ROYAL WINTON GRIMWADES
Demitasse Cup & Saucer
Stunning floral "Majestic" pattern.
Cup
Diameter – 8,1cm = Length - 10cm Handle to edge = Height – 6,1cm
Condition: Usage wear & chip on the lip of the cup as shown in the images.
Saucer
Diameter – 14,4 cm = Height – 1,8cm
Condition: Some usage wear & gilt wear.
Originally known as Grimwade Brothers it was founded by Leonard Lumsden Grimwade. Leonard had shown a natural talent for modeling pottery and it was in this field that his infant business began, in 1885. He was soon joined in business by his older brother, Sidney Richard, another potter. By 1890 new showrooms had been purchased in Stoke-on-Trent and London. It was a measure of the company’s success that by 1906, Grimwades Limited was operating from four factories in the potteries. Leonard experimented with new methods of manufacture and he developed the Enamel Climax Rotary Kiln, Duplex Lithographic transfers and other groundbreaking techniques. In 1913 King George V and Queen Mary visited the potteries and the brothers issued a catalogue to commemorate the event. The Queen purchased a Winton Tea set and was delighted to be presented with a gift of a Mecca Foot Warmer (an oval ceramic hot water bottle).
In 1928 ‘Marguerite’ the first Royal Winton Chintz was launched and was an immediate success. These tightly grouped, highly detailed and vibrant all over floral patterns were to become a milestone in the company’s reputation for versatility and beauty. Following an advertisement in the ‘Potteries Gazette’ in 1929, Royal Winton became the established trade name for Grimwades Limited, and has remained so through to the present day. Leonard Lumsden Grimwade died in 1931 but his legacy survived and the company went from strength to strength under the leadership of his successor James Plant. Discontinued in the early 1960’s due to high production costs associated with this style of decoration, Royal Winton Chintz has become highly desirable in the antique market today. In 1995 the company was purchased by its current owners who reverted back to the original company name of Grimwades Limited trading as Royal Winton. Chairman Ian Davis commented, “It soon became apparent that we had acquired a company with a most unique heritage”.
The year of 1995 has been incorporated into the backstamp of the latest range of Chintz to avoid confusion with antique pieces. In March 1997 the first new piece of Royal Winton Chintz for nearly forty years was introduced and unveiled at a the chintz convention in Pasadena, California.The company has witnessed many changes over the past century but one thing has never altered, its dedication to quality, design and beauty, which continues to excite the many collectors around the world.
