A to Z Anthology

As the Society no longer produces newsletters, we will post occasional items of interest here.
Topics will be chosen at random.
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E is for Errors & Omissions

Our list of pattern numbers and names is taken from a 1981 Tyne & Wear Museums publication. We flagged up a few errors - like why does pattern 6307 appear twice - but never got around to fixing them. (Come on! When did you last clear out your attic?) We are kicked into action by a correspondent who writes:

"My grandfather left me a plate and I'm trying to find out about it. It looks like 6067/1 to me, but when I looked at the list, it must be 6307 - Japanese Lantern, plate, dark blue ground. Do you know what the /1 means and the 3 dots underneath it?"

We agree that it's 6067. We can confirm that it is Japanese Lanterns and the three dots are the mark of the paintress (name unknown). Other examples also show 6067, so that's one error fixed. The /1 is another item to clear up. c1900 Maling did use these codes to indicate things like gilded rim or different grounds, but we don't normally associate this with the 40s. We think the /1 indicates the mottled light blue ground as opposed to the standard solid blue.

For more information on these plates see "L is for Lay Lady Lay".

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