This exceptional fine bone china tea cup and saucer presents a powerful sculptural presence, pairing a luminous, highly saturated turquoise blue glaze with an immaculate white porcelain interior. The vessel features an elegant corset-style silhouette accented by a scalloped rim, which captures ambient light beautifully to emphasize its fluid contours. Elaborately detailed with heavy, hand-applied gilt borders and an ornately sculpted handle, this duo highlights a masterful tension between minimalist mid-century color blocks and classical decorative relief. Its pristine translucent composition and vibrant tone position it as a materially compelling and interior-designer-friendly piece for the sophisticated collector.
Attribution & Period
By Aynsley China Ltd. Bearing the official Aynsley green crown backstamp on both elements, this set also features a hand-painted pattern registration code (B5112) painted onto the base of the cup. The prefix letter combined with the four-digit numerical sequence documents an archival production period spanning the 1950s. During this post-war era, Aynsley was internationally celebrated for its striking monochrome "corset" cabinet sets. The presence of the hand-painted code on only the cup is standard for mid-century production; while some pairs received identical registry marks on both components, decorators frequently marked just the primary vessel if the matching saucer followed a standardized solid-color or gilt border scheme from the same production batch. Sourced from a refined, single-owner estate.
Dimensions & Weight
Teacup:
Saucer:
Width / Diameter: 5.5 in
Weight: 0.286 lbs
Condition
Clinical analysis reveals this set to be in flawless vintage condition. There are no chips, cracks, structural repairs, or glaze crazing present. The high-carat gold gilding is entirely intact with no observed thinning or shelf wear along the delicate scalloped rims, retaining an exceptional, high-luster mirror shine across both pieces.
Authenticity & Construction
Crafted at the historic Portland Works in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England, this duo is composed of premium fine bone china, renowned for its addition of calcified animal bone ash to achieve superior tensile strength alongside thin, translucent walls. The hand-painted "marker number" or pattern registration code (B5112) served as a vital factory reference code. It allowed the pottery house to index specific combinations of glaze formulas, transfer decorations, and hand-gilding layouts, while identifying the individual ceramic decorators responsible for executing the hand-applied gold leaf.
Placement
This visually arresting duo serves as an ideal decorative asset when placed within an illuminated glass vitrine, arranged symmetrically on a lacquered vanity tray, or styled on an architectural fireplace mantle to bring a rich pop of mid-century turquoise color to a contemporary or transitional interior.
STANDARD ATTRIBUTION & VALUE DISCLOSURE; This piece is described to the best of current scholarly and market knowledge. Any maker or regional attribution is based on visual analysis, materials, construction techniques, and documented stylistic comparisons. As with many MCM and antique design objects, definitive attribution may not be possible without original labels or factory records. Pricing reflects condition, quality, decorative appeal, and current collector demand rather than guaranteed maker identification.
This exceptional fine bone china tea cup and saucer presents a powerful sculptural presence, pairing a luminous, highly saturated turquoise blue glaze with an immaculate white porcelain interior. The vessel features an elegant corset-style silhouette accented by a scalloped rim, which captures ambient light beautifully to emphasize its fluid contours. Elaborately detailed with heavy, hand-applied gilt borders and an ornately sculpted handle, this duo highlights a masterful tension between minimalist mid-century color blocks and classical decorative relief. Its pristine translucent composition and vibrant tone position it as a materially compelling and interior-designer-friendly piece for the sophisticated collector.
Attribution & Period
By Aynsley China Ltd. Bearing the official Aynsley green crown backstamp on both elements, this set also features a hand-painted pattern registration code (B5112) painted onto the base of the cup. The prefix letter combined with the four-digit numerical sequence documents an archival production period spanning the 1950s. During this post-war era, Aynsley was internationally celebrated for its striking monochrome "corset" cabinet sets. The presence of the hand-painted code on only the cup is standard for mid-century production; while some pairs received identical registry marks on both components, decorators frequently marked just the primary vessel if the matching saucer followed a standardized solid-color or gilt border scheme from the same production batch. Sourced from a refined, single-owner estate.
Dimensions & Weight
Teacup:
Saucer:
Width / Diameter: 5.5 in
Weight: 0.286 lbs
Condition
Clinical analysis reveals this set to be in flawless vintage condition. There are no chips, cracks, structural repairs, or glaze crazing present. The high-carat gold gilding is entirely intact with no observed thinning or shelf wear along the delicate scalloped rims, retaining an exceptional, high-luster mirror shine across both pieces.
Authenticity & Construction
Crafted at the historic Portland Works in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England, this duo is composed of premium fine bone china, renowned for its addition of calcified animal bone ash to achieve superior tensile strength alongside thin, translucent walls. The hand-painted "marker number" or pattern registration code (B5112) served as a vital factory reference code. It allowed the pottery house to index specific combinations of glaze formulas, transfer decorations, and hand-gilding layouts, while identifying the individual ceramic decorators responsible for executing the hand-applied gold leaf.
Placement
This visually arresting duo serves as an ideal decorative asset when placed within an illuminated glass vitrine, arranged symmetrically on a lacquered vanity tray, or styled on an architectural fireplace mantle to bring a rich pop of mid-century turquoise color to a contemporary or transitional interior.
STANDARD ATTRIBUTION & VALUE DISCLOSURE; This piece is described to the best of current scholarly and market knowledge. Any maker or regional attribution is based on visual analysis, materials, construction techniques, and documented stylistic comparisons. As with many MCM and antique design objects, definitive attribution may not be possible without original labels or factory records. Pricing reflects condition, quality, decorative appeal, and current collector demand rather than guaranteed maker identification.
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