First period Dr Wall Worcester tea cup and saucer, made around 1765 with a  rare vertical flute a moulded handle and a gilded edge.

The paste of this cup has a soft translucence with a greenish tinge characteristic of early worcester.  

The handle design was used by Lund of Bristol, from whom Dr Wall bought the initial recipie for his porcelain, so this design of handle predates the beginning of the Worcester factory in 1751.

There is a similar handle on a cup in Michael Berthoud's "A compendium of British cups" page 2 plate 9, on a cup which is cited as Worcester 1765-70.

Often coloured enamel decoration was used to cover over any imperfections in the porcelain.  This cup is unusually plain with just the beautiful fluting and a simple gilt line around the rim and the base of the cup and on the saucer.  Very elegant and classic.

The glaze has a slight greenish tinge which highlights the fluting where it is thicker, very like Chinese celedon.

An elegant classic, which apart from a little rubbing of the gilt, and wear to the glaze on the inside of the cup, has lasted extremely well over its 250 plus years, quarter of a millenium.

A small and delicate treasure.


Makers marks:
Unmarked

Dimensions:
Cup 4.5 cm height 7.5 cm diameter at rim. 
Saucer diameter at the rim 11.7 cm

Weight:
145 g

Age:
255 years

Condition:
Very good.  No cracks or chips.  Some rubbing of the gilding, and some coal dust in the glaze from time of manufacture.  Please look carefully at all the photographs.

Maker:
Worcester