Not So Quality Junk - Grimwades Butter Dish

Of course this is not a pottery dump, but it is a little like what my house would look like if I didn't screen some of the things I buy at the swap meet or are given to me. Unfortunately one of my idiosyncrasies is that I cannot bear to toss any piece of vintage pottery or dinnerware that has either a high resale value and/or is over 100 years old, regardless of its condition. I am talking about pieces that I could never afford to have in my house or store if they were not damaged. I am not talking about everyday, dinnerware that is cracked or chipped. Like most folks I have no problem finding the trash bin with those. Of course sometimes I have to stare at an item for a month or two before making a judgement call between these two categories. In browsing through my store you will probably find a couple of dozen items like this and I am always very careful to describe the damage. I list this "not so quality junk" in the hopes that some other poor, retired sailor might like to have a beautiful, even if damaged piece of history.



Here is one such piece that I purchased a week ago and have not decided what to do with it yet. It is a Royal Winton Grimwades Covered Butter Dish. Probably circa 1930, but I need to do more research. My guess is that this piece would have a value of around $100.00 if in good condition. There is a good sized chip on the rim in one corner of the bottom which of course degrades it.



There is one other fascinating thing about this piece. If you look at the top above and the bottom below, you will notice that there is absolutely no glaze crazing on the top and yet the bottom is so extensively crazed that it appears to be deliberate. This leads me to believe that this is a marriage of two pieces of the same pattern but issued many years apart. Of course there are other equally plausible explanations, and we may never know the truth.


It is this mixture of age, beauty and mystery that makes it impossible for me to pass these pieces by and toss them in the trash.

Here is some Royal Winton that is listed: Griwades at Quality Junk in the Atomic Mall

Enough for today, Thanks for listening...