Oh my! What a gorgeous teaset ...
My wife would be a wealthy lady if she was paid $1 every time she heard this from visitors to the house.
Chinaware and porcelain isn't really all about "Oh isn't that pretty" but it can "set the mood" Ever notice how so much English chinaware features flowers ... pretty flowers? It isn't so much about the craftspersonship in the creation or decoration of the object but the "message" the items are conveying. Particularly after WWII, people (especially the women who's husbands and sons never came home again) needed something to lift their spirits. All these years later and the same principle still applies, times are tough for many and so much stress and anxiety abounds
Having a set of lovely "flower design" tablewares can make all the difference and influence a brighter view of life
As the Monty Python team used to sing ...
And so it is with this absolutely stunning teaset from Baymark, although some 40 years after the war - you look at it and cannot help but smile.
Yes, you cannot help but smile ... this teaset spreads happiness - having such pieces in your display cabinet or just sitting on a shelf somewhere makes the room seem brighter, happier and makes it just a little easier to push aside the woes of everyday life.
Yes, I mention a flaw in the description ... my wife is only reluctantly parting with this teaset because of this flaw, which until recently was undiscovered, and you can read (and see some photographs relating to "the flaw") further down in this description.
These BAYMARK bright Yellow daisy teasets are so very difficult to find, although we wouldn't say rare (as some do), it's more about once you have one of these special teasets, you usually don't let them leave the house - they don't often appear on the usual marketplaces, people hold onto them.
My wife seriously questions the true origins of this product though. Sure, the underside backstamp indicates a connection with Australia but it does not specifically say "Made In ..." I tend to agree with her and also feel that these were probably imported into Australia either as blanks or perhaps even completely finished products.
Information about Baymark Australia is sparse, actually let's get right down to the truth, information is practically nonexistent about the company Baymark (Australia)!
We purchased this teaset along with some other Baymark items way back in the 1980's from a retail store specialising in "interesting things" and they were not cheap at that time.
BAYMARK AUSTRALIA - Teaset Duo
This offering is for the set of the teacup and saucer TOGETHER - in this particular case we want to only offer them as a pair (usually we break up teasets) otherwise we could end up with an orphan piece sitting at home, very very lonely. This teaset doesn't socialise very well as it has few friends amongst the English chinawares (they are so snobby!)
Material: Heavy bright White porcelain
Slightly translucent - holding to a strong light source and you can see the shadow of your fingers through the porcelain.
Circa 1980's
Bold, bright cheerful Yellow colouring dominates the design, on a bright White porcelain base.
The decoration appears NOT to be hand applied, looking very closely at the work and it just doesn't look "human". There are no telltale dot patterns from transferware but the decoration is just too perfect to have been applied by hand. My wife thinks perhaps some sort of airbrushing technique was used.
Design: Obviously, bright Daisies abound with the added bonus of a small ladybug on the saucer!
The makers mark or backstamp is printed UNDER the glaze, it is not a stick on label.
Here is the teacup backstamp photograph
Here is the saucer backstamp photograph
This teaset is really a "show pony" I don't think my wife ever actually used it to drink from - it's all about the look (for her)
The teacup is approximately a standard teacup size, not a demitasse. The saucer is really for decoration, there is no central ring upon which to sit the teacup which means that you need to be careful when handling the teacup and saucer together, it is not all that stable.
COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
Clean (very)
NO discolouration to any of the decorations
NO chips at all - particularly those raised daisies on the saucer or around the top rim of the teacup
NO crazing is evident
THE FLAW!
Oh my wordee Yes ... the flaw
Unknown to us (and we have no idea when it happened) while looking over the teacup I saw this faint, very obscure line running down the side of the teacup near the handle. Too see much of it I needed to use a special magnifying glass but it is definitely there! This hairline crack runs from the top rim, near the handle, right down the side and even underneath in the centre area a little. Such a shame but then ... when it is being just used for display, we didn't even see it.
The hairline crack is not discoloured at all, which is probably not surprising as my wife has never actually used the teacup & saucer, it was an "atmosphere piece" only.
Take a peek at the last two photographs where I have roughly outlined the location of this crack.
The teacup remains safe to handle and shows no signs of "falling apart"! and the saucer is completely undamaged in any way.
Of course, when these finally have a new home, we ship them EXTREMELY well packed to ensure nothing further happens to either piece, the teacup in particular.
