Midwinter `Mexicana` 6 x Coffee Cups and 5 x Saucers by Jessie Tait

Title: Midwinter "Mexicana" 6 x Coffee Cups and 5 x Saucers by Jessie Tait.
Manufactured By: Made in Staffordshire, England, Circa 1960's.
Coffee Cup Diameter: 6.5cm.
Coffee Cup and Saucer Height: 7.0cm.
Saucer Diameter: 12.5cm.
Material: Ironstone.
Info: Jessica Tait created some of the best known and most innovative ceramic designs of the 1950s. The work she made as chief designer of Midwinter Pottery was characteristic of its time: cheerily and wittily modernist, exuberantly abstract and imbued with the forward-looking visual style of the Festival of Britain.

Beautifully hand painted vertical stripes of ochre, olive, rust and grey with black accents. The colours are still vibrant and sharp.
Every aspect of this design has been carefully considered, from the shapes to elements such as the lid which shaped in quite a complex manner underneath so it will not fall out when being poured.
Jessie Tait worked for the Midwinter Pottery between 1946 and 1974. Like other Potteries-based ceramic designers such as Clarice Cliff, Susie Cooper and Charlotte Rhead, her work has become highly sought after and valued by pottery collectors.
Jessie Tait was an iconic designer of the "Fine" Shape (1962-1978). 
Mexicana was the only hand painted pattern in the series, which can be seen as an early precursor of the iconic Stonehenge Pattern. The form for the Fine Shape were designed and developed by the Marquis of Queensberry and Roy Midwinter and were loosely based on a milk churn.
In 1932 the business was incorporated as W. R. Midwinter Ltd, with William R Midwinter and A. T. Godwin as Directors. Employing @ 700 people in the 1940's.
Roy Midwinter joined the company in 1946 after demobilisation from the Royal Air Force.
The business became very sucessful and in 1964 Midwinter acquired the businesses of A. J. Wilkinson and Newport Pottery.
In the late 1960's Midwinter merged with J & G Meakin in 1968 under 'British Tableware Ltd' 
The Meakin-Midwinter business was taken over by the Wedgwood Group in 1970. 
The Midwinter name continued within the Wedgwood Group until 1987 when the Meakin & Midwinter (Holdings) Ltd business was closed.  (The Potteries.org)

Condition: Very Good, the Coffee Cups and saucers are in very good vintage condition with no chips or cracks or crazing. 1 Saucer missing from the set.
Price: R 295.00 Inc Vat for 6 x Cups and 5 x Saucers.