Caribbean Fish Platters | Ultra-Rare 2002 Limited Edition

Portmeirion Caribbean: The Limited Edition 2002 Fish Platter Collection

The Caribbean Platter Collection represents the culmination of Susan Williams-Ellis’s lifelong obsession with the sea. An avid scuba diver since the 1970s, Susan famously developed a unique method of recording marine life by using theatrical greasepaints on plywood while submerged in her own bathtub. This spirit of adventure eventually took her to the Great Barrier Reef, the Maldives, and Fiji, where she continued to sketch underwater using chinagraph pencils.

From the Seabed to the Studio

Following a return to Fiji—twenty years after her initial visit—Susan created a series of vibrant, full-colour representations of the tropical fish and corals she encountered. Using a blend of acrylics, pastels, and crayons, these illustrations became the centerpiece of a 2002 exhibition and a dedicated BBC documentary celebrating her underwater artwork.

The "Rarity of 25": A Modern Holy Grail

To coincide with her 2002 exhibition, Susan produced an extremely limited run of large decorative platters. These were not mass-produced; they were intended as canvases for her most cherished Caribbean fish illustrations.

• The Six Designs: The collection features six distinct tropical fish designs.

• Extreme Rarity: While the pieces are not individually numbered, it is widely believed that only 25 of each design were ever produced.

• Artistic Status: These are not standard tableware; they are large-scale ceramic artworks that capture the technical skill and adventurous spirit of Portmeirion’s founder in her later years.

Seeking one of the 150 platters in existence? We occasionally source these museum-quality pieces for serious collectors. View our Caribbean Platter archive here.