Chinese Export Porcelain Coffee Cup, Famille Verte, Qianlong, 1760-1780

This is a very charming orphaned coffee cup made by the Bow Porcelain factory in about 1755. The cup is decorated in a Chinese "famille rose" peony pattern. This cup would have been part of a large tea service, and the tiny size shows how expensive coffee was in the 18th Century. The Bow Porcelain Factory was one of the first potteries in Britain to make soft paste porcelain, and most probably the very first to use bone ash, which later got perfected by Josiah Spode to what is now the universally used "bone china". Bow was the main competitor of the Chelsea Porcelain Factory, but where Chelsea made very fine slipcast porcelain, Bow made a different soft paste porcelain that tended to be softer and could be pressed into moulds. Bow served a larger public generally at lower prices. The factory was only in operation between 1743 and 1774, after which the tradition got incorporated into some of the later famous potteries such as Worcester and Derby. The cup is unmarked, which is normal for Bow items of this era. Condition report the cup is in excellent condition without any damage or repairs. There are various glazing imperfections, which are quite normal for porcelain of this era. Antique British porcelain...

This is a very charming coffee cup and saucer made by Worcester in their First Period (sometimes called the Dr Wall Period) in about 1760. The items are decorated in a black overglaz...

This is a beautiful coffee cup and saucer made by Derby in about 1785. The set has the distinctive "artichoke" moulding and a bright turquoise ground with the white artichoke surface...

This is a beautiful coffee cup and saucer made by Samuel Alcock around 1830, which was the Rococo Revival era. The set is decorated with a bold Imari pattern and has a "ring-moulded" shape. Samuel Alcock was one of the many potters in Staffordshire such as Spode, Coalport, H&R Daniel and many others during the 1830s and 1840s. He was perhaps not the most well-known of potters but produced very high quality wares and original designs, often standing out for their bright choice of colours and beautiful shapes. The Alcock factory is not well documented so although they had a huge output, items are often mis-identified and we don't know much about the production process of artists, even though the wares have a very high quality that equals that of the more well known factories. The Rococo style was originally a style of the 18th Century. After the Baroque style, which was highly symmetrical and well-designed as it aimed to express the perfection of God, the Rococo style was a reaction that expressed the unpredictability and flow of nature. "Rococo" is derived from the French word "rocaille", which stands for a mass of pebbles that are self-organised in a completely unpredictable mess, for instance on the beach or in the mountains. Rococo moved away from the stranglehold that religion had on the arts: it was capricious, asymmetrical, charming and worldly. As Europe got mired in various wars between Germany, France and Britain, the general style got much more austere again and people embraced neo-classicism. But in the 1830s and 1840s, the seemingly unlimited fortunes of the Industrial Revolution sparked a revival of Rococo, once again creating natural shapes that are not always symmetrical and don't particularly make rational sense. This coffee cup can...

This is a beautiful coffee cup and saucer made by C J Mason around 1830, which was the George IV era. The items are decorated with beautiful transfer printed birds and Chinoiserie de...

This is a very charming coffee cup trio made by Belleek in the Shamrock design, consisting of a coffee cup, a saucer and a little cake plate. It has the 2nd Black Mark, which was used between 1891 and 1926. Given the quality of the porcelain we think the date of production is probably closer to 1891 than 1926. If you ever thought Belleek fine china looks, sounds and feels unique, you are right. There is a back story to this extraordinarily fine Irish eggshell porcelain, which has an unusually high amount of "frit" and therefore is thinner and finer than any other china. Pottery in Belleek (in the now Northern-Irish area of Fermanagh) had started in 1849 with John Caldwell Bloomfield, who was a wealthy land owner. During the Irish famine...

"Antique late 18th to early 19th century Chinese Export (Qianlong Period, circa 1780) floral famille rose Armorial porcelain hot chocolate pot or...

Chinese porcelain serving plate, c. 1760, Qianlong Period. The centre painted in famille rose enamels, with a large elaborate basket of flowers and fruit, surrounded by sprigs of flo...

Chinese Export Famille Verte openwork dishes, A Pair, Kangxi, Circa 1700 The circular Chinese Export porcelain dishes with openwork cash border...

Pair of Chinese Export Famille Verte pillows, Rare to find a pair, each one decorated with figures in landscape, opposing, presents...

Chinese, circa 1785. Chinese export porcelain cup and saucer set produced with blue and white underglaze foliate motifs and geometric designs to edges. The main face of the cup and saucer have polychrome enamel painted flowers and fine quality. This set has a highly unusual raised "lotus" underglaze surrounding the main floral decoration. Underside is unmarked as appropriate with age. Produced in the 18th century, Chinese export porcelain was crafted with the same technical virtuosity as Chinese Imperial...

This finely decorated Qing-period rose medallion or rose mandarin bowl is beautifully hand-painted with four vignettes depicting courtly scenes.