The item
Rare is an often overused description on Ebay but we think it's justified on this occasion with this antique miniature cup and saucer commemorating the 1909 Imperial International Exhibition in London. It's a very interesting piece for both collectors of memorabilia and antique Royal Vienna porcelain.
It ran from May to October 1909 and featured exhibits on arts, science and industry, including displays of aerial navigation, engineering, and automotive technology. It's purpose was to showcase the achievements of the British Empire and other nations.
The exhibition was held at White City, Shepherd's Bush, which was built for the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition. The area got its name because its temporary buildings (like the one illustrated on the inside of the cup) were painted white and the 150-acre site featured numerous palaces, gardens, and lakes. It included an alpine railway ride and a display dedicated to European health resorts and spas.
One of the participating countries was Austria and we assume the cup and saucer were produced by the famous Royal Vienna porcelain company as a souvenir for visitors to the Austrian pavilion. It carries the 'shield' back stamp, sometimes referred to by collectors as 'the beehive' when presented upside down.
The illustration on the inside of the cup of one of the White City buildings is transfer printed, but much of the rest is hand painted in a rich teal, deep orange and complex gilding.
Condition
Given that it was manufactured nearly 120 years ago, it has survived without chips or cracks and with only a few minuscule marks here and there as evidence of a long life (see images)
Pricing
Whenever possible our asking prices are based on either our knowledge of the genre or on what similar pieces have actually been sold for on the international market, rather than what some sellers are asking, which are usually two very different things!
You will normally find that our prices sit somewhere in the middle between auction and professional dealer prices and we are always willing to consider realistic offers.
Shipping
We have a 100pc success rate for over a decade of successfully shipping fragile ceramics and glassware across the UK and the wider World. We only charge what the Post Office and couriers charge us.
International shipping? Since Covid, we have started to use eBay's Global Shipping because it has proved to be competitive and reliable. The service also looks after all the paperwork which has become more complex because of new international tariffs.
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