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 our treasured items need to "leave home" to find a new, caring home to live in.
Tuscan was the trading name used by RH & SL Plant, operating out of the Tuscan Works in Longton.
Operations began in 1898 and in 1966 the company was acquired by Wedgwood and although the operations continued, they were now part of the Wedgwood Group.
This is an outstanding fine bone china teaset, background (all over the topside of each piece, but the undersides have been left bright White, including the teacup handle, giving a stark contrast between the Fern Green and the bright White areas. All over these Fern Green areas on each piece are decorations of leaves and flowers, all of this work is in painted Gold (not Gold leaf), your standard coloured paints are not used on this teaset at all. Even the teacup has Gold gilding applied inside the mouth of the teacup. The use of the Fern Green and Gold is very effective and the teaset certainly has that "Olde World" appearance, with class!
DLAT RATING (Darling, Look At This!) 9.8/10
RH & SL Plant (TUSCAN) Teacup - Saucer - Cake Plate Trio
(Offered separately or as a trio if all pieces still remain available)
Circa 1950's+ (this backstamp was used from 1947 onwards)
Made In England
Price indicated is for one off EACH PIECE, however if two or three pieces are selected then an automatic discount does apply in the checkout
Bone China
Pattern: the pattern is described above and it could possibly be using the code C4264 as this number has been hand applied in Gold to the saucer only, the other pieces do not show this number. All pieces have the decorator & gilder's marks near the backstamps.
Translucent, which means if held to the light you can easily see the shadow of your fingers through the china, in fact you can see the Gold decoration through the china wall very easily when doing this.
I have examined the decoration very closely and definitely this is hand decorated,this is supported by the artist's "mark" on the underside of each piece.
Background colour in all decorated areas, is a soft Fern Green - a colour that was widely used back in the 1940's ~ 1950's, my wife has handed me many items (Oil lamps etc) using very similar colouring.
Gold gilding applied around the scalloped rims of the saucer and side plate and in the case of the teacup, down the back and sides of the upturned handle (not quite upwardly arched enough to be called "Queen Anne" style). The teacup also has a wide, heavily Gold gilded "base band"
Shapes: The teacup has four slightly "flattened" sides, which makes for easier handling. Both the saucer and side plate are round with lightly scalloped edges, to which Gold gilding has been applied.
BACKSTAMP DETAILS:
Makers mark printed on the base of the teacup
Makers mark printed on the base of the saucer
Makers mark printed on the base of the side plate
Absolutely hand decorated, note the decorator's mark and the Gold gilder's mark on each piece
DIMENSIONS:
TEACUP: 88mm mouth x 73mm height
SAUCER: 141mm diameter
SIDE PLATE: 166mm diameter
COSMETIC CONDITION:
This first section of the condition report is universal to all three pieces, any difference or flaws are noted below this section
CLEAN
NO cracks
NO chips
NO crazing observed (both Wet & Dry)
NO discolouration observed to the Fern Green base colouring and the application of the Gold decoration (lots of it!) is in a truly stunning condition after 75+ years! No pieces have any "stains", in particular the inside of the teacup - clean as!
NO damage or wear is apparent to the decorative work
NO observable wear at all to the Gold gilding on all pieces, not even the most handled areas such as the teacup handle and the teacup & saucer rims. I even checked with my wife, "has anyone actually ever used this teaset?" I asked hesitantly ... apparently she had it out once for a drama prop a long time ago (it was her sideline for a while ... hiring out her beautiful chinawares) but she has never used it herself. So lonely ... just sitting in one of her display cabinets, waiting for someone to gaze in awe at it!
I thought to myself, so the decoration is great but I bet there are some fleabites ... I was wrong (again)
NO fleabites to any piece, in particular the saucer and side plate - very nice indeed!
The are no additional comments about this any individual piece
If a special "Olde World" look in Fern Green & Gold is your "thing", this teaset trio could well be of interest ... my wife says it is sad to see it leave home but one day, we all need to go out into the big wide world and make new friends!
