Samuel Alcock Porcelain Teapot, Blue, Gilt and Flowers, Rococo Revival ca 1837

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 "true trio" made by Samuel Alcock in or shortly after 1841. The trio is decorated in a warm beige ground with a gilt pattern and beautiful flowers in the centre of each item. In the late 18th and early 19th Century cups and saucers...

A matched solitaire tea set consisting of a teapot with cover, a sucrier with cover, a milk jug and a matched trio consisting of a teacup, a coffee cup and a saucer. With pink ground...

A maroon ground basket in Rococo Revival style with pierced pale yellow ends, a twig handle and five flower reserves with single flowers. Pattern 2/5610 Year: ca 1835 Size: 22.5cm (8.75”) long, 13cm (5”) tall Condition: handle has been repaired, see last picture; some rubbing This basket forms part of the Murray Pollinger Collection of Samuel Alcock Porcelain...

A true trio consisting of a teacup, a coffee cup and a saucer, “rustic bean” shape, in deep maroon and pale yellow ground, with gilt and finely painted landscape reserves Pattern 95...

A solitaire tea set consisting of a teapot with cover and a trio consisting of a teacup, a coffee cup and a saucer, in “rustic loop” shape, with beige ground with rich pale yellow an...

"Four piece set of antique mid 19th century Samuel Alcock porcelain tea / coffee cups and saucers featuring turquoise blue with florals and gold gilding. Samuel Alcock (1799–1848) was a leading pottery manufacturer who operated as Samuel Alcock & Co in Burslem, Staffordshire from 1828 to 1859. They were especially noted for ""picture jugs"" modelled and moulded in relief in various ceramic materials, a popular type of object in these years. Samuel Alcock & Co. Alcock was born in Kingsley, Staffordshire. He was the youngest of the nine children of Thomas (1746–1816) and Catherine Alcock (1756–1838). Though from a farming background, he developed an interest in commerce after working with his uncle Joseph Locker, a grocer, tea dealer, provision dealer, chandler and banker of the Market Square, Hanley. His introduction to pottery came when he embarked upon a partnership with Ralph Stevenson of Cobridge, Staffordshire. In 1828, Alcock developed his own business and began work on the Hill Top site in Cobridge. By the 1830s Stevenson employed 600 people at his works. In 1839 he completed work on a large factory, built in the Venetian style, on the junction of Westport Road and Greenhead Street. In November of that year a party to celebrate the opening was held at the George Hotel...

Painter: Vincent Taillandier (1753-90). Gilder; Boileau Le Jeune (1783-89).

A very fine 19th century Berlin KPM Porcelain Royal five-piece cobalt-blue and 24-carat gold parcel-gilt coffee set. The finely painted and decorated two-serving suite comprising of ...

Underglaze blue ground.

A fine English porcelain Punch Bowl attributed to Samuel Alcock c.1830. Superbly painted summer flowers to the centre interior of the bowl...

1820 Wedgwood Biggin teapot. Dating to the 1820s this is a spectacular and elegant biggin. This is named for Mr. Biggin, who developed the form in 1817. Biggins can be used as teapots or coffee pot, with the upper part holding tea leaves or coffee grounds and having two perforated strainers through which boiling water is poured. The lid has a small round button handle with a hole in the center to vent steam. Wedgwood decorated the lid, upper section and lower body with applied blue glaze, finely detailed floral bands. The body design is the same Wedgwood used...