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This is an amazing antique tea bowl and saucer, made in England by Crown Derby, later Royal Crown Derby, almost 250 years ago, sometime around 1775-1780. Amazing because if you think of how easy it is to accidentally break china, how miraculous it is that this cup and saucer has survived that many years and moves from house to house and generation to generation. It must have been a much loved and is a well taken care of set!
The backstamp on top of the glaze is a blue D for Derby, under a crown. King George III gave Derby permission to use a crown in their backstamp in 1773. This is the King George who was ruling during the time of the American Revolution! Also on both pieces, incised into the porcelain, is a lovely cursive N that stands for Derby’s pottery on Nottingham Road. This N was incised into the porcelain on items made between 1775-1778 according to royalcrownderby.co.uk.
From 1770, the Derby paste included bone ash, which make this set a white hard paste porcelain, but I am unsure if it meets the modern definition of bone china. Both cup and saucer have slightly scalloped with twisted panels that go down to the foot of the cup and to the center of the saucer. There is a stem of laurel leaves impressed into the porcelain in each of those panels on the cup and on the saucer. At the time this was made, Crown Derby made designs similar to Meissen in Germany. The last picture shows the laurel leaf design imprinted into the porcelain with a light shining through so it is more easily seen.
There is a 3/8 inch border of cobalt blue with gold leaves and berries circling the top of the cup and the saucer. Then, handpainted pink swags decorate the cup and saucer with an individual yellow, pink, blue and red flower under the swags. There is a blue flower painted on the bottom inside of the cup and big pink rose painted in the center of the saucer.
The cup is 3 inches in diameter, stands 2 inches tall and holds 1/3 cup easily. The saucer is 4 & 7/8 inches in diameter. The set weighs only 6 ounces.
The set is in excellent almost 250 year old condition, with no chips, cracks, or crazing. I can see some wear to the glaze at an angle to the light. There is some wear to the gold trim, but not much.
Please zoom in on the pictures and see the 360 degree video for a closer look.
I pack with lots of bubble wrap for safe shipping and ship out quickly, within one business day, sometimes same day, and on Saturdays if I can pack it up and get to the Post Office before they close at noon.
Any questions, please ask and thanks for looking!!
