Here is another of our dinner sets (actually my parents), ageless ALFRED MEAKIN ... Why ageless?
At first glance you would be forgiven for thinking this chinaware is contemporary, very modern appearance bright white with simple gold gilding only - no flowers, no artists work other than the gilder's craftsmanship.
The beauty of this chinaware is the minimalist style, it doesn't seek to grab your attention with a lot of pretty artwork and for that reason it suits a wide range of dining table decor's.
But don't be fooled by the appearance! This Alfred Meakin china is actually around 60 years old!
I have a massive tableware set and after much thought we decided that it was most likely people would want "bits and pieces" for replacements, rather than the whole dinner set - so each item of this ALFRED MEAKIN Glo-White Ironstone tableware is offered individually
Don't need more teacup cups? Then take a look HERE for the saucers
DLAT Rating 9.5/10 (Darling Look At This!)
Read on ....
ALFRED MEAKIN - Teacup ONLY
Glo-White Ironstone Series (this is NOT the pattern name, but a series that Alfred Meakin began in the late 1940's and there are MANY patterns of this particular chinaware)
Alfred Meakin used the word Ironstone since the company was formed (see one of the photographs) but the Glo-White Ironstone series began in the late 1940's and continued until the 1960's
I know these were purchased back in the early 1960's and once my parents no longer needed them, I became their 'caretaker'
Opaque china, meaning that if held to the light you CANNOT see the shadow of your fingers through the china
Design: No idea is my answer to this one! I have tried to identify the pattern but to no avail
The gold gilded scroll work provides a nice 'touch of class' to the bright white china but there doesn't appear to be a specific name to the scroll work used
Hand crafted gold gilding - each piece has the gold gilder's 'mark' on the base
SPECIAL NOTE:
The skill required to undertake the gold gilding is amazing! If I look very closely you can see it has been hand applied, little bits here and there are not of the same size - there is NO WAY this was 'transfer applied' Unfortunately on a couple of cups, the artist got just a little careless and two teacups have gold 'dabs' where they shouldn't be. They actually look like paint marks but with a magnifying glass you can see they are gold flecks that have been mis-applied.
NO other graphic design to the teacups at all - bright white all over, inside and outside.
DIMENSIONS:
Lip/Top Rim: 87mm diameter
Height: 70mm
Weight: 150g
BACKSTAMP DETAILS:
As is common with English bred chinaware from these times, the teacups only have the text
ENGLAND
impressed into the base. It is only by looking at the backstamp on the matching saucers that you can clearly identify the teacup maker.
SAUCER BACKSTAMP
CONDITION:
I have multiple teacups, in most respects they are ALMOST ALL identical but any exceptions are noted below
NO cracks
NO chips
NO fleabites
NO signs of glazing breakdown (Dry observation and Wet tested)
NO discolouration
Gold gilding around the top lip and the handle is NOT worn at all
Currently I have seven (7) teacups which are for all intents and purposes, 'like new'
I have a further five (5) teacups which are 9.5/10 but I noticed tiny little imperfections, these being
Three teacups have "gilders" errors, meaning that the artist (and you would certainly need to be an artist with a very steady hand to undertake this very fine work) slipped in a couple of places, a couple of 'dabs' of metallic gold where it shouldn't be.
The remaining two (2) cups have a strange very slight discolouration INSIDE, on the wall. Instead of white, it has a greyness look to the china but I cannot see any glaze failure or signs of a crack. It is not a tannin stain from tea, the colour is wrong for that.
Now none of the issues mentioned above are a 'big deal' but whoever chooses their teacups first will get the very best teacups be assured.
As I have so many of these teacups (yes it was once a VERY LARGE teaset) I have enabled a discount option, the more teacups you purchase, the lower the price.
