Description:
Cup plates were used when tea was drunk from saucers. After the tea was poured from the cup to the saucer, the cup was placed on a cup plate in order to prevent the tea from staining the tablecloth. English Staffordshire cup plate decorated with a transfer print with a floral design in dark and light blue and white, and impressed "Riley" on the back. Cup plates, small plates from 3 to 4 1/2 inches in diameter, were used to hold the cup to prevent damage or staining. Before the advent of the glass pressed maching, most cup plates were earthenware, usually matching dinner and tea sets; some were blown glass with simple cut design. English potters were making cup plates along with their other tablewares in order to capture the American market; it is not known who made the first cup plate. Staffordshire potters, including Davenport, Riley, and Wedgwood, were exporting these "Anglo-American" wares, often using historical subjects, including people, views, and events. Most were made from 1800-1850, with the largest production after the war of 1812. John (d. c.1823) and Richard (d.1828) Riley began potting at the Nile Street Works, Burslem, around 1802 until they rebuilt and moved to the Hill Works in 1814, where the works remained open until about 1828 when Richard died. They produced a large quantity of good quality printed wares, and were probably the first to used the term "semi-china" to describe their type of earthenware.
Subjects:
Pottery; glaze (coating by location) Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+71.024 |
