Front Cover
The front cover of the book shows 5 examples of beautiful pots.
The tea bowl located in the top left corner was made by Flight Worcester in 1785.
A cup and saucer made by John Yates about 1825 occupies the top central position, and the tea bowl in the top right corner was made by New Hall in 1790.
At the bottom of the page right hand side is a Hilditch trio dating from about 1830, and on the left side is a trio made by Minton and Boyle about 1850.
A Collectors Guide to British Porcelain
by Peter Critchley
Price £13.99 plus £1.90 postage and packing
ISBN number: 978-0-9546304-5-4
About the Book
The main theme of the book is a definition of terms like stoneware, hard paste porcelain and soft paste porcelain. The book then goes on to provide 100 examples of cups, saucers and plates made over the last 250 years, relating the evolution of shapes and styles of decoration to the age of ceramic items.
There is a brief history of the development of the pottery industry from a cottage craft to industrial factories employing men, women and children. The Industrial Revolution produced wealth in the population and the habit of tea drinking spread to all levels of the society, not just the rich families, creating a large new market for pottery and porcelain tea wares.
One special feature of the book is a quick summary of guidelines for would-be buyers. Another feature is a pull-out guide of shapes of cups, registration marks and pattern numbers that fits into a shirt pocket or a handbag.
Table of Contents
- Foreword by David J. Barby, FRICS
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 - Definitions, tea drinking, the industrial revolution and working conditions in the potteries
- Chapter 2 - The potters and the development of the ceramic industry
- Chapter 3 - Quality and techniques of decoration
- Chapter 4 - The evolution of styles and decoration through the 19th and 20th century
- Chapter 5 - Marks and pattern numbers
- Chapter 6 - Copies and forgeries
- Chapter 7 - Where to buy and relative prices
Buy the Book
You can buy the book by clicking on the "Buy Now" button below and paying with your credit or debit card or PayPal account. Alternatively, if you prefer to pay by cheque, please email peter@beautifulpots.co.uk and we will contact you.