Chelsea

“Chelsea” is made out of soft-paste porcelain. The production of it was in a factory in Chelsea, London. In 1743 it was established by Charles Gouyn and Nicolas Sprimont. Since the 1750s Spirmont was the only manager of the factory and had to close it for two years (1756-1758) because of illness. In 1758 he reopened the factory and sold it in 1769 to James Cox. One year later Cox sold it to William Duesbury of Derby, Derbyshire, who managed the factory until 1784. In 1756 he established a second factory in Derby. In this period the porcelain products were called Derbyware. The progress of the Chelsea factory is split in four periods: the triangle period (1743-49/50), the raised anchor period (1750-52), the red anchor period (1752-56), and the gold anchor period (1758-70). The factory produced different types of porcelain, e.g. tableware, vases and figures. A typical design is called Rococo and favourite motives were for example flowers. Every original Chelsea plate or dish has three or four imperfections in the glaze inside, if not it is not made in the Chelsea factory.