONDON.W., BRIDGWOOD? 4-20.

Joanna Kluz