Portmeirion The Romance Of The Rose | Limited Edition Fine Porcelain Platter, COM46
Portmeirion Pottery

Portmeirion: "The 1981 Adriana Deudraeth Castle Rose" – Limited Edition Fine Porcelain Platter (No. 182/1000)

A Masterpiece of Botanical Art & Technical Precision

This breathtaking 12.5 inch (32 cm) platter is a jewel of the Romance of the Rose collection, launched in 2000 to celebrate Susan Williams-Ellis’s lifelong artistic study of the rose. This particular design features the Deudraeth Castle Rose (The 1981 Adriana Deudraeth Castle David Austin Rose), captured by Susan’s brush at Portmeirion Village in North Wales during the height of its July bloom.

The Design & Material

Unlike standard Portmeirion earthenware, this platter is crafted from Portmeirion Porcelain—a high-strength, brilliant white, and slightly translucent material developed specifically for this range.

• The "Planets" Shape: Notice the subtle, spherical curve of the platter, designed to mirror the organic, rounded form of a rose in mid-unfold.

• Gilded Excellence: The rim is hand-embellished with 24-carat gold, providing a luxurious frame for the vivid pink and green watercolour motifs.

Collector’s Details

• Provenance: Individually numbered 182 of only 1,000 pieces ever produced for this specific design.

• Backstamp: Features the comprehensive Romance of the Rose limited edition backstamp, detailing the floral history and Susan’s signature style.

• Dimensions: 12.5 inches / 32 cm diameter.

• Condition: Excellent vintage condition. The gold lustre remains bright, and the porcelain retains its signature "Planets" glow.

Why It’s a Must-Have

In 2026, the Romance of the Rose series is considered the "High Art" period of Susan Williams-Ellis’s career. Because it was a strictly limited run of only 1,000 per motif, these platters rarely appear on the market. It is a stunning crossover piece for both dedicated Portmeirion collectors and admirers of the world-famous David Austin rose heritage.

The Romance of the Rose - 2000

Susan Williams-Ellis had always loved roses and in the 1970's began a serious artistic study of the beautiful flowers. After spending over twenty years painting in gardens around the world and building a firm friendship with the world famous rose expert David Austin, Susan created a new limited edition range of rose inspired pottery. Not only did Susan paint a series of beautiful rose illustrations, she created a whole new shape range called 'The Planets' with spherical curves, made with a new porcelain product perfected by Portmeirion's technical department, called Portmeirion Porcelain. This new shape range emphasises the shapes of the rose and the new, very strong porcelain with its brilliant whiteness and transparency shows of the full beauty of Susan's illustrations.

Susan produced a very limited edition of six different roses for this collection. Susan spent years painting the flowers in early summer at various gardens and nurseries. In France she painted in the gardens at Roseraie L'Hay near Paris, the Royal Horticultural Society Gardens at Wisley, the gardens of the National Rose Society at Castle Howard, her spiritual home of Portmeirion Village in North Wales and the garden and nurseries of David Austin.