Royal Albert | Old English Rose-Style | Tea Trio | Bone China | England | c.1935–1950

The roses are large enough to fill the cup before the tea does — which is, in a way, the entire point.

Royal Albert was established at the Albert Works, Longton, Staffordshire, and has been producing bone china tableware since the late nineteenth century. The black crown backstamp reading "Royal Albert Bone China England" dates this trio to c.1935–1950. The Avon shape — with its characteristic generous, rounded bowl, scalloped rim and scrolled gilt handle — is among the most sought-after of Royal Albert's cup forms by collectors. The heavily gilded treatment, with brushed gold applied across the full border of the cup, saucer and tea plate, is characteristic of the more opulent decorative register of Royal Albert's mid-century production. The pattern closely follows the Old English Rose design, featuring large-headed roses in deep crimson and soft pink with green foliage arranged in a continuous garland, though the pattern name does not appear on the backstamp of this example.

The cup is of the Avon form, with a broad, well-balanced bowl, a deeply scalloped gilt rim, and a fully gilded handle. A wide brushed gilt band defines the upper exterior and continues along the interior rim. The saucer and tea plate mirror this treatment, each carrying the same rose garland set within broad, fully brushed gilt borders that extend across the entire rim. The three pieces present as a cohesive and richly decorated set.

The trio is in very good condition. The cup has a small nick with material loss to the outer edge of the foot rim, consistent with age and handling. The tea plate shows slight rubbing to the gilt at the rim, detectable on close inspection. The cup and saucer are otherwise free from chips, cracks, or crazing, and the gilding is sound throughout both.

Collector Appeal

Earlier black crown mark, desirable Avon shape, and unusually heavy full gilt treatment — a more decorative and less commonly encountered variant within the Old English Rose tradition.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Albert
• Pattern: Old English Rose-style (pattern name absent from backstamp)
• Form: Tea trio — cup, saucer and tea plate
• Shape: Avon
• Material: Bone china
• Weight: 417 g
• Dimensions: Available on request
• Backstamp: Black crown — Royal Albert Bone China England, c.1935–1950
• Condition: Very good; small nick to foot rim of cup; slight gilt rubbing to tea plate rim on close inspection

An Avon shape, a heavy hand with the gold, and roses that have not faded in seventy years — the things that distinguish a piece are rarely the things it was made to show off.