Here is yet another installment of many guides that we, Replacements Ltd, will be posting to provide some interesting information on several manufacturer's of some the world's most collectible porcelain items

This one will be about Chintzware - the beloved china with the "all over" floral designs

With its cheery flowers, rich colors, and variety of designs - one can't help but smile when you see it!
The word "chintz" is derived from the Indian word "chint," meaning broad, brightly printed fabric

Floral chintz patterns date back to the early 17th century
English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian adventurers were busy exploring and searching for the new world
Many visitors who explored the East returned with treasures from the lands they had visited
Several explorers brought with them fantastically decorated fabrics from India
Generally, these fabrics were thickly woven and featured brightly colored floral and bird designs
The intricately decorated fabrics became popular throughout the European continent

At the same time, a renaissance of sorts was occurring in the pottery and porcelain industry
Pottery producers were experimenting with new glazes and decorating techniques
Josiah Wedgwood, Josiah Spode, and John Doulton each experimented with new clays, glazes, and decorating techniques
The pottery industry witnessed a number of advances during this period thanks to the hard work of these entrepreneurs

Several pottery manufacturers wanted to replicate the brightly colored Indian designs found on chintz fabric
And by the 1820’s there were several companies in Staffordshire, England that were producing chintz decorated porcelain - but these patterns were less intricate with looser designs, larger printed flowers, and exotic birds
This very early “chintz” was regarded as everyday china and not held with the same high standard of finer china of the time

During this early period, a suitable technique for transferring intricate motifs had not been developed
China manufacturers found it equally difficult to reproduce colors that were true to the flowers they represented

It was not until the 1920’s that the designs switched gears and became more intricate with tighter florals and richer colors

Grimwades Ltd, now known as Royal Winton, is a name that has been long associated with fantastically designed chintz patterns
This revelation in chintz production started with two brothers, Sydney and Leonard Grimwade
They were instrumental in the development of manufacturing processes that allowed for the production of chintz china
They acquired the Winton Porcelain factory and renamed it Grimwades Ltd

Before opening his china factory, Leonard Grimwade worked as a lithographer, or print maker
Two inventions of Leonard Grimwade's, duplex lithographic transferring, and the Climax kiln, would forever change how chintz was produced, and also had a significant impact on the dinnerware industry as a whole

Duplex lithographs were designs printed on thin tissues, with detachable backs
Pattern prints were applied to the paper, and then transferred to the ceramic piece by removing the detachable backing
This new process allowed chintz patterns to be produced quickly and efficiently

To complement the pattern application process, Leonard created the Climax kiln
Unlike traditional kilns that had to be loaded, heated, cooled, then unloaded, the Climax Kiln operated continuously, and ceramics were moved in and out with carts on wheels
Ceramics, and in particular chintz patterns, could now be mass-produced. Leonard's inventions assured long-term success for his company

The first chintz pattern they released was entitled Marguerite
The design for the Marguerite pattern came from a pillow that Leonard Grimwade’s wife was stitching
Mrs. Grimwade’s pillow was decorated with a replication of an Indian chintz fabric

Marguerite became an instant sales success
However, today - it is one of the least desired chintz patterns

Two years following the release of this pattern, Grimwades Ltd. changed their name to Royal Winton

And over the course of 50 years they produced over 80 different chintz patterns
Some of these more popular patterns were Summertime, Old Cottage Chintz, Welbeck and Royalty
There was a time after the WWII, that they came up with 15 new patterns in attempt revive the factory after the war
Some of these were Sweet Pea, Stratford, Nantwich, Julia and Beeston

In order to come up with new and different patterns, Royal Winton started a trend of reversing the background color on some of their more popular patterns to create a different pattern with a fresh look
Some examples were the yellow background of Welbeck was changed to black to create Hazel and it was also changed to white to create Spring and the golden-yellow background of Royalty was changed to black to make Majestic

Following Royal Winton’s success, many other china manufacturers began reproducing the elegantly detailed chintz fabric designs

James Kent pottery released several chintz patterns; including Apple Blossom, DuBarry, Hydrangea and Rosalynde

Another popular chintz manufacturer was Elijah Cotton of Lorn Nelson
They actually were known for making plain white ware for commercial or hospital use
They ventured into chintz and today their patterns are some of the most hard to find and can be some of the most expensive due to the rarity
Some of their more popular ones were Black Beauty, Rose Time, Heather and Green Tulip

Shelley of England also was well known for their bone china chintz designs, however they did create some earthenware chintz designs as well
Their chintz is also very desirable and can be very hard to find - some of these are Rock Garden, Melody, Daisy and Maytime

Other companies that were very successful with regular non-chintz patterns also made some chintz patterns that have proved to be very popular over the years

Johnson Brothers released Summer Chintz and Rose Chintz - both are still active and thriving

Minton’s Haddon Hall has also been an active pattern for over 50 years

Royal Albert’s, Old Country Roses, which is said to be the most popular china pattern in the world!, even has several chintz versions that were recently introduced in the past decade

The early sixties brought higher labor costs and lower demand for tableware, particularly chintz patterns, which many consumers began to perceive as being "dated"
Even with transfer processes, producing chintz was still a relatively labor-intensive process

Royal Winton, acquired by Henry Pottery Ltd. in a corporate buyout, discontinued all of the previously produced chintz patterns in favor of giftware
As the years wore on, demand for chintz pieces in the antique market showed that consumers were still enamored with the simple beauty and elegance of chintz dinnerware
Customers, the American market in particular, wanted chintz, and they wanted it in quantity!

