Wednesday, January 27, 2021

My Favorites: Identifying Blue and White English Plates.

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England/Blue and White Treasures
and pottery lovers, buckle up!

I haven't done any Junking/Antique posts for quite awhile. Between 2019 being sidelined with my knee from May-January, and then Covid in 2020, my junking expeditions have been few and far between.


oldnewgreenredo

Decorating options for 2019 -2020 were limited. With our basement torn apart, I had no idea where any of my everyday pieces were. I found two totes with some of my favorite blue and white pieces for the kitchen this week.  I realized I had never shared some of these pieces and where/what they were. I'm starting with the English pottery pieces. Some very old, others not so much.

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I don't remember how long (40 years???) I've had this piece...but it is gorgeous.
Wild guess in age?

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This is the enhanced mark. Basically the only thing you can read is England in the lower part of the circle. It is a more earthenware clay than porcelain. The pattern name above in orangish and barely readable. After squinting at this long enough, I figured out it is Royal Winton 1930-1950's from the mark.

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The pattern name is Westminster. R Winton apparently made this for awhile, since I'm finding it with varying marks and colorations. Everything from black and red to all blue to a green. However, many potteries used these old designs from the 1700's for their patterns. Pretty much like we cut and paste things from the internet now.

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I grabbed these 4 sweet salad/luncheon plates this year, because they were perfect, and we seem to go through a lot of luncheon plates. I use anything that is blue and white for my everyday dishes. I gave up long ago--maintaining full set of everyday dishes. 

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This is an easy find...Persian Tulip by JohnsonBros England probably from the 1950-60's. They can be pricey, I will save them for informal large family dinners, if we ever have any again. 
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I had two of these, this morning! 

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These are/were two of my treasures, I've had since the 1980's. Gorgeous deep dinner plates. 

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RD NO 538202 in a ribbon

Kovels English Registry Marks state, "After 1883, the 

diamond shape was discontinued and “Rd. No.,”

followed by the number assigned to the ceramic, was

 used." No information on this plate of maker


Dating by this mark number, 1909 before September


I've always loved these two---sadly after placing one 

in the corner cabinet, on tape and a ridge of velcro---it 

took a flying walk/run off the shelf, pushing a cup with

 it and crashed to the floor. I was 4 feet away? 

WT??Poltergeist?? 


First time the two plates had been separated since I 

bought them? I had just packed the other away with 

my 'extras'. ????


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This was an interesting piece, another one I have had for a long time.

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Another prolific pottery, part of Mason's, this mark simply dates this 1891 or later. Pattern is delicate, and not over wrought. I like it, and it is porcelain, while  Ashworth ceramics usually were, ironstone, stoneware or earthenware. I had no luck nailing this glaze treatment or the exact pattern down.

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I've grouped these as together as they are all scenic pieces. All from England, I use these for extra dinner plates, except for the Mayflower plate.


The mark on the right is Sole Importers, Jones Mc Duffee Stratton of Boston.

Below By Keith A. McLeod and James R. Boyle
"As near as we can estimate the 'system' went like this: an American business would express the wish to have a particular item or commemorative piece, Jones, McDuffee and Stratton, who employed artists would produce the artwork for the plate, for example, then send the order to Wedgwood, who would manufacture the ware, place Jones, McDuffee and Stratton's mark on the product and ship it to Boston to their warehouse on Farnsworth Street, which was connected to the Cunard White Star harbour facilities and to a rail spur. From the warehouse the china was sent across the United States and to Canada." from Alexis Antiques
This is a very interesting site, and will post it below also.

The JMS importers worked with Wedgwood for 75 years, to the mid 1950's. 
Dating this particular plate to the late 1940s because of the impressed mark.



This says, WEDGWOOD  
              30      46 or 48  maybe 1948.

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This is a pretty one...it's a Spode from their series Rural Scenes. These are reproductions and were released in groups or singles in the 1990's. 

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Clearly marked though---so you know you are getting a reproduction.

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I picked up three of these for a pittance. They are Royal Stafford, which have in business since 1845. And, are still actually operating.

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Listed as Coaching Scene, these are fairly recent, note dishwasher and microwave safe; always a give away, post 1970's.

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Antique historical blue and white transfer ware patterns really sky-rocketed. My mom collected pieces and they literally got too high in price. Late 1970-80's many companies jumped on the reproduction bandwagon. These are lovely plates and 
made in the 1980's. 

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Again the key is Dishwasher and Microwave safe...LOL. 

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Here is a selection of Spode Plates. Spode has released MANY MANY patterns and pieces in their Blue Room Collections. All clearly marked. Making decorators penchant for historic blue and white affordable. New, they are still a little pricey, but I've picked most of mine up at TJM, Homegoods and thrift shops.

