This is a very stunning full tea service for five, made by Minton in around 1830 during the Rococo Revival period. The set consists of a large teapot, milk jug, slop bowl, five teacups and saucers and five coffee cups and saucers. The coffee cups would be large enough to double up as tea cups in case you'd want to use the set for a group larger than five.
 
Minton was one of the pioneers of English china production alongside other great potters such as Spode, Davenport, Ridgway, Coalport and others. They were located in Staffordshire and were known specifically for their wonderfully fine white bone china and bright colours; there is a colour called "Minton Blue" which is a fresh azure blue that Minton excelled in. Minton supplied huge quantities of tablewares, tiles, and other items to the USA in the 19th Century; the White House has always been supplied with Minton crockery and many great buildings of this era were tiled with Minton tiles.
 
This service is made in the famous "Q-shape" (Minton named many of its iconic shapes by the letters of the alphabet). It is a very elaborate and beautifully moulded Rococo shape. The tea and coffee cups have wonderfully worked handles - when drinking from a cup, notice the way the handle supports each finger of the hand, making it easy to balance the cup whether you have big or small fingers. The teapot and milk jug have the most spectacular woven handles and the teapot has a very beautifully moulded surface that has been highlighted with gilt details. The acorn of the teapot is Minton's iconic charming acorn.
 
The decoration of this set is rather simple without the usual hand painted flowers, but it is striking and beautiful. Lavish hand painted gilding is applied on a bright apple green ground. The nature of the decorations shows that this set was made at an affordable price; another sign that it was produced at an economic rate is that some of the gilding on the cups and saucers has become a little bronze coloured, which means the gilt level is less than 22Kt and some bronze must have been mixed in, which became most visible on the items that were used the most.
 
Items are unmarked except the pattern number 4606 painted in red.
 
This tea service would look stunning as a display, but it is still excellent for use and therefore would make a fabulous wedding gift or addition to your own home. I thoroughly clean and test all teapots in the shop and this entire service is safe to use.
 
CONDITION REPORT The set is in good antique condition with some areas of damage, none of which limit its usability. The teapot is in perfect condition except a crack to the finial, which has been filled in with old yellow glue and is stable. One coffee cup and one teacup have small cracks coming off the rim - these are old and do not form a risk. One coffee cup has a handle that is professionally repaired and stable. One of the saucers has a hairline on the underside. The milk jug has been broken and received a professional staple repair in the 19th Century - it is very tightly stapled and is entirely safe to use. It also has a firing crack in its mouth probably from production. The bowl is quite crazed and has received a lot of wear on its inside decoration. Generally, some of the tea and coffee cups have received more wear than others. As mentioned before, some of the gilding has become a little bronze coloured, which points to a gilt level of slightly less than 22Kt.
 
Please note that all items in my shop are of vintage or antique condition. They have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear. I will reflect any damage, repairs or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks and stains 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 see with the eye; a hairline runs over the surface glazing but not the body of the item and a crack runs through the body of the item, usually weakening its structure. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures!
 
SHIPPING I ship worldwide from the UK, mostly by Royal Mail 2nd Class for the UK and International Tracked and Signed for the rest of the world. I am happy to combine shipping charges on multiple items - please contact me to discuss. In principle I do not make a profit on shipping although for simplicity's sake I charge flat shipping fees. If the fee charged greatly exceeds the actual cost I will gladly refund you the difference - at the same time if it is slightly lower I will gladly make up the difference. In some countries shipping will end up significantly more than the expected fees and I will contact you to discuss our options. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING SHIPPING COSTS AND OPTIONS.
 
As this set is quite large and valuable, I may choose to ship it in two separate boxes both to split the weight (which helps to protect the contents) and deal with import taxes. Insurance is included in the price quoted.
 
PAYPAL ISSUES? Some countries have banned PayPal or are not signed up for it. If this affects you, please get in touch with me as I can take your credit details directly to complete a transaction.