Richard Chaffers established his manufactory on Shaw’s Brow, Liverpool in around 1752 in partnership with Philip Christian. Initially, they produced blue and white bone-ash porcelain for export to the American colonies, but in around 1755, they were joined by Robert Podmore from Worcester who shared the secret of using soapstone to produce steatitic porcelain, enabling them to produce pieces rivalling those of Wedgwood. Chaffers continued to operate his factory until his death in 1765 when it was continued by his partner Philip Christian until 1778.
Pieces produced by Richard Chaffers & Co. often copied decorative styles from the Worcester manufactory, and the ‘Beckoning Chinaman’ pattern on this example is also found on many pieces produced by Worcester at a similar time (see CCN. 1346). The pattern itself was likely copied from a Chinese famille verte original depicting figures of the ‘Eight Drunken Immortals of the Tang dynasty’, a group of folk heroes important in Chinese culture.
