A Worcester Coffee Cup, circa 1768
This small Worcester bell-shaped coffee cup was decorated in the studio of James Giles with a puce camaïeu bouquet surrounded by floral sprays and sprigs. It has a gilt rim and a grooved loop handle.
The style of flower painting closely follows a Chinese export interpretation of European flower painting on porcelain. Monochrome flower painting was popularised on European porcelain in the 1760s, notably at Sèvres and Meissen.
Provenance: Albert Amor.
Condition: No damage or restoration. From manufacture, there is a minute fully-glazed dimple on the rim and a tiny pinhole to the interior. Minor wear to the gilt rim from use.
Dimensions: Height 5.7 cm
In Search of James Giles, Gerald Coke (Micawber Publications, 1983).
James Giles, China and Glass Painter, Stephen Hanscombe (Stockspring Antiques Publications, 2005).
The Stephen Hanscombe Collection: James Giles and his Contemporary Decorators, (Stockspring Antiques Publications, 2014).
Worcester Porcelain 1751-1790: The Zorensky Collection, Simon Spero & John Sandon (Antique Collectors’ Club, 1996).