Worcester Porcelain Queen Charlotte Pattern Trio c1795

Description

Heading :  Worcester Porcelain Queen Charlotte Pattern Trio
Date : 1783-1807
Period : George III
Marks : impressed and underscored B on the tea cup; open crescent mark on the coffee cup and saucer
Origin : Worcester . England
Colour : Imari palette
Pattern :  Queen Charlotte
Features: The tea cup has a standard ring handle. as distinct from the pinched loop variant on slightly earlier versions
Condition : Excellent. Minor losses to the gilding on the rim of the saucer and some slight roughness to the foot rim of the tea cup
Restoration None
Dimensions : tea cup 6.3 cm high. 8.4 cm diameter; coffee can 6.5 cm high . 6.9 cm diameter; saucer 3.1 cm high . 14.1 cm diameter
Weight : 307 grams

Notes : The pattern takes inspiration from Japanese Imari wares and it was a widely copied style both in Europe and China. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz met the soon to be George III at the marriage altar and became Queen just two weeks later. We know that the Royal couple visited the Worcester factory in 1788 and made purchases. but its is most likely that the manufactory simply took the opportunity to use the name Queen Charlotte as a marketing ploy. Had the Queen herself inspired a design then surely it would be reasonable to expect something teutonic design rather than oriental. and almost certainly something containing floral motifs. as she is know to have been a very keen botanist. Queen Charlotte pattern is also more memorable a name than simply “fence pattern” or “fruit and moths”. and thus the marketing ploy is still demonstrably doing its job some 250 years or so later.

Reference. The Dictionary of Worcester Porcelain (Sandon 1999) p103