HISTORY:
My wife "collects" but is changing which type of china/porcelain she wants (now pre-1900's) and she has come to realise that many of her treasured items need to "leave home" to find another new, caring home to live in.
This teacup is a lonely old sole, actually it has a partner (my wife has two teacups) but the saucer and side plates and for that matter the rest of the dinner set, have long gone either to other people for their dinner set or dropped on the floor (it happens!)
Very 1930's Imari styled with bold hand painted colours and Gold gilding with a square shaped mouth, very modern for the 1930's!
My wife also had a complete dinner set of exactly the same design but the backstamp was different, it was marked as WOODS WARE but with the same design registration number. This registration number was granted in the 1930's but this teacup could be from a few years after that registration year but not much later, the design is obviously to engage the Art Deco crowd who wanted a decoration other than flowers, flowers and more flowers ...
DLAT RATING: 9.5/10 (Darling Look At This!)
WOOD & SONS - Teacup ONLY
Made at the Burslem works, England
Circa 1930's onwards - based on the design registration number year and the overall design of the teacup
Earthenware
Design registration number: 754426
Opaque earthenware, which means if held to the light you cannot see the shadow of your fingers through the china
The decorative work has absolutely been undertaken by hand, obviously by a very skilled worker (probably a woman although some works did train males in this highly skilled craft). Bold bright Orange, Indigo Blue, light Brown and pale lime Green geometric patterns interspersed with Gold gilding infills and outlines, the top highly decorated rim of the teacup is finished with Gold gilding. The teacup handle has just a line down the back in Gold, not on each side or the top of the handle.
A notable feature is the departure from the traditional round mouthed teacup, the mouth of the teacup is broadly a square shape with "wave like" scalloping.
This is a very bold looking teacup, put these on the afternoon tea table and they scream at you "look at me, look at me!" Our teasets talk to us, don't yours?
Background colour of the ceramic is a Cream//White
BACKSTAMP DETAILS:
This photograph is of the actual backstamp, not obtained online somewhere!
Notice the very simple Wood & Sons backstamp, just six lines of text with no Crown or Banner graphics at all. The Indigo Blue dots next to the backstamp are the artist's mark - so that she/he gets paid for her work!
DIMENSIONS:
TEACUP: 79mm x 79mm mouth x 65mm height
COSMETIC CONDITION:
This first section of the condition report is universal to both teacups, any difference or flaws are noted below this section
CLEAN
NO cracks
NO chips
NO crazing (amazing considering the age!) both wet & dry checked
NO discolouration observed to the Creme/White base china, particularly inside the teacup where no tannin or other staining has occurred.
NO significant damage or wear is apparent to the decorations ... the colours remain bold (and beautiful!)
NO observable wear at all to the Gold gilding on both teacups, this includes not only the top rim but also the Gold gilding applied as part of the decorations around the sides of the cup and down the back of the standard handle.
NO fleabites to the underside
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS (Refers to both teacups individually)
One cup has a very small Indigo Blue "dot" between the decoration and the handle (you can see this dot in the first photograph)
The other cup also has a very small Brown "dot" between the decoration and the handle
These "dots" are UNDER the glaze
Both of these dots are located in practically the identical spot on the teacup - my wife strongly believes these are "slips of the hand" by the artist/decorator at the works - they are certainly NOT as a result of handling over the years.
There are no further comments specific to either teacup
