Pottery is one of the oldest decorative art forms, and Minton is one of its historical masters. For more than 250 years, the English company was a premier producer of porcelain and ceramic wares. Its factory was known for detailed and brightly colored Victorian tableware, including dinner plates and serving pieces.
Thomas Minton founded the Minton factory in 1793 in Stoke-upon-Trent, England. It initially made earthenware but introduced bone china in 1798. When Minton died in 1836, the company passed to his son, Herbert Minton. The younger Minton was a savvy businessman with an eye for design. He introduced glossy majolica earthenware to the factory’s repertoire and hired skilled artists and designers like Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, boosting the company’s reputation.
In 1851, Minton debuted its majolica at the Great Exhibition in London. It became a royal family favorite and was even used to tile the Royal Dairy at Windsor Home Park. Minton majolica was also displayed on the monumental Saint George and the dragon fountain at the 1862 London International Exhibition.
Colin Minton Campbell, a nephew of Herbert Minton, took over the family business in 1858. He led the company to the head of the 1870s English art pottery movement. In the 1890s, French porcelain artist Marc-Louis Solon helped modernize Minton with his Art Nouveau designs.
Minton ceased operating as an independent company when it merged with Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd. in 1968. It was the end of an era, but not the end of widespread appreciation for Minton ceramics.
In 1982, the ”English Majolica” exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum featured 75 Minton pieces. When the Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its British Galleries in 2020, it included a display of three colorful Minton majolica bird sculptures. Minton pottery was also on display from September 2021 to January 2022, along with other English pottery, at the Bard Graduate Center’s ”Majolica Mania” exhibition.
On 1stDibs, find exquisite Minton serveware, decorative objects, wall decorations and more.
56pc English Crown Staffordshire Elizabethan China Dinner Serving Set
By Crown Staffordshire
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage fine bone china dinner service manufactured in England. Features detailed chintz-like clusters of vibrant pink and blue flowers with green foliage. Crafted with a distincti...
Porcelain
Minton Mirabeau Bone China
By Minton
Located in Dallas, TX
This listing features a set of 82 Minton Mirabeau China, manufactured in England likely in the 20th century. The set features 23 small tea plates, 11 teacups, 11 two-handle serving c...
Porcelain
Vintage Regency Minton “Henley” China - Set of 63
By Minton
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This sophisticated 63-piece dinnerware service by the legendary English maker Minton features the celebrated "Henley" pattern. Renowned for their superior fine bone china, this set s...
Porcelain
Victorian Limoges Porcelain Dinner Service, 37 Pieces, 19th Century
By Limoges
Located in Queens, NY
37 Piece French Victorian Limoges porcelain dinner service with yellow border and floral trim (PRICED AS SET)
Porcelain
$950 / set
H 1 in Dm 10.75 in
Minton Porcelain "English Rose" Pattern Part Dinner Service, 20th Century
By Minton
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
A Minton porcelain 'English Rose' pattern part dinner service 20th century. Comprising nine dinner plates 10¾ in. (27.3 cm.) diameter. Nine 6 1/8 in.(15.5cm.) bread and butter...
Porcelain
$24,000 / set
H 2 in W 14.8 in D 16.5 in
Mid 19th Century Hand-Painted British Porcelain Dinnerware, 88 Pieces
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Mid 19th Century British porcelain dinnerware service with hand painted gilt foliate borders with bouquets of wild flowers against a whit...
Gold
$2,816Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in W 9.85 in D 9.85 in
Johnson Bros Happy England Porcelain Dinnerware Set, 81 pieces, Johnson Bros
By Johnson Brothers
Located in Valladolid, ES
Exceptional 81-piece dinnerware set from the renowned English firm Johnson Bros., featuring a 1940s design, "Happy England." Each piece has a scalloped border, a white background, and an elegant and striking rural landscape design. The stamp on the back reads "Happy England, Made in England by Johnson Bros. A genuine hand-engraved, all decoration under the glaze, detergent & acid-resistant color pat n. 190 093. Ironstone." (“Happy England, made in England by Johnson Bros. A genuine hand-engraved design, all decoration under the glaze, resistant to detergent and acid, patent no. 190,093. Ironstone.”) It is precisely this material, known as semi-porcelain or ironstone, that earned the company its special recognition. It combines the elegance of fine porcelain with great durability, making it ideal for everyday use. The transferware technique, or glaze transfer, refers to the design being printed onto the ceramic before firing, guaranteeing precise and repeatable details. Johnson Brothers (1883–2015) Johnson Brothers was a British manufacturer and exporter of tableware, known for its early introduction of “semi-porcelain” tableware. It was one of Staffordshire's most successful potteries, producing tableware, much of which was exported to the United States from the 1890s to the 1960s. They were also major manufacturers of large-format bathroom ceramics. Some of their designs, such as "Eternal Beau," "Dawn," "Old Britain Castles...
Porcelain
60-Piece Wedgwood 'Wellesley' Bone China Dinner Service
By Wedgewood
Located in Germantown, MD
60-piece Wedgwood 'Wellesley' Bone China Dinner Service Comprise of: 11 Dinner 11.75" in diameter, 11 salads 8.5" in diameter, 8 soup 8.5" in diameter, 8 bread 6.5" in diameter, 8 s...
Bone, Porcelain
$1,920Sale Price / set|50% Off
Vintage Limoges Porcelain Dinnerware Set - 80 Pieces
By Limoges
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
This exquisite vintage dinnerware set, likely crafted in fine Limoges porcelain, features delicate floral patterns and gold accents. Each piece...
Porcelain
Set of 10 Minton's Stanhope Plates, England, circa 1900
By Minton
Located in Chappaqua, NY
Set of 10 Minton's Stanhope plates, England, circa 1900. The Stanhope pattern features a fruit and floral border and center design with a blue and gold palette. There is a raised bas...
Ceramic
