RARE 1869 Minton Large Breakfast Teacup Saucer Butterfly Handle Aesthetic G271 For Sale

Item Description:Up for sale is a museum-quality, exceptionally rare Minton & Co. Aesthetic Movement "Butterfly Handle" full-size Breakfast teacup and matching Saucer.While standard afternoon tea and miniature demitasse sizes from this iconic service appear occasionally, this incredibly large 4 and one quarter 9inche diameter breakfast cup version is an absolute rarity for Minton and Victorian porcelain collectors.Historical Provenance & Dates:The Saucer: bears the crisp, impressed "MINTON" text mark used between 1862-1871. It features the three-leaf clover/trefoil factory year cypher for November 1968 (Month Code: K). the base features the hand-painted, iron-red enamel factory pattern code series prefix.The Cup: Features the official British Patent office Registration Diamond Mark (Kite Mark) documenting the precise date Minton registered and secured the patent for this sculptural butterfly handle shape;: April 7, 1869 (Class IV, Day 7, Month H, Year D). It bears the premium hand-painted master artist pattern number G271.Design and Artistry:A stunning masterpiece of Victorian Japonisme, featuring asymmetrical, finely hand-enameled wild pink rose branches, rose hips, and realistically rendered moths over a signature Minton mint/celadon green ground color. the cup features a factory reserved, smooth circular window left blank by the factory artisans for a custom family monogram or crest. The handle is an intricately modeled, three-dimensional butterfly completely finished in heavy burnished gold gilt.Detailed Condition Report:This 157-year-old set is structurally sound, highly resonant when tapped, and completely free of structural cracks, hairlines, or modern restorations.The Butterfly Handle: Structurally sound and firmly attached. Please note the upper wing tip features an authentic 1869 factory mold flaw (indentation), which was completely gilded over at the factory. there is a tiny, superficial surface nick to the gold layer at the very tip, revealing a pinprick of the white porcelain body beneath (clearly documented in the photos). No post-factory structural breaks or repairs.Gilding & Enamels:Minor, honest age-related surface wear to the 22k gold rim gilding and slight micro-flaking to the hand-painted enamel leaves on the saucer face, completely consistent with age and gentle handling. The front of the cup features a warm amber tone over the circular reserve window caused by the natural 19th-century oxidation of the original factory flux glaze.Dimensions: Cup Diameter: 4 and three eighths inches (Excluding handle)Cup Height: 2 and five eighths inches.Cup Length: 5 and five eighths inches, wing tip to front.Saucer: 6 and one half inches across.Saucer Height: Thirteen sixteenths inches.
MBCS#153