If you had asked me a few years back what vintage English bone china looks like, I would have thought immediately of Royal Albert’s “Old Country Roses”, probably the most popular bone china pattern in history. Undoubtedly Royal Albert has featured heavily in tea cabinets over the years and the brand continues today but it is definitely not all there is to vintage china. Over the past year or so since starting to make cake stands from vintage plates, my eyes have been opened to the wide range of English potteries and huge array of tea time china designs and patterns.
- Just one of the patterns I’ve found since starting Nancy’s Tea Shop: Royal Vale’s fun star pattern tea set.
Whenever I come across a new piece of china I like to find out about its history; who made it, when it was made and how rare it is. The more china I get to know and the more research I do, the more impressed I am at the scale of the English pottery industry at its height during the 19th and 20th centuries and the skill of the designers and craftspeople.
- One of my favourite ‘Alice in Wonderland-style’ cake stands
I’d like to share my enthusiasm with you and over the coming months I’ll be talking to you about some of the lovely china that I’ve discovered, from classic rose patterns to fun polka dots and even a bit of mysticism!
- A sweets or chocolate stand is a great way to use smaller plates and saucers – I also use them for jewellery too!
