A Minton porcelain 'Vaisseau â mât' ship vase retailed by John Mortlock & Co. of London, the...

A Minton porcelain 'Vaisseau â mât' ship vase retailed by John Mortlock & Co. of London, the porcelain c.1869, the decoration c.1879, impressed marks, gilt printed globe mark with additional John Mortlock banners and gilt incised script John Mortlock & Co. London 1879 to the base underside, modelled after the Sèvres shape, the base with lion masks at both ends with bowsprits protruding from their mouths, the shoulder with pierced holes, upon four scroll feet, the cover with a central mast hung with full pierced rigging, the whole painted in Sèvres style with a bleu celeste ground, the base painted with floral bouquets within a raised trellis design to the base, the feet with gilt trellis detail, the mast banner with gilt fleur-de-lys, 43.5cm high

Note: The influence of Sèvres porcelain on Minton production was firmly entrenched through the Victorian era and into the 20th century, encouraged by the many French artists working at the factory, a number of whom had previously worked at Sèvres. With the arrival of Léon Arnoux in the late 1840s, Minton's were able to master the Sèvres colours and decorative techniques, adapt them to bone china production, and produce models that clearly expressed their admiration, and with clear marks to ensure no deception.
The form of vase is taken from the Sèvres ‘pot pourri à vaisseau’ or ‘pot pourri en navire’, a form which was ultimately derived from a nef, a boat-shaped gold or silver table decoration which had been in used since medieval times. Nefs were particularly prized in France and Italy, but were also used in Germany, Spain and the Low Countries. 
The form was reproduced by Minton artists after being allowed access to Sèvres originals owned by Sir Richard Wallace and Queen Victoria, and although some were decorated with largely exact reproductions of Sèvres schemes, others like the present example were decorated in easily identifiable Sèvres colours such as the famous 'bleu celeste'.