pattern name: GEMmaker: JOHN MADDOCK & SONS -- Burslem, Staffordshire, England
circa: 1900
manufacture: "Royal Vitreous" high-fired ironstone; light brown transfer with hand-applied colors (vermillion, light green, light blue, cobalt); gilt swashes, edges, and handle details; scalloped cup bottom matches scalloped indentation on saucer well.
an Imari-style pattern
Today's Tuesday teacup (say it ten times fast) is a true antique -- John Maddock & Sons registered the GEM pattern in 1897 (Rd No. 308976), and judging from the condition of it our set was made pretty close to that time. Trix covers my eyes so that I can better imagine what such ironstone pottery looked like when it was newly-minted... perhaps your powers of imagination surpass mine, for I cannot fathom shiny, uncrazed ironstone at the moment, loving as I do the warm, worn character of the aged stuff.
Gem is one of many Maddock patterns from the turn of the 20th Century featuring a tea-brown transfer base pattern embellished with classic vermillion red and cobalt, plus slightly-less-common light blue and light green highlights here and there. Swashes of gold are painted around -- or over -- the cobalt enamel, so that moving the cup and saucer causes the pieces to shimmer... what I can imagine right now is a tea gathering by candlelight, and the glow cast by this set as the pieces are handed to and fro, as the lucky tea drinker lifts the cup to take a sip, &c. Such magic!
A very groovy (pun intended, sorry!) feature is the scalloped teacup bottom, which sits nicely in the saucer's well "flower" {see top pic}. At this late date, the gilt edges appear the most loved parts (but I am glad to say that they were never put in a modern dishwasher), followed by the cup interior, which bears its share of fine, tight hairlines and crazing. An edge chip, even!... but we consider these signs of endurance and fortitude, and a commitment to continued pleasure around a happy tea table.
Cool tip for collectors: Maddock pieces can be found for not-too-much dough in the usual collectors' places -- if you like white ironstone platters and tureens, look for Maddock... cups and saucers like this are not as common, but they will certainly appear to the searching eye.
Tea of choice for this set: New Vithanakande Estate FBOPF-Extra Special, Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, with a side order of biscuits, please.
Trixie waves to you all and I send my best tea-stained love,
xo, Dustin
Taken from http://tdustinfannings.blogspot.com/
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