Stunning gilded and blue oriental plates - English, French?

Hi, I’ve been trying to find out what these plates are. Both look like blue transferware with over gilding and gilded rim. There’s no name stamp or impression on them but they are both numbered in orange ink on the back - the only thing I can find that matches the numbering is the B series of Ashworth and sons C1890?? They’re beautiful and in amazing condition if that old. Can anyone help identify the maker and period please?

 

They’re dinner plate size - I presume made as cabinet plates. I’ve wondered if English, French? Odd that they’re numbered but no maker’s mark. Here’s more photos. Any help appreciated

 

@NTC Collector Can't help you with origin, sorry, just a theory: These plates remind me of what my favorite aunt used to paint back in the 1940's through the -60's, in Sweden.

Porcelain painting was a big hobby then among gentle ladies with time on their hands. Not that she was that gentle, nor had much time left over when mastering a household with children, GSD dogs her military husband bred and trained for army service, and her own dressmaker atelier where she made gowns and other costumes for two different opera companies.

However, over the years, she managed to paint a tea and coffee service for 12, and also numerous teapots, vases, plates, and decorative dishes.

I recall that she told me that the blanks came from both Germany and England, that she had to purchase them from mailorder catalogs. She always ordered "extras" in case she'd break or otherwise mess up some pieces that were to be included in a matched service.

She was very artistic and although she drew on the suggested designs in the catalogs she often added her own touches, variations, on flowers, fauna, scenes.

Your two lovely plates remind me of work she did although it isn't like it in style in the least.

However, it's beautifully executed and it wouldn't surprise me if your plates were painted by someone who was not a professional but a hobbyist.

The numbers on the back may be the catalog numbers the manufacturer had assigned to them, or they could have been a date, like the month and year, 5/40, and the artist's initials, B above, C(?) below the date.

I believe the number be to 5/40, not 5/70, if the plates were painted in Europe where 7 has a crossbar. If painted in the US it could of course be 5/70 (no crossbar).

These are only guesses based on my recollection of hobby-painted porcelain in the mid-1900s as done by my aunt (and beloved godmother).

 

Full size better for viewing!! AND nice looking, at that!!!!

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All possibilities appreciated. And lovely to hear about your aunt and the hobby painters.

 

Thanks @lizjewel would love to find out. I do think it’s 5170 - see numbering on this Ashworth plate is almost identical in style and no cross bar. But again just what I could find so you could be right and me wrong

 

@NTC Collector Well, then you have found the manufacturer, Ashworth Brothers, England.

On your plates though there is no manufacturer's stamp. Were these sold as blanks do you think, with just the stock number 5170?

 

That’s the mystery, no makers mark but the numbering matches.