A very worthwhile Saturday morning trip to the Swap Meet even though I only made two purchases. Some days are just luckier than others.
Once again I came across a pottery I had never heard of before. A beautiful art wall plate produced by Heron Cross Pottery. A reproduction of a painting of Salisbury Cathedral by John Constable (1776-1837). Not only had I never heard of this pottery, but they have been around since 1876 and are still making fine quality ware.Heron cross was established in 1876 by the Hines Brothers in Fenton, Stoke in the Staffordshire district in England. They make excellent quality porcelain and Ivory ware. The pottery was acquired by Grimwades in 1907 and operated continuously until WWII when the factory was used by the government to store bully beef (whatever that is) and land mines. After the war operations resumed and the company went through several changes of ownership and is still going strong. More information on the company website:
History of Heron Cross Pottery
Heron Cross John Constable Plate at Quality Junk in the Atomic Mall
Almost as soon as I arrived at the Swap Meet I spotted a very dirty pair of Seyei Bella Maria Serving Bowls under a pile of junk plates. To my surprise when I dug them out they were in excellent condition with no visible damage other than the dirt. The seller was not there, so I told her helper that I would take them and ask him to set them in the truck until I returned. When I came back 10 minutes later I was really amazed. My two bowls had grown to a large lot of Bella Maria. The price was excellent and I bought them on the spot.Seyei is somewhat of a mystery to me. I believe it was established prior to WWII as the Seyei Toki Co. Limited in Nagoya, Japan. After the war they exported goods to the U.S. until 1970. (They were one of the many contractors for the Sears Harmony House line.) It is thought that some patterns, including Bella Maria were only sold in Armed Forces exchanges in the Far East and possibly Europe and were never actually exported to the U.S. I have seen a number of figural Sake bottles marked Seyei so their production was not limited to dinnerware.
The best source I have seen is this: Ebay Guide - Seyei Bella Maria
Since I know of no pieces marked Occupied Japan, I think it is safe to assume (dangerous practice) that Bella Maria was issued after 1951. It was discontinued around 1959. Pattern #2129. White body with gray rims, silver leaves on the gray with roses on the white centers of the flat ware. Here's the list:
- Creamer
- Sugar Bowl Lid only
- 5 Salad Plates
- 2 Soup Bowls
- 2 14" Oval Platters
- 2 Oval Serving Bowls
- Round Covered Serving Bowl
- 2 Dinner Plates
More Seyei at Quality Junk in the Atomic Mall
Pictures and Listing soon.
Thanks for listening... ☺☺☺☺
1 comment:
Thank you for posting the information about the Seyei china. I have a set of china my dad bought for my mother when he was stationed in Japan after the war (that is pattern #108). The covered bowl you showed is the same shape as the one in my set. Since my parents are both deceased, and I never thought to ask details about the china when I was younger, I was interested in the manufacturer, and haven't been able to dig up any info. :-)
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