Coalport Porcelain

Beautiful fine Coalport porcelain has been a favorite of collectors for many years. Although the “brand” Coalport is now part of the Wedgewood company, the original factory started production in Coalbrookdale, Shropshire England in 1795.

John Rose had been making pottery just a mile away near the River Severn. He had been successfully producing pottery and china goods for about fifteen years before he decided to strike out on his own. He was able to purchase several smaller potteries along with their molds to grow his empire which was headquartered along the Coalport canal.

In 1830 Coalport won a major award for their process of fused enamel colors on fine felspar porcelain. They were able to use lead free glazes which were safer although people during that time didn’t understand the ways they could get lead poisoning, just one of which was from vessels that contained lead that came in contact with food and drink.

Mr. Rose’s factory was also the first one to come up with the process of transferring light blue tracing on the porcelain to help maintain the hand painted quality but keep up with the production demands of the factory. Coalport was so well known for it’s high quality and beautiful colors that Queen Victoria commissioned them to produce a huge exquisite table service as a gift to the Czar Nicolas I of Russia.

John Rose died in 1841 and passed the company along to William Pugh and his nephew W. F. Rose. The company changed hands many times before the brand was purchased by Wedgewood in 1967.

One of the original Coalport factory buildings now serves as a cafe, art gallery and youth hostel. Coalport was well known for its Rose Pompadour, Indian Tree, intricate floral and rococo designs and colors. If you want to collect this fine porcelain, read as much as you can on the subject and familiarize yourself with the many ways the pieces were marked over the years and it will help you date the pieces. Happy Collecting!

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