A rare 19th century English Staffordshire bone china teacup ...

Hammer

£70

A rare 19th century English Staffordshire bone china teacup and saucer hand decorated with a red lion by Thomas Wolfe (Factory Z) and dating from around 1810, the cup is of wide round shape with shaped side handle and is hand painted in tones of red and blue with a stylised lion within a circular blue border on a silver and red floral ground, the saucer is similarly decorated and of wide round shape with a high raised rim, together with two 19th century porcelain cups and saucers to include Spode pattern 2213, an Imari pattern coffee can and saucer. [Thomas Wolfe was an experienced potter from Staffordshire when he purchased a porcelain factory in Liverpool from Mrs. Jane Penington in about 1797. One of his partners in this venture was an important London based china merchant, Miles Mason, who later became a manufacturer in Staffordshire. Another partner is less-well known; John Luckock who was perhaps the man listed in Chester & Mort's Directory of 1796/97 as an engraver of Stoke. The partnership was short-lived and by August 1801 Wolfe was advertising the factory to let. With no ceramic manufacturers showing an interest the premises became a cornmill]