V&A East Storehouse Unveils Bow and Limehouse Porcelain Display
The V&A East Storehouse has opened 'East London Potteries', a new display showcasing archaeological fragments and porcelain from the 18th-century Bow and Limehouse factories. Curated by Dr Simon Spier and Olivia Tracey, the exhibition builds on the Making London Porcelain project. Highlights include a Bow cup imitating Chinese 'blanc de chine', a blue-and-white Limehouse pickle tray, and a Bow beaker paired with a Japanese Kakiemon vase. Bow, founded in 1749 and styled 'New Canton', was England's first purpose-built porcelain factory. Limehouse operated only from 1745 to 1748. The display reveals global influences from China, Japan, and Meissen, and includes finds excavated by collector Lady Charlotte Schreiber in 1868.
Key facts
- Display 'East London Potteries' at V&A East Storehouse, Level 3.
- Curated by Dr Simon Spier and Olivia Tracey.
- Features fragments excavated by Lady Charlotte Schreiber in 1868.
- Bow factory styled itself 'New Canton' from 1749.
- Limehouse factory operated 1745–1748 at 20 Fore Street.
- Bow beaker paired with Japanese Kakiemon vase from 1700.
- Limehouse coffee pot with Chinese blue-and-white design.
- Lady Schreiber's collection entered V&A in 1885.
Entities
Artists
- Lady Charlotte Schreiber
- Charles Schreiber
- Elizabeth Adams
- David Redstone
- Jacquie Pearce
- Dr Simon Spier
- Olivia Tracey
Institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- V&A East Storehouse
- Bow porcelain factory
- Limehouse Porcelain Factory
- Chelsea porcelain factory
- Meissen
- Bristol
- Newcastle-under-Lyme
Locations
- East London
- Lea
- Thames
- Bow
- Limehouse
- London
- England
- China
- Dehua
- Japan
- Germany
- 20 Fore Street
- Narrow Street
- Limehouse Link Tunnel