Let's continue the story of the true British tradition of five o-clock and English porcelain.

What is five o'clock tea and how does it happen? It's an afternoon tea or a tea at five o clock. A true British would not miss it for anything in the world! A starched tablecloth, a porcelain tea set, elegant cutlery, tea with milk, sandwiches, cookies, cakes and leisurely conversation are all the attributes of the five o-clock tea or the English tea.

The history of five-o-clock tea

Tea became popular during the reign of the king Charles II and his wife Catherine of Braganza. The Royal couple liked to drink tea and enjoy its invigorating aroma. Their affection made tea popular among the British aristocracy. The reason for the love of tea is quite commonplace — in the middle of the 18th century people usually sat at the table twice: at breakfast and lunch. The lunch at the Royal table was served not earlier than at 8 pm. As you know, hunger is no joke, and to ease the waiting for the long awaited dinner people began to drink tea. The Duchess of Bedford was the first to welcome guests at five-o-clock tea and by the end of the 19th century the tradition of drinking tea at five o'clock has turned from a small home event to a real pink tea. This trend has become nationwide and the upscale restaurants started to lay the table for those who want to meet at drinking afternoon tea.

Today the long tradition is on the decline and in the house of the average Englishman you won't probably see family members gathered together at the tea table at five o'clock in the afternoon, because at this time most people are just getting back home after work. However, in almost all cafes and restaurants, this custom is respected, and you will be able to try this truly English ceremony. Five-o-clock tea is still served in the Royal palaces and most private clubs, as well as in the conservative shops and hotels, who thus try to emphasize their elitism and adherence to traditions.

But no matter at which time we sit down to drink tea, we serve our table with real English porcelain! Today it is the most magnificent tableware from Royal Crown Derby.

ROYAL CROWN DERBY

The famous and established in the market Royal Crown Derby brand represents 250 years of tradition and skills passed from generation to generation by specialists of the factory in Derby, in the heart of England. The factory was founded in the middle of the 1750s, when the Huguenot Andrew Planchet founded the production of bone china, which, in fact, made the factory famous. In 1755 king George III gave the company the Royal Permission to put the image of a Royal crown in the stigma of the factory. Queen Victoria also recognized the quality of the porcelain by giving the company the prestigious title "Royal" in 1890, and since that time the factory has been called "Royal Crown Derby".

Today Royal Crown Derby is a manufacturer of the most expensive English bone china. Many of the skills involved in the production have been passed down from generation to generation. This is one of the few companies, which still uses methods of shading porcelain to achieve greater refinement and transparency of the products. Moreover, the factory is the only manufacturer of brand bone china, producing 100% of its products in England. Therefore, all utensils with the Royal Crown Derby label is the MOST ENGLISH OF ALL ENGLISH DISHES!

Patterns for Royal Crown Derby are created by famous artists and designers, one of them was made by Salvador Dali. Isn't it recognizable? A little rowdy, but...

The famous fashion designer Bruce Oldfield also lit up in Royal Crown Derby. He created designs for Princess Diana and today his name is considered in England synonymous with style and chic. It's funny because in 2008 he also designed uniforms for employees of McDonald's. Yeah, yeah, I skeptically raised my eyebrow! Here is the answer of the Oldfield to people like me: "Many are unable to perceive the words "McDonald's" and "chic" in the same sentence, but my goal was to make it possible. It was a serious challenge, but I am very happy with the result." Here is what he made for Royal Crown Derby:

The most famous artist on porcelain and ceramics Ken Eastman also had a hand in the Royal Crown Derby porcelain. His works are exhibited in many countries and have repeatedly won prestigious awards in the field of ceramic art. The products from the Peter Ting collection created for Royal Crown Derby are exhibited at the Museum of Art and Design in New York. The original shape of the cup in the photo below is his signature style. Oh, I love sort of a combination of tradition and bold experiments and I pay a huge respect to Royal Crown Derby because they welcome the creators of modern traditions in their studios. You know, 100 years later the works of Ken Eastman will turn into vintage and antiques!

But let's go back to classical collections of Royal Crown Derby. The main direction of the patterns is IMARI pattern in traditional Japanese style with red and black paints and 22 ct gold. Bright colors and luxurious gold are a visiting card of this magnificent porcelain. Just look at this exquisite perfection!

The second visiting card (or the first — it is a matter of personal taste :)) is DERBY BOUQUETS! Perhaps, they seem more modest than the pattern of Imari, but to my subjective taste, this style reveals the soul of a genuine provincial England, where everyone, regardless of the size of their home has their own garden/flower bed and studying the local flora and fauna. It is sufficient to recall the "A Very English Murder", where all-business English ladies yearly staged a real hunt for a rare orchid or miss Marple, cleverly studying the riddle of mystery, not forgetting to cut the roses and hill the flower beds in her garden! It is nice and touching, but at the same time elegant and stylish.

Several corporate Royal Crown Derby collections as a special treat:

Darley Abbey

This classic pattern was inspired by the novels of Jane Austen and the style of the regency. This pattern is distinguished by the truly refined British elegance, grace and taste!

Royal Antoinette

A floral pattern and luxurious and delicious forms of dishes conjure pictures of summer holidays in England.

Gold Aves

Timeless Avesbury pattern, decorated with monochrome painted 22-carat gold.

To be continued...