page_title: James Giles (porcelain decorator)
section_title: Financial Problems
hierarchical_section_title: James Giles (porcelain decorator) / Financial Problems
caption_attribution_description: Chinese with British decoration; Teapot; Ceramics-Porcelain-Export
context_page_description: James Giles was a decorator of Worcester, Derby, Bow and Chelsea porcelain and also glass, who created gilt and enamelled objects such as decanters, drinking-glasses, perfume bottles and rosewater sprinklers, for a rococo and neoclassical market.
  Producing work similar to the enameling done by the later Ralph and William Beilby of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he maintained a showroom in fashionable Cockspur Street in London, enjoying the patronage of royalty and affluent clients including Clive of India, the Duke of Northumberland, Princess Amelia, Thomas Pitt, the Duke of Marlborough, the painter George Stubbs and Horace Walpole.
context_section_description: Although he created outstanding works of art, Giles was financially incompetent. Dealing with the aristocracy and the affluent led to lengthy delays in their settling of accounts - delays of a few years were commonplace. Richard Sheridan, for instance, settled his account three years after taking delivery. Worthies such as Lord Palmerston, Lord Melbourne, Lady Jersey and the Duchess of Leinster only paid their accounts after Giles's death and under pressure from the creditors.
  His declaration of bankruptcy in 1774 was brought about by his rivals in porcelain decorating, notably Worcester porcelain, in order to eliminate him from the trade. His many bankruptcies and their documentary trail have provided a rich source of information for modern scholars. On the other hand, he showed great skill in dealing with his staff, enabling his workshop to turn out a prodigious number of pieces of the highest quality. His staff would have included his daughters, Mary (1741–1806) and Sarah Teresa (1742–1800). Others employed were Lewis Barbar, a Swedish miniaturist and 'China Painter', and a Frenchman, Fidelle Duvivier.
caption: Chinese export porcelain painted by Giles
exif: {}