Teacup

The cup is complete. It is circular in shape. The wall is slightly flared at the top, and the top of the rim is corrugated. The lower third of the wall is tapered towards the flat bottom. It rests on a pedestal; the junction of the foot and the wall features an incised ring. The underside of the bottom is recessed and flat. The handle is vertical. Rectangular in shape, it has an extension at the top that curves inwards, while its junction arms with the wall curve inwards. Its ends, at its junction with the wall, are bent downwards and oval in shape. There are small marks on the inner bottom. There’s a mark printed in blue under the bottom: Spode. There is a mark painted in red under the base near the foot: 2638 V.; The decoration is painted on the cover and applied by transfer printed. The painted design is gold, green and yellow, while the printed design is pale blue and red, with vegetal and fantasy motifs. The painted and printed decoration is visible both inside and out, below the rim on the wall. Under the inner rim, it consists of a narrow braid decorated with simple vegetal scrolls, regularly interrupted by a rosette; the whole is traced in red with gold highlights. The decoration on the wall is printed in very pale blue and consists of two main elements: a phoenix and a flower flanked by leaves, between which are two different, smaller, stylized plant motifs. At the base of the wall is a horizontal line supporting a row of conjoined Xs, all in red. Beneath the outer edge is a braid composed of two main elements, repeated alternately in red. There’s a central flower flanked by scrolls and bordered by two half-flowers, with gold highlights, then a reserved area adorned with a leafy, flowering stem, with green and yellow enamel highlights, and bordered by a vertical, wavy double line. The wall motif consists of various plant and floral motifs arranged around a large central leafy, flowering stem. At the base of the wall is a horizontal line supporting a row of conjoined Xs, all in red.