Coalport China - Info please

i am trying to find out as much as possible about the attached Coalport set C 1880-1920. I'm interested in its history, whether part of set or single item, collectible or not, design, value etc. Any information would be great fully appreciated.
Thank you

 

Hello and welcome to the board.

Although the items are the same pattern, I think they were not original to each other.

Looks like you have a demitasse cup from an earlier period than what I think is a butter pat.

Wait for others to look in.

 

It's a variant of the India Tree pattern done in brown? transfer that appears to have either never had the additional painting most have or (perhaps not as likely) lost the paint or faded from another color over the years of use. I tried to find it on Replacements (looked all 13 pages of patterns) but did not see it exactly the same. The dish/pat/saucer does have the beaded edge and slight scalloping seen on some of them.

 

>Although the items are the same pattern, I think they were not original to each other. By Clutter...<

The more I look at this tea cup and presumably a saucer, I also don't think they are original to each other. I'm not even sure the saucer is of the "India Tree" pattern. The saucer is too small for the teacup making me think the "saucer" is a butter pat. The edge of all the saucers in Coalport's "India Tree" patterns have a border and the pattern in the saucers is arranged differently. I'm about positive that the cup is "India Tree," but not the dish/saucer/butter pat.

--- Susan

Following pics from one of the Coalport's "India Tree" patterns on replacements.com.
http://www.replacements.com/webquote/coaintco.htm

Coalport India Tree: Flat teacup and saucer:


Flat demitasse & saucer:

 

You're right. I didn't notice the border trim is different. So not quite the same pattern.

 

Thank you for all your feedback. I hadn't noticed the difference in the borders either and just assumed they went together as that's how I found them. It does look very similar to the Indian tree design but seems a bit strange that they didn't add the colour. I've looked very closely to see if there is any faded colour but definitely monochrome. What a strange little mystery this

 

This was one of the most popular patterns made. Somewhere I read, I think, this pattern was taken/copied from Indian textile patterns. Coalport created the Indian Tree pattern c1800. I bet there were at least 25 makers who made a variant of this pattern called "Indian Tree" and/or "India Tree." Such makers were Spode/Copeland/Wedgwood, Johnson Bros., Aynsley, Meakins, Ridgeway, Churchill, Coalport to Adams, Booth, Grimwade Bros., Castleton, Staffordshire and on and on to some Japanese makers such as Noritake.

One of my china sets is of a Copeland/Spode Indian Tree pattern (the rust/orange) that is titled on some pieces "India Tree" and on others "Indian Tree." 1966 wedding gifts pieces are backstamped "Copeland Spode England Indian Tree" with the Copeland/Spode square, pieces bought in a duty free shop in Jamaica in 1971 are backstamped "Spode England 2/959 India Tree From a Design c1730", and other odd pieces bought here and there stamped or impressed with "Copeland Spode Imperial." The original pieces (the majority) dating from the 1960s seem to be of a better quality.

--- Susan

 

My Copeland/Spode India Tree set (inherited from my great aunt who used it every Thanksgiving) is the "rust with green leaves" colorway - S280!

Back to the OP's pieces - if you look at all the Coalport Indian Tree types on Replacements, it's easy to overlook the "Beaded" variety, but it's there and second on the list alphabetically. Beaded edge, slightly undulating (not fully scalloped and not exactly round shape.) Their closeup picture of the beaded detail looks like it might have been very slightly painted right on the outside edge and not overlapping the beads, or that might just be an enhanced "shadow" in the picture to emphasize the beads. hard to tell. BUT - getting back to the butter pat, shown above - that center design is absolutely India Tree, no two ways about it. As is the inner border with the "honeycomb." I know there are no painted flower sprays around the edge, but there is no room for them on such a small item. Variations due to item size are a fact of life in china - more detail vs. less detail, more upright vs. spreading.

Now - they don't show a butter pat in this version on Replacements, but they do show one "cup" (not a demitasse) and the handle is more angular than the plain C shape on this one. Could be another one of those size-influenced variances or something else. Impossible to say at this point, unless we can find another source with more piece illustrations.

 

The mark on the cup dates it to 1891 - 1920.

I can't find the mark on the butter pat and wonder if the writing under the Coalport mark is the seller's mark. Can you determine what it says?

 

It says Leadless Glass under the AD 1750. There is also an imprinted "15K2" near the circular base rim - very faint so hadn't noticed it before

 

I see "Leadless Glaze."

 

Yes, leadless glaze and also an imprinted "15K2" which doesn't show up well on the photo but is imprinted into the china

 

Is there any "imprint" on the bottom of the cup?

 

No, no imprint on the cup.

 

Thank you all for your interest in my post and for your help. the curator from Coalport China has responded via email and I thought you may be interested in her opinion.
"I am not surprised you have struggled to identify this cup and saucer, as for one thing, the design is unfinished, for the other, the saucer is not the right one for that cup! They have been put together later.

The design on both is Indian Tree, probably Coalport’s most prolific standard design. It began in the early 1800’s, when it was not technically possible to print a multicoloured pattern. Many factories including Coalport got round this by printing an outline pattern using traditional copper plate engraving and printing on to tissue paper. The inked tissue was applied to the fired china and then washed off, leaving the outline. The china was glazed and re fired to seal the outline under a coat of shiny transparent glass. This is, of course, the stage your cup and saucer have reached.

The next step would be to start filling in colours on the design, each colour fired at a different temperature so the hottest firing colour, blue, would be applied to hundreds of items, then go for firing. Next the green would be applied, and so on. The painting was done by young girl apprentices, called paintresses. This meant that a very decorative effect could be achieved more cheaply than a totally hand painted design by a skilled artist.

The cup should have a larger and plain edged saucer, from the backstamp it dates from between 1891 and 1921.

The saucer looks more like a little pin dish, as it doesn’t seem to have a well for a saucer. From the backstamp it will date around 1900. Coalport decorated several different styles of china with Indian tree patterns, the pin dish is what is described as the Antique shape.

I will send some pictures separately to illustrate these.

I hope this is interesting, and I wonder when the cup and dish were put together – it could have been a long time ago"

Thanks again for all your input. I shall have to work out what to do with it now

 

What a nice, and educational, reply!

 

I agree. She was very kind to take the time to give you good information.

Wonder if the girls - paintresses, took the china home to paint or if it was done at the factory. If done at home, that might explain how unpainted pieces came to be in circulation.

 

I wonder if that is the case - perhaps the girls were allowed to keep on now and again. It's been fun finding out about this. My 14 year old daughter and I pick up pieces of China randomly here and there, research their history together and then move them on so someone else can enjoy them too. It's a fun little hobby and this is the oldest and most interesting thing we have picked up so far ☺️