Like any piece of art, this teacup has a provenance or history which tells a story of how it came into being. Back in 1794, a ceramic factory was opened following the orders of the Prussian King - Friedrich Wilhelm, in a town called Tettau, in Bavaria, Germany. This was a factory to champion and outlast all others. Its name was Royal Bayreuth and if you’re ever in Bavaria, you can go and visit it to this very day.
Royal Bayreuth China has become quite collectable because it is both fine and utilitarian, built to last. If you’re ever trawling through an antique store, you might be blessed enough to come across some of their more enterprising and creative ‘everyday’ objects; such as milk jugs which are made in the likeness if kangaroos, crayfish or turtles!
This factory was pioneering because part of its purpose was to create beautiful, fine and sturdy china for the everyday use. Before this point, China was generally only for the rich, royal and famous and was not particularly massed produced. In the two centuries following, you wouldn’t find a household without a tea cup, though these days they are more often admired as collectables as opposed to a vessel for your afternoon cuppa.
By looking at the makers stamp at the bottom, we can see two lions facing each other carrying shields with P and T in them. This was the stamp employed by Royal Bayreuth in 1902 and was disestablished in 1968, when the lions started facing away from each other instead. It also reads Royal Bayreuth which tells us that these pieces were made specifically for export; possibly for America or Great Britain, or straight here to New Zealand. This teacup along with other similar items were donated to the Sarjeant by a local supporter, who said they had been in their family for several generations.