Alfred Meakin pink rose patterned bowls, 1945+

This tiny pair are very cute.  I've seen similar bowls described as "sauce bowls" (for dipping sausage rolls, perhaps?)  They are 12 cm in diameter, made by Alfred Meakin, and with a backstamp indicating manufacture after 1945.  I'm not too sure where these came from, but I think probably a local boutique.

Grimwades Royal Winton Ivory, "Fruitful Tree" pattern, 1930+

This dinner plate is a Grimwades Royal Winton Ivory, in the "Fruitful Tree" pattern. 

The backstamp has been dated to 1930+, and I think the plate is probably no older than the 1930s - I'm not sure I've seen that shape used in later decades, but I am no expert.

This is the backstamp giving the date as 1930+.  The registered number of 788985 seems to be the number for the Fruitful Tree pattern.

I acquired this from an antique shop in Ascot Vale around 30 years ago.

Carlton Ware Apple Blossom dish

The backstamp of this dish reveals that it is from an Australian-designed series of Carlton Ware, though made in England.    The back of the dish has an impressed number  of 1614 which reveals that the dish was made between 1938 and 1939.  The embossed pattern is Apple Blossom. 

This backstamp can be found on pieces manufactured between 1935 and 1961.  It is the impressed number that narrows the time frame of this piece to 1938-39.

I found this dish in a local boutique.

Thousand flower tea set

This tea set was brought back by travelling relatives for Tony's grandmother in the 1950s.  It was thought to be Japanese, but investigation suggests that the Thousand Flower designs are Chinese in origin.  Helen had remarked that it looked more Chinese.  Similar styles of Chinese Thousand Flower designs can be found here.

One side of the milk jug.

The other side of the milk jug with a lovely chrysanthemum flower.  Sorry that the colours haven't reproduced well in these photos - the pattern is very lovely.

Can anyone comment on whether this backstamp is in Chinese or Japanese graphics?  It is very tiny, so again hasn't reproduced well.

Grimwade's Royal Winton - Sweet Pea

This gorgeous little bowl, about the size of your hand (14.5 cm by 11 cm) is made by Grimwade's Royal Winton Pottery.  Another chintz piece in the "Sweet Pea" pattern.   This Grimwade's Royal Winton chintz website gives a history of the company.  Again, Susan Scott's article on Chintz is very useful.

This backstamp was in use between 1934 and 1950 according to this website, so that makes it hard to narrow down the time frame.

I'm not sure if this should be called a sweet dish.  The examples of "bon bon dishes" seemed to have either feet or handles.



I'll have to have a think about where this came from - it may have been from my grandmother, I just forget.

Manto ware chintz toast rack

This Manto ware toast rack, made in Japan, is decorated in the Chintz style.  This style pattern replicated chintz fabrics imported into Britain from India since the 17th century.  Early versions of chintz had a more open pattern, but in the 1920s a tighter pattern was developed which became very popular.  The Manto ware copies of English patterns were created in the 1920s and 30s.

The toast rack tilted.

The backstamp which says "Manto Ware Made in Japan"  It is very faint so I can't tell what the rest of the stamp represents.

A very good article by Susan Scott can be seen here.

When my next door neighbour, Glad, was selling her house she invited me in to choose whatever I liked from her crystal cabinet - and this little toast rack took my eye.

Myott Sons & Co dinner plate

This is a single Myott, Sons & Co dinner plate I picked up in an op shop many years ago.  The gilt band around the edge, and the band inside that (also gold) is very shiny, meant to attract bower-birds.  I have an idea that the "H" in the back stamp stands for Myott's Hanley factory, which would date the plate at 1947+.

Myotts were apparently very well known for Art Deco pottery vases.  A Myott collectors' webpage has a few samples of Myott back stamps, but none with the shield

Argos pattern dinner plate

This is the plate I know least about.  Max liked the look of this in an antique shop around 30 years ago.  It has no maker's mark, but it does have the pattern stamped on the back.

