...with unbelievably lifelike coloring, presented the rarest trees, plants, animals, birds, fishes … it is difficult to believe that it is not the real thing that stands in its natural colour on the paper. Pehr Kahm, 1748 on the art of Mark Catesby

{HISTORY}

From the portfolio of the famed British naturalist, Mark Catesby (1683-1749) comes this beautiful painting of a red bird captured while sitting on a hickory tree. Now referred to as The Cardinal, this portrait was painted when Mark was studying the natural flora and fauna of North America and the outlying islands of the Bahamas and Jamaica in the 1710s and 1720s. Focusing on the Southern region of the United States, which at the time was simply known as Carolina, Mark spent time in Williamsburg Virginia, Charleston, South Carolina and nearby islands to record all he saw in the way of bird and plant life. 

This hand-colored etching originally titled The Red Bird, The Pig-nut, and The Hiccory Tree was completed in 1731 and became part of Mark's collection entitled Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahamas. In presenting this grouping of 220 individual watercolor paintings, executed in England between the years 1722-1749, Mark became the first person to publish an account of natural specimens of the New World. He would go on to become inspiration for another favorite naturalist, John James Audubon, almost a century later. Held in collections around the world including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Royal Trust, Mark's work was highly regarded for its detail, vibrant color palettes and inclusion of multiple subjects in one image. 

In the late 1970s, the American Preservation Guild in collaboration with Gorham Fine China reproduced a series of Mark's botanical works on gold-rimmed ivory-colored dinner plates. This was a limited edition collection with only 9,900 pieces made. This plate is numbered 190 of 9,990. 

Gorgeous in color and detail, this is an especially beautiful plate for display during the Christmas holiday season, as well as a gorgeous serving and decor piece for tropical-themed interiors. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Limited edition series

- Numbered 190 out of 9900

- Colors include vermillion, spring green, pine green, dark chocolate, auburn, mustard and black

{CONDITION}

In beautiful, practically brand new condition. There are no chips, cracks or staining and there are no utensils marks. The colors are bright, the imagery crisp, and the glaze very shiny.

{SIZE}

Measures 10.5" inches in diameter and weighs 1.4lbs

{ADD A SPLASH OF COLOR}

This vintage cardinal plate looks really pretty with this vintage 1930s-era painted cookie  crock. Fall in love with more of Mark's bird art here.