This gorgeous, hand-decorated trio by John & William Ridgway dazzles by candle and daylight.
The shared saucer and interiors of the tea and coffee cups are painted in underglaze blue, then profusely gilded with stylised flowers. The rows of petals and stamens are scaled to diminish in size, creating an illusion of depth and perspective. The panels contain bright bouquets of enamelled flowers. The frames of these panels are painted buff, then gilded. The cup exteriors are gilded with scrolls typical of Regency.
The sides of the cups are fluted and have a scalloped top edge. There is a moulded rosette at the upper junction of the ‘Old English’ shape handle with the cup.
The pattern number, 2/1084, is painted on the base of the cups and saucer. The pattern is the same as that of a Ridgway dessert centre-piece and dessert plates that we are also offering for sale. (The pattern numbers differ because Ridgway used separate numbering systems for dessert and tea wares.)
CONDITION Very good. A few manufacturing faults; minimal subsequent wear. Saucer: Perfect apart from a few tiny scratches to gilding on rim Teacup: Couple of very small areas of rubbing to gilt band underneath the outer gilt scroll design, and glaze impurity in inner bottom of cup. Otherwise perfect. Coffee cup: Small firing tear from manufacture in porcelain on left side of moulded rosette at upper junction of handle (see photo). Very small shallow chip to bottom rim; some glaze impurities.
DIMENSIONS Teacup height: 5 cm; rim diameter: 9.4 cm; width, including handle: 11.6 cm Coffee cup height: 6.6 cm; rim diameter: 8 cm; width, including handle: 10 cm Saucer diameter: 14.1 cm
Weight: 348 g
Origin: Stoke-on-Trent, England
Medium: Bone china (porcelain)
See Ridgway partnerships at Cauldon Place in Makers & Artists for background on the factory.
