Antique Staffordshire Yellow Chintz Melbar Ware Saucer Trio Bowl Jug

• Type: Antique Part Tea Service Trio / Slop Bowl, Creamer & Saucer Set

• Designer: Staffordshire Art Pottery Ceramicist

• Brand: Melbar Ware (Mayer & Sherratt)

• Manufacturer: Barlows (Longton) Ltd

• Place of Origin: Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England

• Style: King George V Art Nouveau into Deco Transition / Decorative Chintz Border

• Colour: Canary Yellow & Custard Cream Ground with Pink Foliate & Laurel Trim

• Design Era: Early 20th Century Antique (c. 1912–1920s)

• Material: Vitric Semi-Porcelain / Heavy-Gauge English Earthenware Matrix

• Set Includes: 1 Cream/Milk Jug, 1 Slop/Waste Bowl, and 1 Matching Under-Saucer

• Features: Acid-yellow mottled chintz stipple borders, hand-painted over-glaze pink rose medallion cartouches, geometric black transfer swags, neoclassical green laurel wreath rims, gilded highlights, original stamped maker’s mark with pattern inventory number 468

• Condition: Good Antique Condition (Honest age-related structural wear with zero structural cracks)

• Size and capacity: Slop Bowl: 5.25" (13.3cm) Diameter x 3.0" (7.6cm) Height | Cream Jug: 4.5" (11.4cm) Height | Saucer: 5.5" (14.0cm) Diameter | Combined Weight: Approx 620g

• Dating: This rare survival dates strictly to the early 20th century King George V era (c. 1912–1920s). The clear backstamp under the base features the distinctive printed scrolled cartouche for Melbar Ware, topped by the initials B Ltd (Barlows Longton Ltd) alongside the hand-painted pattern code 468. The trademark registration profile and use of the "Vitric Semi-Porcelain" earthenware matrix are diagnostic markers of this specific Longton manufacturer during the Art Nouveau into early Art Deco transition period.

• Historical Note: In the fine dining etiquette of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, a high-end tea service always required a dedicated "slop bowl" (or waste bowl) to hold the dregs of cooling tea before refilling a guest's cup. This beautifully preserved set was manufactured in the heart of the British ceramics industry—Longton, Stoke-on-Trent—by Mayer & Sherratt and distributed via Barlows Ltd. Moving away from traditional plain white utility patterns, this design features a bold, highly fashionable canary yellow stippled chintz band framed by neoclassical laurel leaf borders and hand-enamelled summer cottage roses. It represents a fantastic, bright chapter in Staffordshire art pottery history, making it a spectacular statement piece for modern antique dressers and high-tea displays.

A delightfully scarce and visually striking three-piece antique Staffordshire semi-porcelain part tea service, comprising a generous slop bowl, a tall milk/cream jug, and a matching under-saucer. The set boasts an exceptionally vivid aesthetic, combining a textured yellow background band with elegant neoclassical black transfer borders and hand-painted floral panels.

Expert Identification & Design Features:
• Mottled Chintz Border Work: The bright yellow bands feature a deliberate, fine stipple pattern mimicking premium French chintz fabrics, bordered by delicate geometric lace swags.

• Hand-Enamelled Highlights: Each of the classical oval medallions contains a bunch of pink summer roses, finished with hand-applied impasto enamel dots that catch the light beautifully.

• Neoclassical Laurel Trim: The upper rims are tracked by a continuous, striking green geometric laurel leaf wreath ribbon, lending the set a sophisticated, structural frame.

This heirloom trio is in good, structurally sound antique condition, showcasing beautiful domestic history and age-related character. The earthenware matrix is completely solid across all three pieces, free from any structural cracks, deep chips, or major restorations. To be completely precise for collectors: the milk jug displays a historic glaze flake/small nibble to the outer rim glaze near the handle top, a tiny hairline stabilization mark to the lower handle base, and a small glaze-skip mark on the handle curve. The slop bowl shows a light purple historic under-glaze manufacturing smudge to one side and gentle, honest internal clean crazing commensurate with more than 100 years of family utility. The original gilt edges show an attractive, gentle rubbing to the high-use boundaries, producing a highly desirable antique patina.

• Domestic Shipping: FREE UK TRACKED DELIVERY.

• International Shipping: We proudly ship worldwide via eBay International Shipping (eIS), ensuring robust built-in payout and return protections.

• Packaging: Professionally packaged. Each element will be thoroughly separated with anti-scratch wrap, double-bubble-wrapped to protect the delicate handle and bowl walls, and nested securely inside a heavy-density void-fill box to ensure zero movement during shipment.

• Dispatch: Order before 12.00pm and we ship same day.

We want you to be delighted with your heritage find.
• Not as Described: In the unlikely event of an error in our listing, we will provide a full refund and cover the return postage costs.

• Change of Mind: We accept returns within 30 days; however, in these instances, the buyer is responsible for the return shipping costs.

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