Q: I inherited a bas-relief plaque called "The Cottar's Saturday Night" from my grandparents, who married in 1912. It is 8 by 11 inches and seems to be made of some type of man-made stone. The back is marked "A. Osborne, copyright 1906." Any information about this would be greatly appreciated.
A: You have an Ivorex plaque made by Arthur Osborne (1855-1943). Ivorex looks like stone or ivory but is made of plaster of Paris, which has been hand-painted, dipped in wax, and polished. The process was developed by Osborne. He was born in England and emigrated to the United States. He worked at the J. & J.G. Low Art Tile Company for several years before returning to England in 1898. He started the B. Osborne Company in Faversham, Kent, England, the next year. Osborne made the clay master plaques that were used to make the molds for the plaster of Paris. Most Osborne Ivorex plaques depict typical English scenes, churches, castles, and famous buildings. "The Cotter's Saturday Night" is a poem written by Scottish poet, Robert Burns, in 1785. B. Osborne Company was in business until 1965. It was bought by W.H. Bossons Ltd. in 1971. Production of the plaques started again in 1980 and ended in 1996 when Bossons closed. Ivorex plaques are hard to sell. An 8- by 11-inch plaque sells for under $25.
