Grindley Plate

Q: I found this broken plate in the backyard at Mum’s in Australia. It was in a rubbish pit of the previous 19th-century house that had bottles buried in 1900-1910. I glued it back together, but I can’t identify it. Can you tell me the manufacturer and what year it was made? Was it an expensive plate back in its day and would it have been worth anything now?

 

A: This printed mark was used by W.H. Grindley & Co. from about 1880 to 1914. The company was in business in Tunstall, Staffordshire, England from 1880 until 1960, when it was bought by Alfred Clough Ltd. The mark pictures a steamship on top of a globe with the pattern name “Ideal” in a banner above the ship. Before 1891, the word “Tunstall,” instead of “England,” was used in the mark. There were two Grindley patterns named Ideal. The earlier one has a center design of a goose flying over the landscape and a more ornate border. The numbers below the mark signify the English registry mark. It is hard to read, but looks like “213154,” which indicates the design was registered in 1893. Grindley earthenware and ironstone dinnerware was not expensive. The plate in good condition would sell for about $10 to $12 today.

 

 

International Pitcher

Q: I recently got this antique pitcher with raised female figures around the sides. On the bottom it says “International” above a diamond-shaped mark with numbers and letters. There is another mark with the letters “W” and “B”, the number “36,” and a pretzel. Can you tell me when this pitcher was made and its approximate value?

 

A: Your pitcher is known as a “relief-molded” jug. It was made by William Brownfield, one of the Staffordshire Potteries. Brownfield had a pottery in Cobridge, Stoke-On-Trent, England, from 1850 to 1891. The name of the pottery became William Brownfield & Son in 1871 and William Brownfield & Sons after 1876. The pretzel-shaped mark is called the Staffordshire knot. William Brownfield used this mark from about 1850 to 1871. The diamond-shaped mark is a pseudo-English registry mark. In an actual registry mark, the letters and numbers indicate the date the design was registered. The letters in this mark stand for January 25, 1862. “International” is the name of the pattern. The company received an award for “printed earthenware” at the International Exhibition of 1862, and this jug commemorates that event. The figures represent Art, Music, Science and Commerce. It was made in other colors, including blue and white, green and white, and all blue. This jug was made until at least 1876. A similar jug, but in solid blue with a hinged pewter lid, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Although the jug is well known because of the exhibition, it probably will sell for less than $200.

 

Transferware Platter

Q: We received this platter as a gift while living in England. The gentleman who presented it to us dealt in porcelain. We never got the chance to ask about it. Can you tell us the maker, age, and possible value?

 

A: Your platter was made by Read & Clementson, a pottery in Shelton (Hanley), Staffordshire, England. The pottery was founded about 1832 by Jonah Read and Joseph Clementson. The partnership was dissolved in 1839 but Clementson continued on his own and similar platters were made after 1839. Yours could be worth hundreds of dollars. Antique colored transferware is a popular collectible.

 

T & R Boote

Q: I recently purchased at auction a beautiful T & R Boote Lahore Registered plate. I’ve been able to find a few that have the underglaze hand painting and they date from 1880 to 1884. However, I can find none that have a children’s scene in the center of the plate. The diamond-shaped mark has Roman numeral “IV” at the top and below that the number “7”. The letter “J,” “C,” and “8” are in the corners. I’d love to know a more accurate date.

 

A: Thomas Latham Boote and Richard Boote founded their pottery in Burslem, England, in 1842. T & R Boote made earthenware, ironstone, and parian ware. The company began making pavement tiles in 1865. Tiles became the major part of the business in 1906. Richards Tiles took over T & R Boote in 1963. Lahore is the pattern name. It was made in several color variations without a flowery design in the middle. The diamond-shaped mark is the English design registry mark. The Roman numeral indicates the type of material (ceramic), “7” is the day of the month, “J” the year — 1880, “C” the month — January, and “8” is the parcel number. The design on your plate was registered January 7, 1880. The company made plates with your border and many different designs in the center.

 

New Japan

Q: I inherited this bone china plate. It’s been in the family since the early 1900s. It has this pretzel-shaped mark with wings and crown on the bottom. I can’t find it on the internet anywhere. Can you tell me the maker?

 

A: Collectors call this pretzel-shaped mark a knot. Similar marks were used by several potteries in Staffordshire, England. Your mark includes the initials “R.H. & S.L.” inside the knot and the letter “P” beneath the knot. It was used by R.H. & S.L. Plant (Ltd.) at the company’s Tuscan Works in Longton, Staffordshire, England, from about 1898 to 1902. New Japan is the pattern name. The company became part of the Wedgwood Group in 1966 and was renamed Royal Tuscan.

