Ever wonder how rich American families in the 18th century bought their dishes, glassware and other necessities from other countries?
Many of the best sets of dishes came from China by ship. If you lived in a major city like Boston, a shopkeeper would show you samples. The shopkeeper also might draw a picture of your family crest or initials, or designs of flowers, leaves and geometric border patterns.
Some shops had sample plates made with multiple borders. The sample plates were sent from the Chinese factory to be used for special-order dishes. It could take up to two years to send the order, have the dishes made and ship them to the customer in Boston.
Antiques collectors enjoy the story about one set of special-order dishes. A black-and-white design drawing and color directions for a set of dishes were sent on a ship to China. The set came back and it was an exact copy of the directions. The blue-and-white design showed the borders and initials, and each had the blue words added that read "paint this red," "paint this green," etc. Of course, the Chinese workman couldn't read English, and he thought the letters were part of the design. We are told a plate from this set does exist in a museum.
Sample design plates are very rare. A plate with four sample borders sold this year for $8,125 in New York.
Shawnee planter
Q: I'd like some information about a square bowl marked "Shawnee USA 1904" on the bottom. It's embossed with raised diamond shapes and the base is painted to look like brass. It's 7 inches across. Is 1904 the year it was made?
A: The number is the mold number, not the date the piece was made. No. 1904 is a planter with Petit-Point design. Shawnee Pottery started in Zanesville, Ohio, in 1937. The company made planters, jardinieres, lamps, plaques, vases, cookie jars and other decorative ware. The company closed in 1961. Your planter could sell for $10 to $15.
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