Featured Vintage Lobster Bowl, Help with maker please

I've been trying to find the maker of this lobster bowl for a while now without success. It seems that a number of manufacturers made very similar bowls from the Art Nouveau era to the Art Deco era, with Wedgwood being the most popular. I know this isn't Wedgwood (alas) or Carlton Ware, but haven't been able to find anything exactly the same on google images. The key points are that it is decorated inside but not outside (transfer print with hand colouring, I think), the silver-plated rim is not marked, and there are no maker's marks of any kind on the bowl. I haven't found a single instance of a bowl with slanted fluting like this one. The lobster is similar to many makes but the claws are closed, and the antennae curve underneath the claws to nearly touch the first legs. There is a lot of wear on the lobsters, so it has some age, and was found useful by a previous owner! I suspect it may have arrived here in the UK with a sticker saying "Made in Japan" which has dropped off. Values vary enormously between makers, and I would like to describe it correctly when selling. Diameter just over 8".

 

Isnt that a crayfish inside the bowl?

 

I think so, Johnny. Our New England lobster has more carapace plus the big claws/ pincers. But if this was made in the UK, their "lobster" are different.

 

I'm no expert in crustaceans, but it's definitely not a lobster! Could well be a crayfish, but I thought it was a king prawn, due to lack of large claws at the front. Something else not pictured on any other lobster bowl I've found on google.

 

One inside the plate is shrimp
One outside are crabs
Maybe the dish is used for hand washing as we often serve a bowl of water next to shrimp dish for cleaning the hands. Maybe...

 

I think the outside ones are rock lobsters or langostinos. Definitely not New England lobsters!

 

The outside ones are lobsters, not crabs!

 

I think it is lobsters on the outside, king prawn on the inside, but I don't actually eat either. Most of our crustaceans are shipped in from distant oceans these days, and I don't know where this bowl was made, could be Japan. This type of bowl is definitely known as a "lobster bowl", whatever the creatures on it! But has anyone seen this particular one before?

 

Would 8” diameter bowl be too small to fit a lobster? They are usually served in big oval plate.

 

Possibly German? These don't say the maker though.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ws386-lobster-salad-bowl-ceramic-492699390


https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/gorgeous-victorian-lobster-fruit-bowl-made-in

 

Oooo it is not for a lobster, just called that way because of decor. Daaa

 

Thank you so much, I think you've found the very one, the first of your two examples! The lobsters and ribbing look exactly the same. Unfortunately there is only one picture on worthpoint, so can't see the inside, but it must be the same manufacturer. I don't know how the seller identified that it was German and 1920's, the information is a bit sparse, but I hope they are right. Also can't see the sold price, unfortunately, but if I now search for German lobster bowl maybe I will find another one on offer, and get some idea how to price it. I did many searches on google and these two bowls did not come up. Did you search worthpoint itself? Once again, many thanks, you are a star say-it-slowly!

 

Yes, these seem to be most often classed as salad bowls, although they are still a little small for that. A bit garish for a salad bowl in my opinion, but perhaps they were used specifically for salads to accompany seafood. Bowls held up by lobsters were once enormously popular, it seems, from Victorian times onwards, although a bit bizarre to modern eyes, mine anyway. There are also a lot of two part serving bowls with a lobster down the middle, quite strange. On my bowl the paint on the lobsters is worn away on the backs of the lobsters, this bowl must have been used on many occasions, you could call it "pre-loved"!

 

I did search Worthpoint, I like the look of lobsters as feet.

 

Some of the members here have accounts on Worthpoint and may be able to look up the selling price and date of the first one for you. I remember that @Kronos has an account, so will tag him at least, if he is willing?

 

WS386 is showing on WorthPoint as sold for 479 USD in December 2013 (eBay).

EDITED TO ADD: I tried searching in German and found a few similar bowls, sometimes described as being for mussels. Try Hummer Schale and WMF (possible manufacturer of your piece) in your favourite search engine and you'll get a lot of photos. Some sellers are asking over 1,000 EUR........

 

Thanks for all your time spent helping me out! The price paid for the bowl shown on worthpoint is very gratifying, but of course mine is in much more worn condition. Nevertheless I shan't sell it too cheaply! I haven't been able to confirm the WMF connection, but I'll keep trying. The bowl itself is nicely made but the silver plated rim is unmarked and the silver is wearing off, so just possibly a cheaper make, but I'm hoping for WMF, and the German search terms are very useful!

 

Mussels seem like a good use for the bowl, one could fit a decent number into the bowl, as opposed to actual lobsters! I can't help feeling that salad would be slightly at odds with the lobsters on the bowl, seafood would be much better. Many people over many years must have found a use for these bowls. They would be difficult to store, those people must have kitchens a great deal larger than mine!

 

If you keep searching you might well find a closer match, but everything seems to point to Jugendstil / Art Nouveau -- and WMF is certainly a candidate. Having the likely region and period should make it easier to find out more.

Letting people know what a bowl might be suitable for was definitely a thing (and having the matching serving spoons would greatly increase the kitsch factor):

https://annette-ahrens.at/onlineshop/produkt/salatschuessel-mit-besteck-wohl-fa-wmf-um-1920/


https://www.ebay.de/itm/Antike-WMF-...it-versilbertem-Metall-1910-1920/233918936360



https://www.ebay.de/itm/WMF-Salat-G...rter-Rand-Jugendstil-wunderschon/272330646249



(Note that I am absolutely not an expert in this field -- this is just based on a little searching and on having seen vaguely similar items in the past in Germany.)

 

Villeroy & Boch - Originally came with serving spoons as well. My German Aunt had one!. Circa 1930 - 40 I believe.