Item Description
Shelley Rose Spray, also catalogued as Bridal Rose, pattern 13545, presented on a lidded Cylinder Jam or Preserve Pot in English fine bone china. The straight-sided pale pink body carries full sprays of layered pink roses, rosebuds, thorned stems and green leaves, with a matching floral spray on the domed lid, gilt rim and bright gilt finial. The lid incorporates a purpose-made spoon recess, confirming the pot’s table use for jam, jelly, preserves, honey or another condiment. The underside bears the green Fine Bone China Shelley England backstamp, together with handwritten factory notation that appears to read 902/x and small painted working marks. Their precise individual meanings have not been verified and they should not be treated as a pattern number or manufacturing date. Collector schedules identify Rose Spray or Bridal Rose as Shelley pattern 13545. The factory pattern-book range containing 13545 is dated to the mid-1940s, while this backstamp remained in use until Shelley production ended in 1966. A 1950s production date is most probable, although c.1945–1966 is the defensible range for this individual piece. Comparable cylinder-form pots measure about 12 cm high including the lid and 8 cm in diameter. Capacity and weight are researched estimates. A distinctive serving piece for completing or expanding a Shelley Rose Spray service.
Item Condition
Very good vintage used condition. No cracks, repairs, hairlines or structural damage are apparent from the photographs. The straight-sided body, fitted domed lid, spoon recess and pointed gilt finial appear intact and sound. The pale pink ground retains a clean presentation, while the principal rose bouquet and smaller lid spray remain strongly coloured. The layered petals, darker centres, rosebuds, thorned stems and green leaves retain clear definition. The gilt line around the container and gilding on the finial remain present. Light age-related rubbing, local thinning or surface wear may be visible, consistent with normal handling and storage. Fine crazing can occur on bone china of this age, although none is readily visible to the naked eye. No obvious staining, major discolouration or intrusive restoration is apparent. The opening in the lid is a factory-made spoon recess and should not be mistaken for a chip. The underside remains readable, including the green Fine Bone China Shelley England backstamp, handwritten notation that appears to read 902/x and small painted factory marks. Please examine every photograph at full size. The images show the decoration, gilding, lid, finial, recess, body and base markings and form an integral part of the description. A picture is worth a thousand words and provides the clearest visual record of this vintage Shelley preserve pot’s appearance and condition.
Manufacturer Info
Shelley’s history developed at the Foley China Works in Longton, Staffordshire. Joseph Ball Shelley joined the Wileman concern in 1862 and later became a partner in Wileman & Co. His son Percy entered the business in 1881 and drove improvements in fine-china quality, decoration and exports. Percy recruited artists and lithographic designers, helping the factory establish an identity based on thinly potted bone china, distinctive shapes and skilled decoration. After a legal dispute over the Foley name, Shelley branding appeared from 1910. The Shelley name became the company’s official identity in 1925, and Shelley Potteries Ltd was formed in 1929. Its inter-war and post-war output combined transfer printing with hand-applied colour, lining and gilding. The family retained control until Allied English Potteries acquired the business in 1966, when manufacture under the Shelley name ended. This preserve pot belongs to Shelley’s later best-ware production. Pattern 13545, catalogued as Rose Spray or Bridal Rose, falls within a pattern-book group dated to the mid-1940s and continued in use afterwards. Its pale pink cylinder body, naturalistic rose sprays, spoon recess and gilt finial show the firm adapting a successful floral decoration to a specialised tea-table form. The piece connects Shelley’s bone-china expertise with presentation ware favoured during its final decades.
Did You Know?
Did you know? The person who created or adapted Shelley’s Rose Spray design is not securely identified in the public record. Pattern 13545 kept its factory identity, yet the artist or lithographic designer behind its layered pink roses largely disappeared from view. The women who applied colour, lining and gilding were usually anonymous too. Shelley’s backstamp research explains that paintresses used dots and squiggles so the factory could identify their work and calculate piece-rate wages. This cylinder jam pot carries small painted marks and handwritten notation resembling 902/x, but no evidence allows those marks to be assigned to a named decorator or workshop team. Its direct link to Theme 17 is clear: the Rose Spray pattern survived and became collectable, while the designers and finishers responsible for this lid, gilt finial and floral surface remain mostly forgotten.
Multi-Buy
Save more when you purchase multiple items in the same order!Buy 2 items - SAVE 5% off the total items value!
Buy 3 items - SAVE 10% off the total items value!
Buy 4 items - SAVE 15% off the total items value!
When & How?
Option 1/Recommended/ : BEFORE PAYMENT
Option 2 : AFTER PAYMENT
Bespoke Custom Listings
Triple Saving!When & How?
Once you have decided which items you would like to purchase:
Combined Postage
Save more when you purchase multiple items qualifying for combined postage!When & How?
Option 1/Recommended/ : ITEMS PURCHASED TOGETHER IN ONE ORDER
Option 2 : ITEMS PURCHASED AS SEPARATE ORDERS
Postage
Every order is assessed individually due to the fragile nature of my items. The safety of your items always comes first.
When posting within the UK, we use eBay Simple Delivery, and for international postage we use eBay International Shipping. By using eBay's postage services, parcels are covered against loss or damage in transit, providing protection for both the buyer and the seller.
Within eBay's postage services, we always try to find the best available value-for-money postage option; in fact, this is almost always Royal Mail.
Returns
Due to the fragile and often irreplaceable nature of our collectable items, we ask that all purchases and returns are handled with particular care. Returns are accepted in accordance with our eBay return policy, eBay Buyer Protection and applicable consumer rights.
If you wish to return an item, please submit a return request through eBay within the applicable return period and follow the instructions provided. Items should be returned carefully and securely packaged, wherever possible using the original protective packaging, and in the same condition in which they were received.
If an item arrives damaged, faulty, incorrect or not as described, please contact us promptly through eBay so that the matter can be resolved in accordance with eBay's policies and your applicable consumer rights.
We always aim to approach every concern fairly and professionally. If you experience any problem with your order, please contact us through eBay and we will do our best to assist and resolve the matter promptly.
Postage Cost Guide
General Royal Mail postage cost guide based on 1 kg, 2 kg and 5 kg parcels and their destinations:
