The Magic of Majolica Endures

The late Joan Stacke Graham was perhaps the world’s foremost authority on majolica, the colorful ceramic pieces popular with Victorian collectors. Along with her friend Marilyn Karmason, Graham started collecting majolica in the 1980s. Together, the pair amassed a collection comprising over 2,000 pieces and co-wrote a comprehensive look at the ceramics, 1989’s Majolica: A […]

Oyster Plates on the Full and Half Shell

It’s hard not to fall in love with 19th-century oyster plates, even if you aren’t a fan of eating oysters. Oyster plates emerged during the Victorian era when raw oysters on the half shell became a delicacy, and a proper Victorian dinner service had a special plate or utensil for every type of food. The […]

George Jones Figurines

Q: I can’t find any information on the mark on this pair of figurines. I put it under a bright light and a magnifier and it’s a “J” superimposed over a “G.” It also looks like a signature or initials carved in the clay. It’s hard to read but there’s definitely a capital “C.” Can […]