Fabulous Majolica Tea Sets: Part 1

A gorgeous tea set can be the center of any majolica collection. Some are absolutely stunning with Minton, George Jones, Forester, Wedgwood, Fielding, Holdcroft, Choisy-le-Roi, the Etruscan Works and others showing great ingenuity and lovely design. It seems that ceramic designers pulled out all the stops when creating these marvelous sets. These were enormously popular in their day and they remain so today. Because of the the number of sets available to look at, I’ve broken the post into two parts. The first part covers the large, better known European manufacturers while the second covers American and smaller European companies and unattributed tea sets.

Starting with the inventor of Victorian majolica seems a good place to begin. Let’s see some sets by Minton.

Japonisme tea set for Minton by Christopher Dresser

 Minton Aesthetic Movement divinity!

Minton Christopher Dresser kettle, creamer and sugar

Rare complete Aesthetic Movement tea set

George Jones, a former employee of Minton, also made marvelous sets, some incorporating matching tea trays.

Extremely rare Jones drum themed tea set

George Jones apple blossom tea kettle, cream, sugar, c+s and tray

George Jones majolica monkey tea set

Jones wild rose tea set without monkey handle

Jones wild rose tea set

 

Jones pineapple tea kettle, creamer, sugar, c+s and tray

Fielding made some attractive sets much sought after by collectors...

Fielding Shell and Net tea set came in three different color grounds

Fielding drum shape tea set

Fielding Fan tea set

Fielding Ribbon and Leaf tea service

… as did Wedgwood.

Wedgwood Punch and Judy majolica tea set

Wedgwood leafage tea set

Wedgwood cauliflower tea set from the mid 20th century.

Wedgwood Dragon tea kettle, creamer and sugar

Wedgwood majolica Argenta Blackberry tea set

Wedgwood Argenta majolica Fan tea set

Wedgwood majolica Ocean tea set

Holdcroft’s sets were rather inventive.

Holdcroft melon tea set, later copied by Forester

Holdcroft faux bois tea kettle with tray and blackberry cream and c+s

Registered Holdcroft blackberry tea set with a rounded creamer and sugar

Holdcroft English Registration photo for blackberry tea set

Second version of Holdcroft tea set with faux bois cream and sugar

Holdcroft Asian boy on coconut tea set

Holdcoft majolica pomegranate tea set

Adams & Bromley’s sets were as interesting as any with the bizarre "Fish Swallowing Fish" set quite popular in its day, judging from the number of available examples still in existence.

Adams & Bromley pineapple tea set

Adams & Bromley fish tea set. The sugar bowl is particularly hard to find.

Attributed to Adams & Bromley

Attributed to Adams & Bromley

Adams & Bromley fan tea set, copied by Forester

Some of Shorter & Boulton's designs were copied in the United States by the Willets Pottery of Trenton, NJ.

Shorter & Boulton bird and fan tea set

Shorter & Boulton Atlantic shell and waves tea set

Shorter & Boulton "Jonquil" tea set

Shorter & Boulton fan and owl tea set.

Forester was easily the most productive potter of majolica sets with not only their own designs but sets copied from other makers.

Forester Filbert tea set with tray.

Forester bamboo and bird tea set with tray

Forester Aesthetic Movement flying crane and basket tea set

Forester wild rose and rope tea set

Forester Asian inspired tea set

Flying crane tea set with tray, attributed to Forester

Forester wild rose tea set

Rustic tea set with tray attributed to Forester

Faux bois tea set, attributed to Forester

Wild rose and trellis tea set with matching pitcher attributed to Forester

Royal Worcester created more decorative majolica pieces than functional ones like dessert ware. Consequently they made few tea set designs.

Royal Worcester squash majolica tea set

Royal Worcester majolica barrel tea set

Banks & Thorley created one set that is very well known today. That tea set design was created in two different versions and in great quantity. Like many other potters of the period, their work was influenced by Asian design.

Banks & Thorley wicker and bamboo tea set with butterfly handles

Banks & Thorley wicker tea set with branch handles.

Samuel Lear produced designs of great quantity as well, easily available to the collector of today.

Samuel Lear narcissus tea set

Wardle produced some of the best known majolica designs. 

Wardle & Co. shell tea set with tray

Wardle & Co. water lily tea set

Wardle & Co. floral and wicker tea set with tray

Wardle & Co. majolica fan and crane tea set

Wardle & Co. Chrysanthemum tea set with tray

Wardle & Co. bamboo and fern tea set and pitcher

The French pottery Choisy-le-Roi made a pair of stunning sets and the pottery of the Riviera tourist town of Menton made a tiny set, probably for children, featuring the citrus for which they are strongly identified.

Choisy-le-Roi shell form tea set

Choisy-le-Roi Chinese influenced beverage service with tray

Menton citrus tea set

With that we conclude the first part of our look at majolica tea sets. Some sets well known to the collector, such as Lear’s Aesthetic Movement inspired sunflower and lily pattern and Wedgwood’s St. Louis pattern, were not shown for lack of adequate available photos. Part Two of this exploration of tea sets will include many sets not included here from small and unattributed English potters and American companies.