Plate, Brameld, c.1816

This plate, transfer printed in blue with the Willow pattern, was manufactured by the Yorkshire firm of Brameld in the early part of the Nineteenth Century.

In 1806, John Brameld and his son William took over the former Swinton Old Pottery, near Rotherham in Yorkshire. This had previously been run by the Leeds firm of Hartley, Greens & Co. A good deal of earthenware was produced, but from 1826 the company was perhaps best known for the manufacture of fine porcelain under the name of the Rockingham Works.

Brameld exported wares to the Baltic and other European countries, and it is due to unpaid consignments to Russia that the firm was forced to appeal to Lord Fitzwilliam for funds in order to avoid bankruptcy in 1826.

The base bears the impressed 'BRAMELD+' mark, and the pearl glaze has pooled inside the letters. The '+' is usually followed by a number, however this is indistinct. Three sets of three spur marks can also be seen on the underside of the rim. There is typical crazing associated with wares from this period.

Condition: Good - no chips, cracks or restoration. The printed decoration is good. There is some minor flaking of the glaze to the rim. This wear is due to the plate being displayed with a wire hanger, as indicated by tiny spots of rust. The plate remains an attractive, marked example from a much sought-after factory.

Dimensions: Diameter 9 1/8" (23cm)

A.W. Coysh & R.K. Henrywood, The Dictionary of Blue & White Printed Pottery 1780-1880 Volume I (Antique Collectors' Club, 2001).