Adderley's of England Enameled Antique Bone China Dinner Plates Set of 10
Product Description And Additional Pictures
We like to think that we can often identify the manufacturer of a piece of antique porcelain from across a room. And often we can! So imagine our surprise when we discovered that the gorgeous set of dinner plates decorated with a stylized, enameled floral border which we had identified (incorrectly) as Minton, was actually an exquisite set of Adderley's of England!
We are very pleased to offer this lovely set of ten (10) antique bone china dinner plates made by Adderley's of England for Bailey Banks & Biddle of Philadelphia. These antique bone china plates vary slightly in size from 9-7/8" to a full 10" in diameter (the naked eye does not see the slight variation in size). Their lovely light cream background is offset by a stylized 1" wide outer border consisting of curving stems, green leaves, and red, cobalt and light purple flowers. These latter flowers are more of a light eggplant than a true purple, and the color combination is exquisite! The red and cobalt flowers have been overpainted with enamel, giving the border a rich, three-dimensional appeal. The inside ring of the border consists of a scalloped design interspersed with tiny cobalt fleur-des-lis and enameled red beading. The outer edges of the dinner plates are gilded. Each of these antique bone china plates are in very good condition. Please examine our photographs carefully as they are as much a representation of condition as our written description.
These beautiful Adderly's of England antique bone china dinner plates are all marked with pattern number "03122". We believe that this number most likely refers to a special order by the renowned luxury retailer Bailey Banks & Biddle, because we have been unble to find this pattern - or anything similar to it - referenced anywhere. After examining the Adderley stamp on the backs of the plates, the Bailey Banks & Biddle mark, and the occasional small glaze pops on the surface of plates, we estimate from the marks and the craftsmanship of the porcelain glaze that this beautiful set was made in the very early 20th century, most likely between 1910 and 1915, but possibly as late as 1920. (Bailey Banks & Biddle began retailing fine china in early 1911). After an extended examination of these antique dinner plates, we are convinced that they were manufactured with an "Olde-English" look to them, with the design possibly taken from an actual Tudor or Stuart pattern.
Every piece in this set of 10 Adderley's of England antique bone china dinner plates is in excellent condition. There are no nicks, chips, cracks or crazing, and few if any utensil marks. In fact, these ten antique dinner plates looks almost new. As you review our photographs, please note that the centers of the plates are all lustrous and highly light reflective. If they had any significant amount of utensil wear they would not be so lustrous!
The person who purchases this set of Adderley's of England antique bone china dinner plates will receive 12 plates for the price of 10. Why? One of the plates that we purchased has a ding on the backside of its edge. You can't actually see the nick when you are looking down at a place setting, but if you run your hands along the edge you will feel it. We refuse to throw this antique plate away, as it is still lovely and otherwise unblemished. But as it is not perfect, we won't sell it either. So rather than market an odd-numbered set, we are selling ten of the near-mint plates and sending the lucky purchaser an even dozen!