This is a charming Ridgway teacup and saucer made around 1825, which is known as the Regency period. The shape of the cup is typical for its time and the handle is called an "Old English" handle.


Ridgway was one of the pioneers of English china production alongside other great potters such as Spode, Davenport, Minton, Coalport and others and they created very high quality tea and dinnerware. Ridgway had a tradition of a very wide-ranging offer of china products, anything from the most sublime dinnerware to humble toilet pots. It is notoriously difficult to identify their wares and this is one reason their beautiful tea and dinner wares are often underestimated. This tea set is unmarked, as most Ridgway items, but the reason we know it was made by Ridgway is the pattern number, as well as the way it was potted; Ridgway made items as elegant as Spode, but usually it was potted a bit thicker.


The cup and saucer were decorated in beautiful colours: deep cobalt blue with salmon pink and rich abstract patterns of 22Kt gilt. The pattern, which has the number 2/1216, is and interesting pattern: it is mostly abstract in nature, with some flowers that are not meant to be literal depictions of known flowers but more playful. Cobalt blue and gilt were very popular colours at the time and Ridgway in particular made many designs that featured this combination including the salmon pink. As rooms were lit by candles at the time, you can imagine the flickering light being reflected in the lavish gilt - one important reason to use so much gilt on table ware.


CONDITION REPORT This cup and saucer are in excellent antique condition with no damage or obvious crazing, however the gilt is worn in places, which is visible in the pictures (please study carefully).


Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can also have small firing lines. This set is relatively free from any firing specks but you might see some. There are some tiny firing cracks in the foliage of the moulding on the top part of the cup handle, however this is something that happened during production (quite common at the time) and is not a result of wear or damage.






DIMENSIONS (diameters): cup 9.3cm (3 5/8"), saucer 14.5cm (5 3/4").



Teacup and saucer, cobalt blue, gilt and salmon, Ridgway ca 1825












