The History of a Plate

 I mentioned in yesterday's post about some Blue Willow plates that my cousin gave me when we visited her in Ohio in July, and that I would share a bit of history about it.

My cousin had these dishes packed away in a tote because she was going to put them in a yard sale.  She said they had a lot of crazing and she wasn't a fan.  She asked if I would be interested in seeing them.  I told her I would.  She disappeared while the four us were sitting around the table talking after lunch.  When she reappeared, she was carrying the tote of dishes.

She had wrapped each plate in newspaper and the newsprint had faded on to the dishes, so she washed them up and I dried them and packed them up to bring home with me. 

I didn't think too much about it at the time, but after we got home and I was unpacking them to put them in the hutch I saw how uneven the edges of the plates were, but they were all the same so I was sure it was by design.  If you zoom in on the picture above, you will be able to see the indentations.  It made me curious since there was so much crazing and I decided to do some research.

 It was made by Old Hall Earthenware, as stampped with their identification on the back of the plate as seen above.  Notice the word England in the middle.  That was the key.  The Mckinley Tarrif Act of 1890 raised the duty on imports by 50% in order to protect domestic industries from foreign competition.  It was during this era that the word England was replaced by a picture of a castle.  The Old Hall Earthenware was changed to Old Hall Porcelain Works Ltd.

I checked with my cousin, sharing the history behind the treasure she'd given me, and asked her if she would like to have them back.  She answered me with a resounding NO!  What a treasure!  Believe me, they don't come out of the hutch except to have their picture taken.  😀  But they make me smile each time I walk in the kitchen and see them.

This is the Imperial Glass Biscuit Jar that she gave me that had been her mother's, my Great Aunt Alice.  It's known as the Hobstar Roanoke Star.  It is 8 inches tall and weighs around four pounds.  I didn't want to put it away in the pantry because it's too pretty to not be enjoyed on a daily basis, so I keep it on the kitchen counter where it holds my tea bags.  

As wonderful as these earthly treasures are, they are just that...earthly treasures.  We are reminded in Matthew 6:19-21 about true treasures.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:19-21 LSB