First Period Worcester Porcelain Chocolate Cup & Saucer c.1768

A fine first period Worcester porcelain chocolate cup and saucer of ogee shape with fluted walls, shaped rims and ornate snake moulded handles. The unusual pattern is based on the main structure of the Queen's pattern. Wet blue underglaze panels with circular reserves painted with brightly coloured bugs and butterflies and the large white reserved panels decorated with sprays of European flowers also in bright enamels of orange red, purple, puce pink, sulphur yellow and green over pencil fine black enamel edge lines and details, stems, bug legs and antennae, and creating dark shading to all the foliage. A green flower bud sits inside the centre of both the saucer and the cup. Dark purple enamel decoration down the handles with gilt edges, and gilt rims. Unmarked, c.1768-1770. These cups sometimes come with covers but it is believed that they were optional extras rather than supplied as standard. The shaped rim of the cup always make these covers sit quite awkwardly and some have gilt dentil rims to the inside which would not have been designed to be hidden under a cover. This point is discussed alongside a similar set in "The Zorensky Collection" by Spero and Sandon, entry 206.