The Berthoud cup collection

The Berthoud collection of around 1,743 cups and saucers concentrates largely on English porcelain of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, from which period all the major English manufacturers are represented including Minton, Bristol, Poole and Wedgwood potteries. The collection has been assembled over twenty years and enables us to trace the evolution of cup shapes, from the early tea bowls and coffee cups through the intricacies of the revived rococo to the extraordinary variety of 20th century designs. The history of decoration in all its forms can also be studied: enamelling, ground laying, gilding (both matt and billnished), silver and purple lustre, underglaze printing, bat printing and pluck and dust, multi-coloured prints from a single engraved plate and full colour litho printing are all represented.