George Jones Majolica Tree Comports

Among the most beautiful and rare George Jones wares, the series of compotes designed as a tree with branches spread against a blue sky are the most sought after. These tree compotes have among them the rare and wonderful Jones Continent series. These four Continent centerpieces are decorated with detailed animal figures representing the continents on which they stand… but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

The basic tree comport consists of exactly that— an oak tree with leaves and branches spread against a sky that forms the bowl of the comport.

George Jones majolica oak tree comport

What distinguishes the others from this one and from each other is what sits at the base. The smallest of the comports are the hound and quail, and the fox and hare, both positioned under oak trees. Whether these were intended as a matching proper pair is not known but their design with the figures mirroring each other certainly implies it.

George Jones majolica Dog Comport 

George Jones majolica Fox Comport

The next largest of the comports are those in the Continent series. These are four different centerpieces representing continents of the world illustrated by the animals and vegetation that are indigenous to them. 

Europe is represented by a Fallow stag and doe sitting underneath an English oak tree.

George Jones majolica Europe-Park Centre

America is represented by a pair of American Bison underneath a birch tree.

George Jones majolica America Centerpiece

Asia is represented by a pair of Dromedary camels under a banana tree…

George Jones majolica Asia Centerpiece

…and Africa is shown as a pair of lions under a palm tree. 

George Jones majolica Africa Centerpiece

The largest of the tree comports is identified only as Giraffe Centre in the Jones pattern books. It shows a giraffe on one side and a large European Red Deer stag on the opposite.

George Jones majolica Giraffe Centre

Jones also made a charger design that plays off these comports with leaves from all of the comports intertwined around the border. Although all of the comports were made with either turquoise grounds or cobalt grounds, I have only seen the plates with a turquoise ground.

George Jones majolica charger based on the Continents centerpieces

As you might expect from such rare and charming designs all of the pieces shown command high prices on the antique market, so naturally there are reproductions playing off their desirability and demand. 

One is a copy of the Dog Comport.

Reproduction dog compote

Another utilizes the European Red Deer stag from the Giraffe Centre with a Fallow doe from the Europe-Park center.

Reproduction stag compote with a doe replacing the giraffe

The quality of these reproduction compotes is exceedingly poor as you can see. I doubt that they would fool anyone familiar with the antique originals, but that isn’t really the target market for these things. They are aimed at decorators and people ignorant of genuine Victorian majolica. Unfortunately they still end up in the antique market, sometimes commanding absurd prices.