I see a lot of beautiful tea cups at estate sales and have to school myself to only purchase special ones. This one I had to have!

What makes it special - the deep marron color of the outside and saucer, the delicate scalloped edges and the amazing gold filigree design around the inside of the rim. Wow! It is from Aynsley, Bone China, Made in England.

This is a real beauty for the Aynsley collector!

My research on the back stamp indicates the following:

In circa. 1885, the royal seal begins to appear; the crown sits above an arched scroll or rectangle containing the name “AYNSLEY.” This stamp is usually in green. To determine the year, add the printed number to 1924 - eg 1924 1 = 1925; 1924 23 = 1947; 1924 30 = 1954.

This piece has a green Aynsley logo in a arched scroll with the crown above and 28. I interpret this as 1928, base on the information above.

A bit of history on the company I found - The Aynsley China history began in 1775 in Longton, Staffordshire where they were the first to specialize in luster ware. In 1970 they were acquired by Waterford and in 1997 they were taken over by Belleek. They still manufacture fine bone china with intricate designs and hand painted gold and platinum gild.

The condition is incredible, no chips or crazing or fleabites. I do not even see any paint loss on the gold rim. There are usage marks on the feet of both the cup and saucer. This lovely set is a pleasure to hold and crafted with care, and would compliment any spot you place it in or make a memorable gift.

Dimensions:

Saucer - 5 1/2" diameter

Cup - 3 7/8" diameter
4 1/2 wide with handle
2 3/4" high