Who Likes Surprises?

 I don't know about you, but I, for one, LOVE surprises!  And that was exactly what I was given last week.  

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a dear blogging friend asking for my address because she had something that she wanted to send me.  I've "known" Ellen who blogs at The Happy Wanderer for several years from when I have blogged so I had no problem sending her my address, but I couldn't begin to think what it was she wanted to send me.

As it turns out, this dear lady pays attention when she reads my blog!  The package arrived at the end of last week.  She had warned me that she had packed it well...which only added to the mystery.  She could always get a job at a professional packing place because she had this treasure wrapped beautifully.

She saw my post about the history of my Blue Willow dishes that my cousin had given me this summer and she went to her own collection and shared this one with me.

After doing a bit of research under "Blue Willow plate...Alfred Meakin" I realized that it was what was referred to as a "shallow bowl".  You can see in the above picture that it definitely doesn't have a flat edge like a plate does.

Because of the marking on the back of the bowl I am wondering how rare this piece might be.  Alfred Meakin had several different markings that were used at different times, but all of the pieces I found for sale online did not have this particular marking.  The majority of the ones I found had "Alfred Meakin England" written in cursive.  And I spent several hours searching for something with this particular mark.

Another thing that I noticed...and did not see on any of the ones I saw online that were for sale was the number.  On mine it is 4...which makes me wonder if it was a limited edition.

Everything I found online gave the same time frame...cir 1930.

It now has a new home there between two of the plates that my cousin gave me.  It makes me smile everytime I walk by the hutch.  

I asked Ellen about the story behind her gift.  She said she bought it at a thrift store and told me what the requirements were for her to purchase something.  The first was the mark on the back and if it had England as part of the marking it was a win...and the price had to be right.

Thank you again, Ellen, for your thoughtfulness.  I was deeply touched by the fact that you would go to the lengths that you went to, to share that beautiful piece of  Old Willow with me.

If you haven't yet met Ellen, please consider popping on over and saying hello to her.