Category: Vintage Arts
Gorgeous Gossamer
Sometimes you find china that’s just a little bit different to the usual florals and patterns and it’s lovely to have a few pieces that stand out from the crowd and make you smile when you see them. This delightful tea set by Royal Albert called “Gossamer” does just that! It was made around 1950 and has what’s known as “smooth shape” cups. There are 6 teacups, saucers and side plates in blue, green, grey, pink, yellow and orange with a larger serving plate, a sugar bowl and a milk jug. Strangely it seems that there was never a teapot made for the set (but please do let us know if you have one!) but through the 1960′s and 70′s the factory made another set called “Gossamer” in plain white which did have a coffee pot!
The coloured Gossamer pattern was also made right through the 60′s and 70′s but with a more sculpted shape (known as Lyric – shown below) and with a gilded pattern on the inside rim of the cups – (you can tell the difference in the dates – a brown/orange backstamp is from the 50′s and a black backstamp denotes china produced during the 60′s and 70′s.)
Started by Thomas Wild in around 1894 as a family business in Longton (one of the 6 towns that 
make up the famous Stoke-on-Trent “Potteries”), Royal Albert produced a huge number of different patterns and shapes of china but was always inspired by the English Country Garden and our national flower, the rose. Many of you may be familiar with the “Old Country Roses” pattern shown below. We have lots of this in our own collection and it’s always popular with our clients and works beautifully when mis-matched with other china.
(Many thanks to www.royalalbertpatterns.com for the photo below and for those of the backstamps and the Lyric design).
The Night Before Christmas!
For our final blog of 2012 we thought we would share with you one of our favourite Christmas poems “Twas the Night before Christmas” also known as “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by American poet Clement Clarke Moore (1779 – 1863). Apparently, before this poem became so popular, St. Nicholas (of course Santa Claus) had never been associated with a sleigh or reindeers! Can’t really imagine not having Rudolf around at Christmas!
Merry Christmas from all at Vintage Dorset! We hope you have a peaceful and joyful day and a great New Year – see you in 2013!
Twas the Night before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”