For nearly 100 years, Wiltshaw & Robinson, the founders of Carlton Ware, made a special range of pottery and bone china at their Copeland Street Works in Stoke-on-Trent. Best Ware was the name given to their most decorated goods, featuring both printed and painted patterns. These were often painted both under and over glazed, with luster, gilding and relief decoration. Perhaps the most popular Best Ware is that of the art deco period. Best Ware can be further divided into different categories. The so-called Salad Ware was immensely popular. This was modeled with great expertise and hand painted in attractive colors. This Salad Ware is then further divided into Floral Embossed and Fruit Embossed. One of the most popular below was “Lettuce & Tomato” which was produced for over 50 years. Other popular designs were Apple Blossom, Buttercup, Wild Rose and the Foxglove (Foxglove), among many others. What is presented here is an extensive tea set in the “Foxglove” design. An unseen whole that you will rarely encounter. It consists of a teapot with lid, a sugar bowl with lid, a milk jug, a smaller flat dish, a larger higher bowl, four cups and four saucers, and a salt and pepper shaker (both with cork stopper) with mustard jar on a dish! ! This was made from creamware or faience fine, with a yellowish glossy glaze as base color, embossed with leaves, veins and of course with the hand-painted “foxglove” design (foxglove), in bright green, a very delicate pink and brown. The braided crabapple handles of the teapot and milk jug are very decorative. Everything was also glazed yellow on the inside, sometimes in a lighter shade of yellow. At the bottom several pieces are signed with the mark stamped in black “Carlton Ware, Made in England,“ Trademark ”,“ REGISTRED AUSTRALIAN DESIGN REGISTRATION APPLIED FOR ”. Australian design was used to cut off copyists. Also on the base we see the imprinted form numbers “1883 3” and “1881” at the bottom. Also 2 small red stripes painted next to each other, and sometimes an “H” and sometimes three dots in green, perhaps marks of painters. Very nice art deco design with fantastic colors. This is a top work of Carlton, and can hardly be found in this extensive setting. It can be dated 1939-40 on the basis of the printed form number.

Condition: just perfect!