4491 - Tudor Rose (brown, orange & green)

Tube-lining: Brown
Enamels: Handling green
Lustres: Orange, dark brown, light brown & bronze
Glaze: Off White
Frequency Ranking: 4/50
Design Date: 1935
Production Period:  Main production 1935 - 1937 but examples made possibly until end of 1940s.
Pattern Name: The name Tudor Rose is explicitly recorded in the pattern book.
Charlotte Rhead Crown Ducal pattern 4491 Tudor Rose
Pattern 4491 Tudor Rose
This is the most popular style of the Tudor Rose/Persian Rose suite of designs. Apart from the black and gold version, (5393) which was introduced later, the remaining styles would have been competing with each other in 1936. We can only speculate if 4491 was the best seller because of price or the fashion of the period, but lustre versions of Charlottes designs always outsold their colourful glazed equivalents.

With regard to the production history of the pattern, about 85% have the period 2 backstamp style the remainder are split between those with the AGR8 style, (which include the table lamps), AGR10 & AGR7, which tend to be just wall chargers, and those with AGR5. The signed examples with AGR5 are mostly chargers. About 4% of the total have the AGR5, 481 style mark.

This reflects a typical Charlotte Rhead production profile for her popular fancies. A main production period lasting for two or three years, followed by a period until Charlotte left in 1942 when a few wall chargers and other special orders continued to be made. Then after Charlotte had departed and while the government restrictions on decorated pottery were in effect, production of this design continued for a while but not in any significant quantities and probably not into the 1950s.

References of the period:
Pottery Gazette and Glass Trades Review, April 1936 page 544.

Another noteworthy pattern, based on the chinese spirit, was the No. 4491, this again having a matt surface. Some very up-to-date table lamps materially assisted the display.