ROYAL ALBERT VINTAGE (1966-1970S) MINUET PATTERN SHELLEY SHAPED CUP AND SAUCER AND SIDEPLATE TRIO 5TH OF 6

AN ELEGANT ROYAL ALBERT MINUET PATTERN CUP AND SAUCER AND SIDEPLATE TRIO. THE FIFTH OF SIX SUCH CUP AND SAUCER WITH SIDEPLATE TRIOS WITH A MILK PITCHER AND SUGAR BOWL IN THIS MINUET PATTERN ON AUCTION THIS WEEK.

ITS BEAUTIFULLY AND LOVELY DECORATED WITH A LARGE PINK ROSE VINING V SHAPED MINUET FLOWERS. THE CUP, SAUCER AND SIDEPLATE HAS SCALLOPED OR WAVY GOLD GILDED RIMS WITH AN INTERESTING FLUTED RAISED PATTERN NEAR THE OUTSIDE EDGES.

MINUET PATTERN (1966-1970S): A CLASSIC ENGLISH GARDEN PATTERN WITH A LARGE PINK ROSE AND VINING RANKING BLUE MINUET FLOWERS. ROYAL ALBERT HAD VARIOUS MINUET PATTERNS SINCE THE 1940S BUT THIS MINUET PATTERN WITH THE VINES IN A V-SHAPE WAS IN PRODUCTION FOR AROUND 10 YEARS FROM 1966 AND DISCONTINUED IN THE 1970S SHORTLY AFTER ROYAL DOULTON TOOK OVER THE PEARSON GROUP AND HENCE ROYAL ALBERT IN 1972.
 
SHELLEY CUP SHAPE:
Introduced in 1966, this shape is known as both the Shelley Shape and the Dainty Shape. This is the year that the Shelley China company was taken over by the Allied English Potteries and the production of Shelley China was stopped. This cup shape is heavily textured that has petal-like ribbed panels that widen near the top. Looking at the saucer that accompanies the teacup, it is easy to spy the petals of a flower.
 
SIZE: CUP 11CM WIDE 7,0CM HIGH; SAUCER 14CM DIAMETER 2CM HIGH; SIDEPLATE: 18CM DIAMETER 1CM JIGH
 
CONDITION: IN GOOD CONDITION. NO CHIPS. NO CRACKS. SOME WEAR TO GOLD GILDING ON ALL PIECES BUT ARTWORK IN GOOD CONDITION.
 
ROYAL ALBERT BONE CHINA MARK USED FROM 1935 TO 1980:
MINUET IS ONE OF THE OLD PATTERNS THAT HAD THEIR OWN SPECIFIC BACKSTAMP LOGO.
FIRST IT WAS ROYAL ALBERT. THEN FROM 1905 TO 1934 IT WAS ROYAL ALBERT CROWN CHINA. BY 1935 IT BECAME ROYAL ALBERT BONE CHINA. THE BONE CHINA MARK WITHOUT COPYRIGHT DATES WAS USED UNTIL AROUND 1980. THEREAFTER BETWEEN 1980 TO 2002 THE BONE CHINA MARKS HAD COPYRIGHT DATES ON THEM. HOWEVER SOMETIMES THE PATTERN DATES CAN NARROW THE PERIOD.
THIS PARTICULAR MARK IS A BONE CHINA MINUET MARK WITHOUT COPYRIGHT DATE USED BETWEEN 1966 AND INTO THE EARLY 1970S.
On 20th December 2002, Royal Doulton ceased Royal Albert production in England and moved manufacture to Asia with Backstamps not having the word "England" on it. This continued after the Wedgwood takeover of Royal Doulton and the Royal Albert name in 2005.
In 2009 - Royal Albert was one of the three brands to survive the sale of Waterford Wedgwood assets. The Company is now known as "WWRD" with it appearing on the  New 2012 Backstamps
 
ROYAL ALBERT (1896-): Royal Albert china is fine bone china and has been produced in England since 1896. Royal Albert china was originally produced in the Albert pottery works Longton. Royal Albert Crown China was a brand of Thomas C Wild and Co. By 1935 the Royal Albert Crown China and TCW branding had developed into Royal Albert Bone China.
In 1964 T C Wild & Co was bought by the Pearson Group then merged with Lawleys ltd to form Allied English Potteries Ltd, but Wild was allowed to operate almost independently, and Royal Albert China continued as a leading china brand of the company.
T. C. Wild & Sons Ltd continued production of their iconic Royal Albert China at the Edensor works, throughout the 1960's and in 1970 T C Wild was renamed Royal Albert Ltd. In 1972 The Royal Doulton Group acquired the Pearson Group, and all its subsidiaries. Production of Royal Albert China was transferred to St Mary's works until it closed in 1998.
Between 1998 and 2002 Royal Albert china production was transferred to other works including factories in Indonesia, so not all Royal Albert china is in fact English! 
In 2005 Wedgwood took over the Royal Doulton group, and the Royal Albert China Brand. Wedgwood china itself went into receivership in 2008, the current brand owners are WWRD Holding Ltd.

PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER ITEMS LISTED. I HAVE VARIOUS PORCELAIN ITEMS ON AUCTION THIS WEEK. VARIOUS ROYAL ALBERT AND MEISSEN CUPS AND SAUCERS AS WELL AS TWO BEAUTIFUL LADY HAMILTON CROWN DEVON PIECES.