Period: Regency
Maker: Coalport Porcelain Works (John Rose & Co.)
The gorgeous backcloth of this Coalport cup and saucer resembles a gold brocade obi, the silk sash that wraps around a kimono. Red and pink chrysanthemum are a further nod to Japanese influence; the gilt leaves and tendrils on an ochre ground are like gold thread. Inside heart-shaped windows are imaginative depictions of lychees growing in a garden. Lychee is native to southern China and it is unlikely that the decorator at Coalport would have first-hand knowledge. The saucer well and inner cup bottom are painted with more typical ‘Imari-style’ flowers, with the addition of a rolled-up scroll.
The pattern number, 729, is painted on the bottom of both cup and saucer., and dates from around 1815. For an identical Coalport cup shape, see Plate 56 in Michael Messenger’s Coalport: 1796-1926, showing teawares in pattern 759.
Condition Excellent.
Cup height: 6.1 cm; rim diameter: 8.7 cm; width with handle: 10.2 cm;
Saucer diameter 14.3 cm
Weight: 218 g
Medium: Bone china (porcelain)
Origin: Coalport, Shropshire, England
For background on the factory, see Coalport Porcelain Works (John Rose & Co.) in Makers & Artists
