The eBay pieces with felt on the base have now arrived. I removed the felts to find a brown biscuit base with no marks at all. They are actually very well made so now the hunt starts for an identification. Any thoughts gratefully appreciated. I think French or Portuguese majolica and certainly over 100 years old in my opinion. John
Wow, wonderful details. Anything broken off? Would be a miracle if not, considering the complexity! -Joe
Is there writing on the bottom left hand corner of the picture of bottom or is it just scratches? Looks like HA 92. Of course it could just be me.
WOW! I agree, your photos make these look much nicer. What are they meant to hold, do you think? And John, can you please help this newbie out and tell me what gives you the idea of the 100+ year age?
These could have been used as cache pots or perhaps planters. Don't fall into the trap of assuming that every item had a given use During the Victorian era, these were often created solely to add beauty to a home. Obviously these were not used often or more pieces of the decoration would be missing. They are extremely delicate and difficult to find in such good condition. The 100+ age is accurate. It is very difficult to find these signed but we know from the intricacy of the decoration that it had to be produced at a time when labor was cheap. Almost all the decoration you see was hand created and applied by skilled artisans and by 1900 or so it was no longer possible to manufacture them economically. The style and the glazes also point to Victorian era manufacture. Unfortunately, these are often unsigned and most records of their manufacture were destroyed or lost years ago so exactly when it was produced and by who will be very difficult to determine.