"Aztec" Inspired Tube-Lined Cotswold Tableware

Edited 5th December 2017

A tube-lined coffee cup and saucer came up for sale recently and I was unable to resist! I call this the "Aztec" tableware design simply because of the stepped line motif and the same little tubed rectangles that Charlotte Rhead used in her Aztec pattern 2800.

The design is simple but must have taken a lot of effort, much more so than the stitched edge tableware. I wonder if the tube-liners had to mark out the line lengths before applying the slip before tube-lining, or whether their practised eye meant the ends of the stepped line would always join up correctly. Not to mention all those fiddly small rectangles.

Group of "Aztec" tableware on Cotswold shapes

There are four versions of the design in the pattern books. The tube-lining with black slip is identical for all of them, they just differ in the colour decoration.

Pattern 3213 has scarlet and gold filled pairs of rectangles, gold edge and scarlet and black inner lines. Having the gold probably means this was the expensive version.

Detail of pattern 3213

Pattern 3219 has scarlet and orange filled pairs of rectangles, scarlet edge and scarlet and black inner lines.

Detail of pattern 3219

Teapot in pattern 3219

Many thanks to Carole for sending me a picture of her teapot in pattern 3219. Tableware with handles and knobs, particularly tureens and teapots, are the best for showing off the embellishments that add interest to Charlotte's designs.

Pattern 3220 has scarlet and orange filled pairs of rectangles, orange edge and orange and black inner lines. I have yet to see an example in this colourway.

Pattern 3223 has just the tube-lining and no coloured decoration.

Detail of pattern 3223

All the examples I have seen have AGR1 backstamp style which includes the Cotswold shape registration number. This style was used until about the end of 1934. The design date of these “Aztec” tableware patterns is estimated to be October 1933 and because examples are not common I doubt production continued for long.

Backstamp style found on these designs

In my notes for these designs I have recorded the observation that someone brought  a similar coffee cup and saucer in pattern 3223 shown above for Bernard Bumpus to comment on at the Charlotte Rhead Collectors Day on 30^th July 2000. Since then, there have been very occasional examples for sale on Ebay. Some wide rimmed soup bowls and cream and sugar set in pattern 3213 and coffee pot in pattern 3219. So I am fairly sure there are more examples circulating or in peoples collections.