Derby a city renowned for its porcelain. Derby's first factory making soft paste porcelain was founded in 1750 and concentrated mainly on figures, vases,  and cabinet ware. Derby figures can be identified by three unglazed patches on the base, and earlier glazed figures often have a dry edge.

Early examples where some of the finest ever modelled in Britain. In the 1770s Derby pioneered the use of unglazed biscuit models in Britain. William Duesbury, initially an outside decorator for the factory took over as director in the 1756, producing articles quite openly in imitation of
Meissen porcelain .

Characteristic Derby ware of the period includes ink sets, potpourri vases and salts decorated with landscape scenes set with tiny figures.  Duesbury acquired the Chelsea porcelain factory in 1770 the products where known as Chelsea Derby  until the factories closure  in 1784 and Bow in 1755.  The product range  diversified dramatically , and a stronger china body  incorporating bone ash was used , Serves took over from meissen  as the  main source of inspiration, with neoclassical  decoration and rich ground colours` of claret and turquoise.

In the 1770s, too, the Japan patterns inspired by Imari porcelain, which became strongly Identified with Derby for the next two Centuries, where introduced.  Most memorable of all is the work by artists such as Thomas Steel, Zachariah Boreman, and William Billingsley, who's work included beautifully painted flowers, fruit and Derbyshire landscapes.

Bone china replaced soft paste porcelain in the early 19th Century, but from 1811 the emphasis shifted to inexpensive products and quality declined.  The factory closed in 1848.  Crown Derby Porcelain Co was set up in 1876 and produced decorated and gilded bone china.`