Cup and saucer (one of a set of four)
Staffordshire, England
1820-1840
Measurements
Cup, 2-5/8 in x 4-1/8 in x 3-5/8 in (dia); saucer, 1-1/4 in x 5-3/8 in (dia)
Materials
Glazed enamel and pink luster on white earthenware
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, anonymous gift
Accession Number
2023.18
Inscription
“820” is painted in pink on the outside bottom of each saucer.
Provenance
The anonymous donor purchased these cups and saucers along with other related objects from Heather Higgins Antiques, Winnetka, Illinois.
Comments
This handsome set of cups and saucers share the same decoration, identified as pattern “820” on the outside bottoms of each saucer. The central image on the saucers shows a cottage in the center, a fence in the foreground, and four trees in the background, each shown with a crescent-shaped canopy of leaves. (See cups and saucers, accession no. 2023.17, for a similar treatment of trees.) These scenes were quickly executed by the decorators and evoke sources in Chinese decoration. Another version of this image appears on the outsides of the cups. Smaller iterations form three repeats around the sidewalls of the saucers. Solid bands cover the rims of the cups and saucers. Three of the four cups have a house painted inside at the bottom (accession no. 2023.18.3 does not.) Differences in execution of the painted ornament are visible in the comparative photograph (showing cups 2023.18.3 and 2023.18.4). The handles of each cup have especially long and pointed thumbpieces. (See cups 2023.17 for similar handles.)
