Gilded Age Custom William Guerin Factory Decorated Chocolate Set Complete With Cups Saucers And Matching Tray

We are pleased to offer a most exceptional Gilded Age chocolate set consisting of a cobalt, white and gold filigreed chocolate pot with matching lid, 6 cups and saucers, and a matching tray. Based on the back stamps found on this chocolate set, we place its manufacture between 1891 to 1900, placing it precisely in the time frame of the lavish period known as the "Gilded Age".

Our exquisite set is made from such translucent porcelain that it is hard to imagine how this set survived intact for 120+ years. There is no need to hold these cups up to the light -- you literally can see through the walls of the cups as they sit on the tray, even in ordinary light. This chocolate set is in exceptional condition, with no chips or cracks, and it shows little or no wear to the gilt ornamentation. Even the gold medallion on the tray is in near-pristine condition! Please view our extensive photographs and you will agree that this is a set that has no rival in today's market!

It should be noted that Guerin et Cie did not routinely export finely decorated porcelain to its markets. Instead, an extremely lucrative aspect of Guerinfs business was the mass export of white ware to the United States for decoration by amateur artists or by the great design studios such as Pickard and Osborne. Pieces shipped as white ware had only one Guerin mark, although post-export, you might also find the signature or initials of the amateur decorator, or the additional back stamp of a professional design studio, such as Pickard or Osborne.

By contrast, our exquisite chocolate set boasts a very different history: this setfs collectable value is greatly enhanced by the fact that it was made and decorated in Limoges, France at Guerin et Cie. The marks on the bottoms of the various pieces in this set demonstrate that a Guerin studio artist decorated the entire set as a custom order for an upscale retailer, Burley & Co., which was one of the most prominent retailers in 19th Century Chicago. On this chocolate set, the underside of the large tray bears both the white ware mark of William Guerin, and the legend: gFabrique pour BURLEY & COMPANY CHICAGOh (please view our photos). The undersides of some of the saucers (please view our photos) also bear the Guerin mark used from 1891 to 1900, with an additional red stamp imprinted over the base glaze: gWmGUERIN & CO, Limoges FRANCEh, as further proof that these pieces were decorated at the Guerin factory.

Please examine our photographs of this rare and exquisite set -- we are confident you will agree that it is in remarkable condition, given its age, and is an extremely collectible and valuable example of that long-gone period known as the Gilded Age.

Shipping for this stunning Gilded Age William Guerin cobalt and gold chocolate set is FREE to the 48 contiguous United States. Please contact us for a shipping quote outside of the lower 48 United States @ myantiquarians@myelegantantiques.com.