Parian porcelain jug is almost 170 years old

Q: This pitcher came from my aunt's estate. I have always loved it. The boy is climbing up the tree toward a bird's nest on one side and has the nest in his hands on the other. Please let me know if you have any information on the pitcher's origins.

A: Much of the story of this charming pitcher is printed on the bottom. But before we examine that, we want to discuss the material from which the pitcher was made.

Generally the substance is porcelain, but specifically it is a type of porcelain that goes by the name "Parian." Originally the term was applied to the flawlessly white marble found on the Aegean Island of Paros. Much of ancient Greek sculpture was crafted from this substance, as were the facades of temples and important public buildings.

Around 1842, the Staffordshire pottery firm of Copeland & Garrett started making a porcelain material they initially called "statuary porcelain." The material was white and flawless with a surface that resembled marble. By 1844, the company was making small statures in the material, and it became popular in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

The name "statuary porcelain" soon gave way to the more succinct term "Parian" porcelain when large numbers of other pottery companies began making objects from the material. Soon it was not just statues being made from Parian porcelain but a variety of household equipment — most particularly pitchers (or "jugs" as they are called in Britain).

Your Parian porcelain jug was made by T.J.&J. Mayer (Thomas John and Joseph Mayer) of Burslem and Longport, Staffordshire, England, who went into business in 1843. As is noted on the jug, the company won an award at the prestigious London Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851. They went out of business in 1855. This means your whimsical Parian jug was made sometime between 1851 and 1855, which makes the piece almost 170 years old.

The jug is also marked with a sort of kite-shaped symbol stamped in black that is the English registration mark in use between 1842 and 1867. This served as a sort of patent mark for an object's design or shape. The design for the jug's pattern was registered in 1850.

If the all-white type is approximately 7½ inches tall, it should be valued in the $75 to $100 range. But we must note this example has a hairline crack across the bottom, which reduces the value by half or more.

Q: I am wondering if you can help me identify this piece. It is marked "Meriden Quadruple Silver Plate" on the back. I would like to know the approximate age and anything else you can tell me. I have searched the internet and have not found anything like it.

A: A number of companies were making silver-plated items with the word "Meriden" in their name. They were all located in Meriden, Conn. — one of the epicenters of American metal work in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The most famous is probably the Meriden Britannia Co. (established in 1852), but there was also the Meriden Cutlery Co. (1834), the Meriden Sterling Co. (1896), and the firm that made the piece in today's question: the Meriden Silver Plate Co. It was established by Charles Casper and others in 1869 and became part of the International Silver Co. in 1898.

The Meriden Silver Plate Co. continued making wares and marking them with their lion trademark (or the words "Eureka Silver Plate Co") until the 1930s.

We think your piece, with its representation of a sailing ship plowing its way through foaming waves, banner flying from the mast, a stylized horse head figurehead and a putto (aka "Cupid") as the ship's pilot is exuberant, charming and rather uncommon. It could be one of two things — a man's whimsical shaving mirror or a picture frame. Looking at the back, we believe this was intended to be a picture frame.

There are elements of the late Victorian aesthetic movement on the back of the easel type stand, and we would date the piece to circa 1885. There appears to be no silver plating left, which is a deduction, but the metal's surface is not unsightly. Value for insurance purposes is in the $600 to $800 range.

Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson have written a number of books on antiques. Do you have an item you'd like to know more about? Contact them at Joe Rosson, 2504 Seymour Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917, or e-mail them at treasuresknology.net. If you'd like your question to be considered for their column, please include a high-resolution photo of the subject, which must be in focus, with your inquiry.