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Grainger Worcester Porcelain Orphaned Coffee Cup, Blue Scale, Sèvres Birds, 1886

Name: Grainger Worcester Porcelain Orphaned Coffee Cup, Blue Scale, Sèvres Birds, 1886
Brand: Grainger Worcester
Rating: 5 (44 reviews)

$295List Price

About the Item

This is a beautiful orphaned coffee cup produced by Grainger & Co in Worcester in 1886, shortly before it merged with the Royal Worcester factory. The cup is decorated in a blue scale ground with Sèvres style birds and bugs. This little cup would have been part of a "trio" of a teacup and a coffee cup sharing one saucer, but it lost its siblings. However, it is still a wonderful little cup and holds just one double espresso - it would make a perfect gift to a coffee lover! Grainger was one of the leading factories in Worcester in the 19th century. It was founded by Thomas Grainger, an apprentice of the Chamberlains Worcester factory, in 1801. In the early 19th century Grainger built up a strong reputation as one of the three great factories in Worcester, the other two being Flight & Barr and Chamberlain. By 1889 the factory was struggling and was bought by Royal Worcester, a new factory that bought up all three Worcester factories and became very successful by combining the strengths and excellent workforce of its three predecessors. Grainger kept producing under its own name at their original potworks a bit longer, until in 1902 it was fully merged with Royal Worcester and the name Grainger disappeared. This beautiful little cup has a blue scale ground, and you can clearly see why this is called "blue scale"; it consists of a pattern that looks like fish scales. This is to hide the fact that at the time they were not able yet to create a smooth blue ground; this way the fact that the blue color, applied under the glaze, was runny (or "flow blue") is nicely taken advantage of. There are several reserves on this cup: two have a beautiful bird in the Sèvres style, and there are several small reserves with little bugs. Each reserve is bordered by a very graceful gilt detail. This style is what the original Worcester Porcelain Company produced in the 18th century, which in turn was an imitation of the work done in the famous French Sèvres factory. Although it is an imitation of an imitation, it is done with incredible skill and delicacy. The cup is marked with the underglaze blue "fret" mark of Worcester (also an imitation!), and the Grainger & Co Worcester name as well as the year 1886. Condition report: The cup is in perfect antique condition without any damage, wear, crazing or repairs. Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account. There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Dimensions: 6.4cm (2.5") diameter, 6.4cm (2.5") high.

Creator:
Grainger Worcester (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)Diameter: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)
Style:
George III (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1880-1889
Date of Manufacture:
1886
Condition:
In perfect antique condition without damage, crazing, wear or repairs.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: A-GRA061stDibs: LU4805121590422

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