Unmarked China/Porcelain
Hi, I found this tea set, along with a few other random pieces, under a bed in a cabin that was built in 1923 with a note. The note is from my mother-in-law, who was born in 1939, and it says "These are the gold-banded 'wedding-ring' pattern tea set that were my great-great-great grandmother's." So ... OLD. None of the pieces, save two, have any markings at all, so I don't know where they came from. The two trays are marked (no ink) with an anchor surrounded by a laurel wreath. Most of the stuff in this cabin comes from upstate New York (not the city), so I was thinking it could be Syracuse China, and the pattern looks similar to some of theirs, but I couldn't find any evidence that company used anchors, and I think these pieces may predate Syracuse China. I also could not find the mark in any markings library. There are 12 salad plates, all in good shape; 12 saucers, all in good shape; 6 small saucer-like bowls on which the gold has worn off on all but one; two trays in good shape; one creamer in good shape; 8 cups, one badly cracked; one serving bowl in good shape; one pitcher thing in good shape; and a coffee pot with a cracked lid and a stained spout. IMPORTANT NOTE: I am not asking for an appraisal of all pieces. I am simply trying to find out the manufacturer and year of these pieces. I will pay for three appraisals, and I don't even care of what pieces, but realize it might be impossible to do so. If you can just do what you can, I would appreciate that greatly. My main goal is broad: I would like to know what I have (manufacturer and approx year) and if it's very valuable. Thank you -- Laurel
See previous note
Inherited
Maybe
Hi Laurel,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
This service was made by Anchor Pottery in Trenton, NJ. which dates to the late 1890s to about the 1920s and is made of demi-porcelain. I don't know if the factory's archives are extant to chase down a pattern name - I would frankly be surprised if they were.
https://www.trentonhistory.org/Made/Marks.html
https://potteriesoftrentonsociety.org/research/records/anchor-pottery/
A set of this fairly small size - just 44 pieces without uniformity of piece numbers, most not marked and some with considerable gilding losses - will have a fairly modest value on the auction market.
Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:
An antique 44-piece Anchor Pottery parcel gilt demi-porcelain part dinner service
unattributed pattern, made in Trenton, NJ, probably first quarter 20th Century, comprising:
12 salad plates (all in good condition)
8 cups (one cracked) with 12 saucers (all in good condition);
6 finger bowls (the gilding has worn off on all but one);
2 trays (in good condition);
1 coffee pot (with cracked cover and stained spout)
1 cream pitcher (in good condition);
1 ewer (in good condition)
1 serving bowl (in good condition);
CONDITION: see above
PROVENANCE: inherited
$125-175*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.
Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, and thank you again for using Mearto.
I appreciate your comment; I will say that, in the nearly 30 years I've been doing appraisals, it is not uncommon for family history to become mixed up. It's also possible the unmarked pieces are earlier, with the marked pieces added in in the first quarter 20th Century.
Ha, that is so true! Thank you for all your time.
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Ok, thanks ... I don't think the timing adds up, though, as it was owned by the great-great-great grandmother of someone born in 1939 -- six generations before 1939. But I appreciate your appraisal and research and will certainly take it forward with me. Thank you so much!