Mintons Ltd. (England) tea sets

Mintons Ltd. was a prominent British ceramic manufacturer that was established in Stoke-on-Trent, England, in 1793 by Thomas Minton and was an independent business from 1793 to 1968. The company quickly gained a reputation for producing high-quality ceramics, and in 1849, it was appointed the official pottery supplier to the Queen.

One of Mintons' most notable contributions to the ceramic industry was the development of a new type of ceramic body, known as "Parian ware," in the mid-19th century. Parian ware was a white, unglazed porcelain that was named after Paros, the Greek island renowned for its fine-textured, white Parian marble, used since antiquity for sculpture. Minton's parian ware was designed to resemble marble, and was used to create a variety of decorative objects, including busts, figurines, and vases.

Mintons also became known for its innovative and high-quality designs, which often featured intricate more... patterns and motifs. The company collaborated with a number of prominent artists and designers, including Christopher Dresser, who is credited with introducing Japanese design elements to British ceramics.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mintons continued to produce a wide variety of ceramic products, including tableware, tiles, and architectural ceramics. The company also expanded its operations to include the production of art pottery, with a focus on more experimental designs and techniques. Mintons made special pieces for the major exhibitions that were a feature of the period, beginning with the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, where they won a bronze medal for "beauty and originality of design". They followed this with a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1855 in Paris. In London Queen Victoria bought Parian pieces and, for 1,000 guineas, a dessert service in a mix of bone china and Parian, which she gifted to Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.

Throughout the 20th century, Mintons faced increasing competition from foreign manufacturers, and in the 1960s, the company merged with Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd. to form Royal Doulton-Minton Ltd. The Mintons name and brand was later dropped less...