It is a quite heavy plate.  The pattern is in black, terracotta, and a dark yellow around the rim.  Because the rim of the plate is still in good condition and glossy, the yellow can look a bit like a gold edge.

A whole setting in this pattern would have looked very impressive.  The glaze is only a little crazed, but I can't guess it's age.


Further to Tansleyandtansley's remarks, Thomas Fell & Co was a well-known Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland pottery firm supplying the North-east of England and the Baltic Trade with their domestic Dinner and Teawares. They opened in 1817 and closed in 1890.

The plate would seem to date to the late 1880s or 1890.

Victoria fine china, made in Bohemia - tea set

This is the only cup, saucer and bread and butter plate from this tea set that came to us from Max's mother's estate.  The cup is very small and light.  It is 7.8 cm in diameter, and 6.5 cm in height.  The colour green is dull and lifeless, rather reminds me of Palmolive soap in the 1950s, or green lead paint.

The maker's mark says Victoria Fine China, and in the brown blob in the middle is a crown and "Made in Bohemia".   I found a website, Ginni's Bohemian, Czechoslovakian & Ceský Factory Marks which lists "Victoria" Schmidt & Co, but no sample of this particular mark. I've emailed Ginni with some photos and hope she can make some comments on the age of the tea set. 

The bread and butter plate has a nice shape.

I'm wondering whether this is another 1913 wedding gift for Floris and Fred Brown.  I must say the mark looks more modern than the others on Ginni's website, but I wait to see if I hear from Ginni.

J & G Meakin Cake stand "Lilac Time"

The J & G Meakin website dates the "Lilac Time" pattern as circa 1930s.

It is meant to have a handle in the centre, but this was missing when I bought the plate in an antique shop in the 1980s.  I used to look for a handle, but haven't remembered to do so in years.

The scene looks a little theatrical, and I wonder if the design was suggested by a popular London musical, "Lilac Time". In 1923 the Melbourne Argus reported that "Lilac Time" had just celebrated its 300th performance in London.

Marutomo Ware dish

This is fun!

This little dish is 16 x 11 cm.  It is Marutomo Ware, made in Japan.  I haven't found a website about this particular firm, but there are lots of items offered on eBay, and from the dates given there I think this would date from the 1930s.

This type of porcelain is referred to as Majolica, featuring bright, coloured glazes and modelled in relief.  Collecting Majolica pottery gives a description of how it was made, and this system is probably why the glaze crazes so readily.  This little dish is heavily crazed. When I took it out of the cupboard there was a lot of rusty deposits in the cracks - which is why we have to wash our china regularly in soapy water, I guess.  

Would it be a sweet dish?  It is about the size of a butter dish.

This little dish came out of my grandmother Annie Frost's crystal cabinet.  I've always thought of the bird being a rather Japanese-looking kookaburra - but perhaps it is a Japanese bird, I'm not sure.  I thought the tree on which is is perched had gumnuts on it, which is why I was thinking kookaburra.

J & G Meakin platter - Chester pattern

There are three platters in this set, descending in size.  The back mark shows the maker was J & G Meakin, and the pattern is "Chester".  The J & G Meakin China and Pottery website suggests the date as 1912+.

The platters were part of Max's mother's estate.  Going on the date of the maker's mark, I think they were probably wedding gifts given to her parents, Floris Christina Harry and Frederick James Dobson Brown.  They were married in Melbourne in 1913.

I haven't been able to find any other examples online of this pattern.

UPDATE:  This platter appears to have the Flow blue style of glazing. 

Alfred Meakin Coffee Pot and Jug

The jug and coffee pot are Alfred Meakin, pattern unknown at this stage, and the maker's mark appears to suggest that the china was made 1945+.  (See the link to the maker's marks on the right.)  These two items were recently purchased in a well known local boutique.

I was unsure about what the jug was for, I thought originally it was too large for a milk jug, but now I wonder if it is a breakfast set, with a large milk jug for cereal?  Does anyone know?

 The maker's mark, denoting production 1945+ according to the Antiques and Dynasties website.