 

Royal Staffordshire Dishes

Q: I just inherited a dinner set of Royal Staffordshire Pottery. I was told it’s approximately 100 years old and had been a wedding gift given to my great-grandmother. Despite the information marked on the bottom of the dishes, I cannot find any information on this set, date of manufacture, or value. Can you help?

 

A: Arthur J. Wilkinson (Ltd.) operated the Royal Staffordshire Pottery at Burslem, England, beginning in 1885. This mark was used about 1907. The pottery was sold to W.R. Midwinter Ltd. in 1964. Sets of dishes are hard to sell and must be a full set, not missing cups or plates. If you like the pattern, you can enjoy using the dishes as a family heirloom. Otherwise, you could donate them to a charity and take the tax deduction. Figure the value as about the same as for a new set of dishes.

 

Piece of China with Partial Back Stamp

Q: I found a piece of broken china on the beach on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It has a partial back stamp and I am trying to see if I can find where it may have come from and possibly a date. There is an anchor and the words that are visible are Royal Pa Ironsto, T&R Boo. 

A: We have identified shards (broken pieces of china) for several local archaeological digs. The letters on this piece identify it as T & R Boote’s ironstone china. The company was founded by Thomas and Richard Boote in 1842 in Burslem, Staffordshire, England. It made ironstone, earthenware, Parian, tiles and other items. After 1888, production was predominantly white graniteware exported to the United States and pavement tiles. After 1906, tiles were the only things made. The company is now part of H & R Johnson Group. T & R Boote was granted a patent for its method of making “ornamental pottery” in 1857. The mark on your broken piece probably included the lion and unicorn, the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. We found the identical mark in an 1878 book on British ceramics. Your piece was made before 1891, when items imported into the United States had to be marked with the name of the country of origin.

Antique Wash Basin and Pitcher

Q: My husband has a washbasin and pitcher from his great-grandmother. He thinks it’s around 100 to 150 years old. It has a light green magnolia flower design on it. There are markings from B&W Company. We want an appraisal, but no one returns our calls. Can you refer us to an Akron, Ohio, appraiser?

A: The mark on your wash set gives the history. “B W M & Co.” was used by Brown, Westhead, Moore & Co., a pottery at Cauldon Place, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It was in business from about 1862 to 1904 and was succeeded by Cauldon Ltd. The pattern name is “Kew.” The number “Rd 69313” is the design registration number, which indicates the pattern was registered in 1887. The washbasin and pitcher are part of a bathroom set. The owner kept water in the pitcher and poured it into the bowl to wash. There was a soap dish, toothbrush holder, and a large covered slop bowl that held waste until it could be taken away in the morning.

Contact a national appraiser group to find an appraiser in your area: Appraisers Association of America (www.appraisersassociation.org), American Society of Appraisers (www.appraisers.org), or International Society of Appraisers (www.isa-appraisers.org).

 

Ship on Globe Mark

Q: I have a set of dishes with this blue and white mark that pictures a sailing ship on top of a globe. The banner above says “Celtic” and one below says “W.H. Grindley & Co. England.” It’s also marked “Rd. No. 310589” and with the initials “F” and “B.” Can tell me how old they are?

 

A: W.H. Grindley & Co. was founded in Tunstall, Staffordshire, England, in 1880 and was in business until 1991. The Rd. No. (English registry number) indicates the design was registered in 1897. The pattern name is “Celtic.” The initials “F” and “B” stand for flow blue.

 

W.H. Grindley Flow Blue

Q: My husband inherited a set of china that belonged to his grandmother. Is this “flow blue”? I love the china, but I don’t want to use it for fear of chipping or breaking it. Of course it has sentimental value, but if it isn’t worth much I will go ahead and use it occasionally and enjoy it instead of simply displaying a few pieces on our hutch. Most of the plates have some crackling on the surface and some staining. Does that reduce the value? This is the mark on the bottom.

A: Blue transfer designs have been used since the 18th century. In the early 19th century, some pieces were made using a dark blue that would “run” or “flow.” Collectors call the dishes “flow blue.” Your set of china was made by W.H. Grindley & Co. of Tunstall, Staffordshire, England. The company was in business from 1880 to 1991. This mark was used from 1891 to 1914. Crackling in the glaze can happen because of heat or just from age. Stains or cracks will lower the value. We think people should enjoy their collections, so if you want to use the china for special occasions, just be sure to wash it by hand. Don’t put it in the dishwasher because the heat may cause the glaze to pop off. A soup tureen like yours is worth about $150.