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I love this Milkmaid...so peaceful, showing life in 1814.

https://oldnewgreenredoblog.blogspot.com/2021/01/my-favorites-identifying-blue-and-white.html

Again, clearly marked.

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This is very traditional and from the 'Traditions' series.

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Next such a rural scene...loving the border on this one.

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Titled the Woodsman, from an 1816 engraving.

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These are made so well. The serving pieces are well worth the extra dollars now, as they were limited issues.

Here is a real sleeper, I picked up for not even a song, 
just a hummm!

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This pattern is really lovely! This dinner plate has such a lovely floral rim and intricate pattern. Soft blues to the true cobalt.

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Script marks are always a bit hard to decipher sometimes. This pattern is Genevese?  and the maker mark in the lower left is ?? and an A lower center word and China on the right. The 'made in country' is missing from  the transfer, did not make it totally on? To Etsy--looking up Genevese....Wow! 

antiquemarks.com

The word on the left is Opaque, and it's 19th century Minton! The lovely blue plate was made 
between 1836-1841.

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My last three are varied in style. 

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This lovely Ridgways plate has a gold leaf overlay on the design, clearly visible at 10 o'clock upper left. I've always had rusts in my home and now a rusty red, so I have picked up pieces with the orange up over the years.
Ridgway and Ridgways were at least 17  long-lived Stoke on Trent potteries, started in 1792. This piece is from the Bedford potteries and was made between 1891-1920.

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I used http://www.thepotteries.org to figure this out. I'm sure the hand-lettered numbers would date this down further if I needed it. It's over 100 years old..that is fine.


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  This flow blue soup/serving bowl marked, Mark is impressed with /// Ashworth or EE or DB or BB dating this to 1862-1880.   This has a lovely clear glaze tinted with blue.

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Early impressed Ashworth mark.

I found a few of these pieces, can you imagine an entire table being set with this. And, the serving pieces are gorgeous with huge platters. These were produced in England by the Staffordshire potter, G.L. Ashworth & Bros. Ashworth started his pottery in 1862 as part of Mason's and continued until 1890.


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And the last photo for today, Botanical Beauties, also known as Giant Lily was produced by Elkin and Newbon of Stafford Street, Longton in Staffordshire sometime between 1844 and 1845. 
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This pottery was short lived, but gorgeous and highly collectible. Many serving pieces were made in several variations of this pattern. I hope you enjoyed all or some of my English Transfer ware plates, old and new.

What is your favorite category to collect? 

Online Sources I use to start looking for English pottery, porcelain.

Pinterest: a good description of your piece, maker or mark will usually bring up something that looks similar. If you find a photo of your piece/pattern follow the trail of who/where it was posted from.

English Pottery marks, I think this is the best!
http://www.thepotteries.org/mark/
This site concentrates on the Stoke-on-Trent potteries. Great for identifying and dating marks. Follow the history of your searched company as well as the mark. 

Etsyhttps://www.etsy.com/ Many dealers are very knowledgeable, and if they list an items mark, or maker---you can possibly get info or at least photos of other pieces available by your maker or pattern. 

Rubylane: Lots of different items on here-many dealers extremely knowledgeable.  https://www.rubylane.com/

Kovels: While they want you to join, you can often glean enough information to look for other sources.
https://www.kovels.com/identify-an-antique-or-collectible

Mason's and Ashworth: Janice Paul is an authority/historian  on the history of Mason's and Ashworth pottery. 
https://www.janicepaull.com/xmark/marks.htm

Replacements: https://www.replacements.com/
This site is insane on their pricing, but will have great photos of popular patterns if you know the maker or the pattern name. Great for identifying what something looks like or pattern name. Also has silver and glassware.

Alexis Antiques: 
https://www.alexisantiques.com/links/jms.php


If you have a favorite source you use and want to share, I will be happy to list it here for others to use!

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Please do not use my photos without a link back to this blog without my permission.

Thank you for your cooperation, 
Sandi 
 



Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Thoughtful Moments #6 Hallelujah and Leonard Cohen

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Today....for my own peace and for a deep cleansing breath... here's something different.

Leonard Cohen has always been one of my favorite writers and musicians... his words are spun with truth, and vivid word images,  and always some sort of meaning for all. 

Hallelujah was written during a very low point in his career for the album, Various Positions for Columbia Records. It was given the first spot on side 2, and pretty much ignored. The album eventually made it to America in 1984. Bob Dylan picked up the song and recorded it in 1988 and slowly it has morphed into the American psyche as a perfect song for many occasions. 


Hallelujah by the Pentatonix...2016

This all brings to mind another favorite quote of mine of being accepted for who we are:

“Oh, the comfort — the inexpressible comfort of 

feeling safe with a person — 


having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, 


but pouring them all right out, 

just as they are, chaff and grain together; 


certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them,


keep what is worth keeping, and then


 with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.”



