Period: Mid-Victorian
Maker: John Aynsley & Sons
These matching early Aynsley tea and coffee cups have attractive hand-paintings of butterflies and moths resting on foxgloves and forget-me-nots, against a pale mint ground. The teacup is of tapered and footed bucket shape while the narrower footed coffee cup has straight sides. Above and underneath the paintings are jewelled chains of raised and gilded dots. Sadly, the orphan cups are missing their shared saucer.
Aynsley started making porcelain in 1864. Early wares, like these cups, were unmarked. A pattern number, 1373, is legible in tiny script on the base of the coffee cup and was probably introduced around 1866.
Condition The coffee cup is perfect. The teacup has light wear to the gilding around the top rim. There are a few tiny spots of rubbed gilding on the handle. Otherwise excellent.
Teacup height: 6.8 cm; diameter: 7.7 cm; width including handle: 9.6 cm
Coffee cup height: 6.6 cm; diameter: 6.2 cm; width including handle: 8.2 cm
Net weight: 171 g
Medium: Bone china (porcelain)
Origin: Longton (Stoke-on-Trent), England