In 1993, Spencer Hammer and Associates arranged a takeover of Royal Winton
The firm reinstated the Grimwades Limited name, and continued the tradition of trading as Royal Winton
The company's board decided the first course of action would be to resurrect the once proud chintz lines
Many "old" patterns were produced once more

Chintz remains immensely collectible throughout the world

In addition to Royal Winton, Kent along with several other china companies have re-released many of their original chintz patterns as well as some new ones
These newer released patterns give collectors, both new and old alike, a chance to get newer and less delicate items at great prices to enjoy and use everyday - most of them are even dishwasher safe!

Obtaining new chintz allows a collector to simply just display their prized antique pieces while enjoying using the newer patterns without the fear of damaging an extremely rare piece!

You can find a fantastic array of both Older-Vintage and New Chintz
Happy Chintz-ing!

(click on the above logo to go to the Official Royal Winton Web Site)

The Royal Winton brand has always been synonymous with quality and design and has roots in Stoke-on-Trent, England that go back over one hundred years

Originally known as Grimwade Brothers it was founded by Leonard Lumsden Grimwade
Leonard had shown a natural talent for modelling pottery and it was in this field that his infant business began, in 1885

He was soon joined in the business by his older brother, Sidney Richard, another potter

By 1890 new showrooms had been purchased in Stoke-on-Trent and London
It is a measure of the company's success that by 1906 Grimwades Limited was operating from four factories in the potteries

Leonard experimented with new methods of manufacture and he developed the enamel climax Rotary Kiln, Duplex Lithographic transfers and other ground breaking techniques

In 1913 King George V and Queen Mary visited the potteries and the brothers issued a catalogue to commemorate the event
The Queen purchased a Winton Teaset and was delighted to be presented with a gift of a Mecca Foot Warmer (an oval ceramic hot water bottle)

--In 1928, 'Marguerite' the first Royal Winton Chintz pattern, was launched and was an immediate success
These tightly grouped, highly detailed and vibrant all over floral patterns were to become a milestone in the company's reputation for versatility and beauty

Following an advertisement in the 'Potteries gazette' in 1929, Royal Winton became the established trade name for Grimwades Limited and has remained so through to the present day

Leonard Grimwade died in 1931, but his legacy survived and the company went from strength to strength under the leadership of James Plant

Over succeeding decades Royal Winton introduced more than 60 Chintz patterns and became the leading producer of this style of decoration, exporting to most Commonwealth countries and the USA

Discontinued in the early 1960's due to the high production costs associated with this style of decoration, Royal Winton Chintz has become highly desirable in the antique market today
Collectors Clubs have been established world-wide and many reference books have been published, with Christie's of London running auctions dedicated to Chintz pottery

In 1995 the company was purchased by its current owners who reverted back to the original company name of Grimwades Limited trading as Royal Winton
Chairman Ian Davis commented "It soon became apparent that we had acquired a company with a unique heritage"
Since acquisition, some of the more popular Chintz patterns have been reintroduced on a range of giftware, tableware and Limited Edition pieces

Hand crafted in the 'Potteries', Staffordshire England, Royal Winton Chintz undergoes eighteen separate production processes and is fired four times
Old lithographing techniques have been resurrected to achieve the all over floral effect demanded by Chintz lovers

The year 1995 has been incorporated into the backstamp of the new Chintz to avoid confusion with antique pieces----NOTE - none of Sharon's Royal Winton pieces have this '1995' mark!!!

In March 1997 the first new piece of Royal Winton Chintz for nearly forty years was introduced and unveiled at the chintz convention in Pasadena, Californa
A spectacular piece, an 11" octagonal vase in the Florence pattern, it received resounding approval

The company has witnessed many changes over the past century but one thing has never altered, its dedication to quality, design and beauty which excites many buyers from around the world

For over 100 years Royal Winton has had an enviable reputation for the production of fine earthenware pottery

During the early to mid 1900's Royal Winton became the worlds leading manufacturer of Chintz tableware and giftware
‘Chintz’ was a collection of all over floral pattern transferware inspired by textiles of the period, which due to the high production costs associated with this style of decoration were discontinued in the 1950's

The antique market has flourished since this time, so much so that Christie’s of London are running auctions dedicated to ‘Chintz Pottery’ and prices for original Royal Winton Chintz have escalated, with some pieces achieving bids in excess GBP1000

Several books have been published over recent years detailing it's history, and many collectors clubs have been established worldwide

Having talked to collectors around the world, we became aware of a demand for the re-introduction of Royal Winton Chintz products
Alas, over the intervening decades most of the old catalogues and pattern books had been destroyed
We have therefore commissioned leading U.K. lithograph houses to authentically reproduce some of the most popular designs, and have now manufactured a range of spectacular ‘Limited Editions’ and reproductions of our most popular vintage patterns and shapes

We are pleased to offer for sale Royal Winton Chintz transferware and floral pastel pieces direct from the factory to your home