Royal Albert | Moss Rose | Trio & Three Candlesticks | Bone China | England, 1956–

A pattern that has been in continuous production since 1956 is not merely popular — it has passed the only test that matters.

Royal Albert introduced the Moss Rose pattern in 1956, and it has remained in production in various forms ever since — a span of continued manufacture that places it among the most enduring of the factory's designs. The pattern takes its name from the moss rose, a cultivated variety of Rosa centifolia characterised by the dense, resin-scented moss-like growth on its sepals and buds, which gives the flower a distinctly textured, almost painterly quality in the hand and on the page. Royal Albert's interpretation renders the flower in full, generous pink blooms accompanied by tight buds and mixed foliage, with small blue forget-me-not sprigs providing contrast against the soft cream-white ground. The © 1956 Royal Albert Ltd backstamp confirms first-year production dating.

The grouping comprises a trio — teacup, saucer, and side plate — together with three candlesticks in two distinct forms. The trio carries the Moss Rose decoration across all three pieces, with large rose sprays on the exterior of the cup and interior of the saucer and plate; the cup is of a generously proportioned flared form on a footed base with a scrolled handle, and the saucer and side plate have a shaped scalloped edge with a fine gilt line. The three candlesticks consist of one tall pedestal candleholder, with a wide flared drip-tray bowl on a trumpet column and circular foot, and a pair of low chamberstick-style holders, each with a broad shaped base, a central cylindrical socket, and a shaped scalloped gilt edge. All five pieces carry the Moss Rose decoration in the same palette and style, and the candlesticks would sit naturally on a dressed table alongside the trio.

The saucer, side plate, and all three candlesticks are in mint, unused condition. There are no chips, cracks, or crazing on any piece, and the gilding is intact throughout with no wear. The teacup carries a single hairline crack to the interior; there are no chips, crazing, or gilding loss on the cup.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Albert
• Pattern: Moss Rose
• Form: Trio (teacup with hairline, saucer, side plate) and three candlesticks (one tall pedestal, one pair of chambersticks)
• Material: Bone China
• Country of Origin: England
• Period: 1956–
• Condition: Mint throughout; teacup carries a single interior hairline crack — no chips, crazing or gilding loss on any piece

The candlestick asks nothing of the rose — it simply holds the light by which the rose can be seen.