Diana Maria Mulock Craik 1826-1887 English poet and novelist.

So take what you can from this music choice for this day...or "with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."



Thursday, December 31, 2020

My Top Ten Posts of 2020!

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Something Old, New, Green, Redo's
 TOP TEN posts of 2020.

    It's been a tough year for everyone. I seldom look back, but for the lack of anything interesting to blog about, I decided to peruse the stats and see just what you liked reading about in 2020.

How about a Count Down....10....whoops, right off the bat we have a tie. Two garden posts wrestle for the number 10 position. 



It was a very hot summer after a late cold spring, which seems to be the norm the last few years.

Tied for the 10th spot was...

 Boy, do (DID) we have sunflowers here: Midwest Gardening 2020: Sunflowers

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I did many gardening post many of which were numbers 11-20....I must say, in the summer I barely have time to promote posts...but clearly these posts are of interest to you, dear Readers! 

And next, Number 9... was really a culmination post about "USE IT UP, WEAR IT OUT, MAKE IT DO, OR DO WITHOUT" on March 22, 2020, an old saying many of us grew up with. 

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I came from a family that made do or did without. Druthers were for looking at in the catalogs, or cobbling someone's throw-aways, give-aways or thrifted to a Made Do status. Somewhere along the way---this became our preferred way of green living, despite having the income to choose otherwise. I shared many ideas in this post, perhaps the diversity of tags dragged traffic in.

Number 8 post for 2020 was


Normally I don't paint antiques, and despite the upper 80-90's temps I managed to do a post on redoing some very old, dry, and stained wood. Working with satin acrylic paint, I managed to turn a dark Arts&Crafts Movement bookcase to the perfect shelf for our tiny bathroom.

NUMBER 7

Another Gardening post from  July 6th.


We had started so many things in our greenhouse, it was fun to see the pots come alive after a late cold spring.
I do try to show you what works, and what 
doesn't here in the Midwest.


POST Number 6 Another Gardening Post titled


This was a nitty gritty post, planting seeds, yard clean-up, mulch---not much green at all.

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The pandemic had reared its ugly head in full force by then, we were hunkered down---and others were realizing-- they may need to grow food. 

We were so glad we did so many plants from seed as the garden centers were picked clean by the end of May. 
Here are pepper starts we began end of January in the house and then move to the greenhouse with heaters.

2020 started as a tough year for me.

I did a few Thoughtful Moments posts in the past,
This one took the  Number 5 place on January 9, 2020.

It was really a post looking back at my 2019...and  recovering from a third knee-replacement. I had lost most of 2019 laid up for 6 months. Then into 2020...with the soon to be pandemic. Who knew ??? the first week in January---what we would be facing.

Next is POST #4
Surprise, another Gardening Post
This time about flowers! 

Every plant in my garden out-did themselves despite the dry heat and lack of rain. The Zinnias were 5-6 feet tall, the sunflowers 15 feet tall and huge flower heads, the Coleus were rich in color and prolific, the grasses fluid and flowing. Every plant seemed to KNOW we needed color to boost to our spirits. Going into 6 months of lockdown, the Hollyhocks burst into bloom! 

Post #3
Midwest Gardening: February 2020

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Yes, a Gardening Post in February was super popular. From when the first seed catalog arrives, to when the seeds go up in the hardware and big box stores---gardeners salivate, pick, plan, pick some more, plan some more...and just crave the smell of dirt. 

We start our tomatoes, peppers, and a few other things in in plastic containers placed in our kitchen windows the end of January to March. Wow, it is crazy to watch things grow---quickly pushing their plastic covers off. 


On to POST #2 for 2020

A Spring Decorating Post


Because of the Covid shutdown---decorating really had to be simple (no company or holidays), make us happy,  and use everyday items. Besides my kitchen was FULL of plants for the garden due to our miserable cold spring.

I had time to promote this post a bit, but something drew people in...could it have been Christmas Pig had babies...who knows.


DRUMMMMMM ROOOOOOLLLLLL! 

POST #1 for 2020 is.....
a decorating post about our small home on November 1st




Thank you, Dear Readers for visiting, commenting, sharing ,and hopefully enjoying my posts in 2020, the terrible of all years. I've tried to be upbeat but real, practical and sometimes over the top, serious, but helpful.  2020 sure hasn't been unicorn farts and rainbows...

but, I've enjoyed sharing each and 
every post with you. 

I stay pledged to be AD-Free by choice. I some how think if I were posting to sell or promote anything other than my own thoughts,  
the blog wouldn't be real. 

Hugs, stay safe, and 
 HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021! 

Please Join me at these fine blog parties:

Do not use my photos without my permission and linking back to this post on my blog.


Thank you for your cooperation, 
Sandi