Flight Period Worcester Thistle Pattern Fluted Cup and Saucer Ca. 1792

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Offered is a lovely 18th Century Worcester Flight period teacup and saucer with swirl fluting and cobalt and gilt decoration, with a thistle motif. The decoration appears to be entirely hand painted. The small crescent mark in underglaze blue inside the foot of the cup dates that piece to about 1783-92 (the Flight period), and the incised “B” on the saucer would put that piece between 1792 and 1804, the Flight & Barr period. This would seem to indicate that either this cup and saucer are a “marriage”, or given that the wear seems to be similar on each piece, that these two pieces were both pulled from stock to fill an order in the transitional period between marks, perhaps around 1792.

The saucer measures about 13.8 cm across, and the cup measures about 6.2 cm high; the cup and saucer weigh about 181 grams altogether. The gilding and painting seem to be in excellent condition overall, with modest signs of wear and use. The saucer has several small spots of kiln grit (see pictures), and the cup appears to be fairly pristine aside from a tiny 0.5mm fleabite on the footrim. There appear to be no hairlines or repairs. All in all a fine and quite early example of this pattern and form in 18th Century English porcelain!