Item Description
This Shelley duo comprises a Regent shape teacup and saucer decorated in pattern 2200 Syringa. The design features strong yellow and orange flowers with green and muted brown foliage against a white fine bone china ground, finished with a distinctive turquoise blue rim and matching circular ring handle. The Regent cup has the characteristic tapered Art Deco form, while the saucer carries the floral decoration towards one side. Pattern 2200 is a documented Seconds Ware pattern and its combination with the Regent shape makes this an interesting example of Shelley's 1930s production. The decoration is particularly striking for its bold floral colour balance. The base carries the Shelley England mark together with Reg No 781613 and the circled number 2 associated with Seconds Ware. The handwritten marking W.S. 2200 identifies the pattern number. Shelley research records that pre-war pattern numbers were commonly hand painted, while registered design numbers were printed. The Seconds Ware records place pattern 2200 Syringa in the pattern book sequence and show its entry alongside patterns recorded on 19 October 1935. The most probable manufacture year is therefore 1935, supported by the pattern book evidence, Regent registration and factory markings.
Item Condition
The duo is in VERY GOOD VINTAGE & USED CONDITION and remains a complete matching Shelley cup and saucer. The fine bone china body is intact, with a bright glossy glaze and strong yellow, orange, green and turquoise decoration. The floral painting remains clear and well defined, while the blue turquoise rim and circular ring handle retain their decorative finish. No chips, cracks or hairline fractures are identified from the inspection, and no repair or restoration is identified. The circled 2 on the base is the original Seconds Ware identification and should not be confused with later damage or repair. The photographs form an integral part of this description and show the complete duo, its decoration, shape and detailed base markings. The item dates from approximately 1935, so normal age related surface changes should be allowed for when assessing its condition. The Shelley England mark, Reg No 781613, circled 2 and handwritten W.S. 2200 can all be seen on the base. Questions regarding condition, markings, dimensions or any other aspect of the duo are welcome before purchase.
Manufacturer Info
Shelley Potteries Ltd. developed from the Foley China Works established by Henry Wileman in 1860, with Joseph Ball Shelley joining the business in 1862. The Shelley name became the official registered company name in 1925, and Shelley Potteries Ltd. was formed as a limited company in 1929. The company became particularly influential during the 1920s and 1930s, when its Art Deco shapes and fine bone china designs reached an exceptional level of originality. Walter Slater was the major artistic force before 1937, followed by his son Eric Slater, who became Art Director after his father's retirement. The factory archive now includes 35 pattern books, preserved within the Minton Archive, together with two decorating scrapbooks. The Seconds Ware pattern book alone covers numbers 2000 to 2571, while the surviving Shelley pattern records document thousands of tea ware designs. Pattern 2200 Syringa belongs to this distinctive Seconds Ware sequence. Regent was one of the company's important Art Deco shapes and its registration number 781613 is directly visible on this duo. The factory continued producing fine bone china through the post-war period before Shelley Potteries Ltd. was taken over by Allied English Potteries in 1966. The surviving Shelley shapes, patterns and archives remain an important record of Britain's twentieth century fine china industry.
Did You Know?
Shelley Seconds Ware was not simply ordinary china that happened to be sold cheaply. The factory maintained a dedicated sequence of Seconds patterns, beginning at 2000, because a fault had been identified at the white ware manufacturing stage. The pieces could still be decorated and sold rather than discarded, but they were given separate pattern numbers and were normally sold below first quality. The dedicated Seconds sequence eventually ran from 2000 to 2571, covering production from June 1919 until the takeover by Allied English Potteries in 1966. Pattern 2200 Syringa therefore belongs to a remarkably well defined historical sequence. Even more revealing, the circled 2 on this cup is itself a recognised Shelley Seconds Ware mark. The factory was effectively turning production faults into a separate commercial product stream, creating hundreds of patterns that collectors now actively seek.
