What is a coffee can?

A coffee can is a straight-sided cylindrical cup designed for serving hot coffee during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They lack the curved bowl shape of traditional teacups. These pieces often feature delicate handles and elaborate floral decoration painted over the glaze.

How do I date a porcelain cup?

Dating relies on examining the paste, glaze characteristics, factory marks on the base and stylistic clues like shape and colour palettes. Regency pieces often exhibit distinct handle forms and vibrant enamel painting. Reference books and archive records help match pattern numbers to specific production years.

Were these cups used daily?

Many cups from the 18th and 19th centuries served functional roles in daily domestic life before entering cabinets as display items. Finer cabinet cups were sometimes kept specifically for formal tea service. Traces of wear often indicate active use in period households.

What does bat printing mean?

Bat printing is a transfer-printing technique using a glue bat to transfer a stippled oil design onto porcelain before dusting it with powdered colour. This method created soft, delicate monochrome images. It gained popularity in the early 19th century for refined tea sets.