HISTORY:
My wife "collects" but is changing which type of china/porcelain she wants to acquire, such as signed Pâte-sur-Pâte from Minton, Oh my! deep pockets are needed for these with some of the finer examples approaching the cost of a car at well known auction houses such as Sotherbys! Never heard of these Pâte-sur-Pâte? Below is an example of the type of wares I am talking about ...
She has come to realise that many of her/our treasured items need to "leave home" to find a new, appreciative, caring home to live in, these Minton table bowls (originally part of a complete dining set) are waiting for a new "forever home(s)" and I do mean forever, these Minton products were so well made and durable that even after 70 years, these bowls appear as though they left the works "yesterday"
MINTON BACKGROUND:
Not a name that you hear a lot in the world of fine chinaware here in Australia, MINTON potters are considered one of the finest names in porcelain, ceramics, bone china and earthernware pieces. While other fine pieces from the likes of Wedgwood, Royal Albert, Royal Doulton etc made their way to Australia over time, a much lesser number of Minton pieces went "down under" - they were quite highly priced and prized by their owners, not making the trip to the "Antipodes"
Minton is one of the very long "stayers" in the English potters world, having been formed in 1796 - imagine this ... while Captain Cook was only just discovering Australia, ... back in England, Thomas Minton was beginning his potting venture in Stoke. The Minton business was eventually swallowed up by the Royal Doulton Group and then with another change, the Waterford Wedgwood Group. In general, the "Minton" name on products disappeared in the late 1960's
These tableware bowls are of very high quality, the base colouring is a bright White bone china with a Baby Pink "wash" inside the bowl and heavily (but very skilfully) applied Gold gilding around both the scalloped rim and inside the bowl. Although the intention (being part of the dining set) was use as a soup or desert bowl, my wife only ever used these as a sweets bowl - she was always worried about the guests scratching the internal gilding with the spoon!
DLAT RATING (Darling, Look At This!) 9.9/10
MINTON POTTERY Table Bowl
Currently I have two bowls, no more. If both bowls are purchased, an automatic discount applies in the checkout area.
Circa 1955 (the backstamp tells all! see my notes about this special backstamp further down in the description)
Made In England
Bright White Bone China base - very "porcelain like" in appearance and weight.
Pattern: Gold Cheviot
Pattern design is simple ... but very elegant. Swirl sides inside the bowl with the lovely soft Baby Pink colouring inside the bowl and finished with tasteful Gold gilding.
Translucent, which means if held to the light you can easily see the shadow of your fingers through the china, unlike earthernware.
DIMENSIONS:
BOWL: 163mm mouth x 47mm height
WEIGHT: 157g
BACKSTAMP DETAILS:
The backstamp is quite special from a couple of aspects! There is the normal "contemporary" backstamp that Minton's used from the 1950's onwards ... but the print is in Gold. Additionally there is more!
There is an additional STAMPED impression into the china which reads MINTON ENGLAND 3-55 on bowl and the other I cannot quite make out the date coding but can see a 5 also, as these were from the same tableset, I am 100% sure this is also 3-55 (March 1955) when it left the works.
The photograph of the backstamp is not clear enough to make out the stamped impressions
Note the Gold gildings marks and also some hand written text by the decorator who managed the Baby Pink "wash"
COSMETIC CONDITION:
This first section of the condition report is applicable to BOTH bowls with any difference or flaws are noted below this section
CLEAN
NO cracks
NO chips
NO crazing observed (both Wet & Dry - amazing!)
NO discolouration or damage/wear was observed to the White base colouring nor the Baby Pink wash decorative work.
NO spoon scrapes or scratches observed in the centre of the bowls.
NO observable wear at all to the heavily applied Gold gilding on all pieces, not even in the central area which in my opinion is probably the most exposed area to useage damage.
(Although, as my wife pointed out, these bowls only ever held assorted table sweets for the kids in any case)
I thought to myself, so the decoration is great but I bet there are some fleabites ... I was wrong (again!) ...
NO fleabites at all to either bowl, checked both visually and by touch.
The are no additional comments about either bowl
A truly exquisite table bowl and so well preserved, geez I wish I looked that good after 70 years!
