19th century Mulberry transferware

No laughing. These were freebies so I couldn't walk away. They aren't rare and they have cracks and chips, but who can no to free stuff? Not I.

First is an 8" diameter plate. Center design with five medallions around the edge with Moorish type buildings. The pattern is "SUSA" by CM&S. There is a red stamp with Chinese letters and impressed under the glaze is a stamp that I think says "Improved (unk word) China."

 

Second is a 7 1/2" diameter deep soup bowl. The pattern says "Rhone Scenery" by TJ&J Mayer.

There's a large manufacturing flaw on the outside.

 

Hi Bev,
Great score! I love the mulberry transfers. Your bowl needs to have the chip soaked off and cleaned and reglued it would look 100% better. I have a plate that was broken into six pieces. It was glued back together God knows when and had the same brown oxidized glue edges as yours. i soaked in warm soapy water for an hour and scrubbed the edges. When I reglued it you could hardly tell it was cracked.
greg

 

You won't catch me laughing, Bev! I pick up free and cheap stuff all the time just to research it. If they don't pan out they go in the Goodwill box. I think these pieces are neat!
Don

 

!!! Ya done good!

 

I wouldn't laugh, they're in better condition than probably half of my reference collection. Are you hoping to find out more or do you already have a handle on these?

Just in case, here is your second mark and probably Stone China.

http://www.thepotteries.org/mark/m/meighc.html

 

That big chip is not completely off the plate, greg. It's just 3/4 around. Or maybe it's got an old glue. I need to drag out my new magnifying glass.

I have a friend who keeps saying she's going to the Gift House at the dump with me, but hasn't. Today when she saw these and the other things I've picked up there, she's motivated. Once they're cleaned up and sitting in the china cabinet, no one's going to know they're less than perfect. Like me. I'm less than perfect. It's like adopting stray dogs. You just can't leave them sitting at the dump.

 

s-I-s - Thanks for the link. Now I can date it.

 

Hi Bev,
Why hide it a china cabinet. I like to hang them on the wall and watch the visitors wet their lips and try to hide their itchy palms.. Before you holler, I use plate holders BUT I over stretch them so there is NO tension and I cover the tiny metal prongs with aquarium tubing. That way I do no harm to said plates.
greg

 

I love mulberry transferware, but I don't collect it, just admire from afar. I say, use it, display it, ya got it for free!

 

I use most of my antique ware at holidays or when we entertain. Even if it's cracked, you can put bread on it. I gag when I go to someone's house and they're serving on plastic. Ptui!

 

Gee, I love this stuff also. Hardly a piece I have is without damage. The cracks and chips add charm and personality. BTW, Petra Wiiliams & Weber, Staffordshire II, page 121, has Meigh's "Susa." They agree with the potteries.org dating of this Meigh mark on this pattern as 1851-1861. They say it says "Improved Stone China." Here is their complete description of the border & pattern.

"This dish is twelve sided and the rim is panelled. On the border there are five cartouches containing a scene of Moorish temples and minarets. The reverses are separated ba a pennant and scroll design. A band of triple honeycomb covers the cavetto.

"Three small figures are placed on a carpeted terrace in the foreground. At right there are steps. There are balustrades at both right and left from the terrace. A river divides the scene vertically. At left in the middle distance one sees the tower and rounded roof of a castle. Behind the castle there are tall mountains. The distinguishing features of this scene is the very large banana-liks plants that appear on either side of the foreground screne."

--- Susan

 

The 2nd piece, Mayer's "Rhone Scenery" is in petra Williams's Staffordshire, 1st vol, p. 390, as a plate, but has a different scene. I suspect this pattern came in multiple scenes with a diifferent scene on different pieces. Williams says this mark of Thomas, John and Joseph Mayer is in "GMK 2570, c. 1843-55". Now the center scene is different, but the rim/border is the same as yours. Here is her description of the rim/border.

"The rim of this fourteen-sided plate is paneled and is covered with narrow, concentric lines. Five small swags of flowers are placed under branches of foliated scrolls around the rim. The scrolls continue and dip into the spaces between the flowers, terminating in split coils. Small slanted leaves are placed around the bottom rim design which partially enters the well, and their curved, pointed ends form a wreath around the well space."

--- Susan

 

Over here, you can get plate hangers that do no harm at all. These: http://www.handyhanger.co.uk/ Thoroughly recommended.

I know people who put transferware in the dishwasher with no ill effect. It's tough stuff - remember how it used to be washed back when it was made!

 

Hi Bear,
I would not trust those plastic hangers especially with a heavy platter. Most plastics will decompose and weaken when exposed to sunlight and humidity changes. I guess I am just antiplastic but having lost a few nice glass sun catchers
from the plastic cords breaking I am a pessimist. Give me brass and steel anyday
greg

 

Greg, you'd be surprised, I suspect. They're very high quality and take a good weight. I've had very heavy plates on some for years, and there's no change in the plastic.

 

Posted too soon. The main reason I dislike those brass and steel wire ones is that they place entirely too much strain on what can be very fragile objects. Hidden stress fractures and all that.

 

>Over here, you can get plate hangers that do no harm at all. These: http://www.handyhanger.co.uk/ Thoroughly recommended. <

Does anyone know if and where these "Handy Hangers" can be purchased state-side? I've never seen them before. I have several plates hung in our dining room with the steel and brass ones that I have stretched and like Greg have covered the prongs. I'm not happy with them, but haven't found anything else. I have a large heavy blue and white "California" by Podmore, Walker & Co. platter (also have a couple of their plates in this pattern) of my great great grandparents that I would love to hang but worry of possible damage even with covered prongs. Like Greg, I'm worry that the Handy Hangers may not be sturdy enough.

On another problem of displaying I have a covered tureen and several plates and 1 large plate of black and white "Bochara" by James Edwards that is collecting dust in storage. How I would love to display this also, but there just isn't enough room. Our mullioned door china cabinet in the dining room is full to over flowing.

I have several odd orphan transferware plates displayed on the hutch in the breakfast room that wouldn't break my heart if they crashed and broke. I don't have anything of great value or of sentimental value on the hutch because for a couple of decades or more kids were running in and out and pushing and shoving around the breakfast table as well as an awkward husband trying to help. During the Xmas season I remove most of the transferware plates from the hutch and set up a New England winter scene on it. I'm open to suggestion on how y'all display your transferware. Sorry, if this has hijacked your thread, Bev.

--- Susan

 

I've considered museum putty for sticking things down but I've not tried it yet. (Probably will regret that someday)

I'm more worried about curious cats these days. The latest was an 18th C large bowl on a tilt top table. I was near the table so cat jumps up, tilt top isn't secured enough and starts to tilt a little so cat (for some mysterious cat reason) bats the bowl. I catch it mid air..... disaster averted...this time.

 

I don't mind hijacked threads at all.

We had a Bowdoin punch bowl that belonged to hubby's grandfather. Mum's cat used to sleep in it. I made the mistake of putting a lace tablecloth on the table and our cat chasing a flying insect caught a claw and pulled the whole thing down smashing the punch bowl. Have not recovered from that and it was three cats ago.