Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-25
COLLECTING LDCH|NA
Has Been a Most Interesting
Hobby for Years,
CON TIN UES POPULAR
DISTINGUISHING MARKS THAT
MUST BE LEARNED.
Old English Manufacturing Likely to
Depict Revolutionary
Periods.


Written for The Evening Star
Throughout the United States are many
households wherein may be found pieces of
old china which extremely valuable
but the true worth of which may never be
known to the possessors on account of the
ignorance of the average woman regarding
old china. Scattered here and there in city,
town and hamlet are rare specimens OF
Wedgwood Clews Wood. Stubs and other
notable makers of the china Of days gone
by. Many of these pieces would bring
remarkable price If their owners only knew
how to sell them in the best market. but
1t is they may be frequently picked up
for a song by those who are shrewd enough
to appreciate their rarity and value. This
is the charm of china collecting, for any
woman possessing a knowledge of the ear
marks of old porcelain can soon become
the proud owner of an interesting cOllcc-
ton at small expense provided she uses
her eyes to advantage. on the other hand
it behooves all those whose homes contain
heirloOmS in the way OF china to make Il
thorough study of the subject lest they in
adVertenty part with a real treasure Tor
ridiculously Inadequate compensation
1t is we'll to remember in examining Old
china that even Il slight surface crack Will
detract from the marketable value of the
piece much more than will a chip or nick,
although the latter be on the face OF the
china. Signs Of wear are also cheapenlns
One must be especially on one guard
against CREASED china. the term 'greaS-
ed being applied when by reason OF eX-
cessiNe use grease has penetrated the giaZe
and spoiled the color. good test Tor Ola
china, particularly fiat or table ware. IL
to examine the face carefully and see
whether it shows three rough marks IN the
glaze. On the back of each piece may also
be found three groups OF similar marks
three marks to a group. all three groups be
ing eGui-Gistant. These marks are caused
by the old-fashioned stills which We're
put between the pieces to keep them
from touching one another during the pro
ces of firing in the kiln. Sometimes. but
seldom. the stills were not used As
general thing. however, in the event OF the
absence of their markings one will be war
ranted in looking with suspicion upon the
so-called piece OF old ware.
The writer of a recent work on china
calls the attention of collectors to p"cu-
liar mark which appears on old. middle
aged and new china alike. and which has
puzzled many. This mark is almost dla-
mond shaped, with a capital r in the cen
ter and figures in the angles. 1t is OF lit
tie Importance. however, for. as y. Hudson
Moore the author of the book in question
points out it is simply a device used to
show that the pattern is registered
Revolutionary China.
OF especial interest to American collec-
tors is the fact that many of the best wares
of the celebrated English makers depict
scenes of our revolutionary period. The
china thus becomes educational in signiti-
canoe serving. it does, to impress upon
old and young the memory of the stirring
days when the republic was in its infancy.
and Washington. jefferson and Monroe
were making history. one especially pleas
ing pattern on this order was manufactured
by the famous Clews brothers, who worked
at Cobridge in England, from ISIS to 1874,
one of the brothers, James, then coming to
the United States to start pottery in In
diana. This pattern is known as the states
pattern. Its border is always the same, but
the center varies according to the space
available and the taste of the potter. 1t is
thus easy to identify the design. The Dor
der is made of fcStoonS, displaying the
names of the fifteen states of the period.
while between each festoon is a star of five
or eight points There is also medallion
of Washington. which never varies in any
design made from this pattern a picture
of the White House is the states platter
and a specimen was sold at auction in
Boston last year, and brought the neat sum
of SAG
Enoch Wood was another English pot
ter who at earlier day turned to ac