My First Antique -- Ironstone Plate, Who and What?

This was the very first antique I bought when I arrived in the US -- probably tugged at my Viking heart strings at the time. To this day, I still love the primitive look to the hunter and his dogs. Finally by photographing, discovered it said "ironstone" although I'd classify it more as tin glazed earthenware. I have never found anything like it, but since we have good eyes from all corners of the world, perhaps someone recognizes something about it?

 

I have nothing for you, but I also find it tugging at my Viking heartstrings!
That is a beauty!

 

I've got adopted Viking heartstrings, having spent four years going back & forth to Iceland and probably eight or nine trips to Denmark and Sweden in as many years. That is one awesome plate! I'm going to have to look for my books on Celtic and Scandinavian imagery to see what those snakes & dragons represent.

 

I know, eh? (Ok, I'm dragging out this Canada day thing.)

 

I love the plate!

 

Your piece appears to be marked: "G IRONSTONE 72".

According to the description of the linked auction house below, "G" stands for "Gustavsberg" and "72" for a production year of "1872".

Unfortunately, they don't show an image of the mark.

Auction House Link: https://auctionet.com/en/20171-terr...vsberg-1876-1877-markt-g-ironstone-76-resp-77

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavsberg_porcelain

Not sure how accurate the above info is, but I tried.

 

Can't load the auction house link. I'm wondering why IRONSTONE would be marked in English on a Swedish plate from 1872. Not saying it isn't, but the English is throwing me a bit.

 

They probably exported a lot of production and knew more people spoke English than spoke Swedish, and were sensible enough not to be touchy about it.

 

Thanks 'Nuff -- that's exactly what it is! Feel a bit stupid, since I am Swedish and should have known, except never paid attention Much appreciated, just thrilled to find out after all these years!

Gustafsberg does have other marks that also incorporate "ironstone" but in a more cartouche like backstamp. Generally their 19th century production seems to have the Gustafsberg (with an F instead of a V before spellings changed in the Swedish language) as an impressed mark with the anchor.

 

Well, there may not be a good translation in Swedish for "ironstone" or it may be that "ironstone" denotes more durable pottery that was advertised in the mid-19th c. Kinda like our modern "dishwasher and microwave safe" dishes.

Cool plate and I would've picked it up in a heartbeat!

 

Love the plate but can't offer any help, I too have the ole viking blood running through my veins My grandma on my dad's side is Danish and Swedish....

 

The closest I can get in a Swedish treatise on Staffordshire is "flintgods" which probably didn't sound as attractive from a marketing perspective as "ironstone." It really doesn't feel like any "ironstone" I have, more like earthenware with a darker body than the white the Brits strived for when they developed ironstone.

As a footnote, a member of the ironstone collector's group once told me a delegation from Stoke-on-Trent made a buying trip to the US to find examples of ironstone for their museum. Apparently, most of their production ended up in North America and there wasn't much left in the UK. After looking through eBay UK, I believe it.

 

You are most welcome, glad I was able to help.

I got a little time today and was able to dig a bit further on your item, especially in the fine decoration. This is what I found first:

Your item appears to be marked with an "E(?)" just below at right as indicated in red below. This "E(?)" could stand for designer: "JE Ericsson", but I'm not sure.





Digging a little further I found this: "After the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, the painter Johan August Malmstrom designed a form of decoration for Gustavsberg that included a stylized band derived from rune stones".

Johan August Malmstrom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Malmström

If I'm not mistaken, your piece is designed in a Norse-style correct?

If yes, have a look at this: http://www.designarkiv.se/ur-designarkiv/bildexempel/exempel-02/

Doesn't that design and those roundels look familiar? Somewhat similar to the design and roundels found on your piece correct? Now look at the production year that linked piece was produced.

Now take a look at this: http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/things...Gustavsberg&search_context=1&count=221&pos=19

This too was designed by Malmstrom. Do you also see how that linked piece above is marked ("G IRONSTONE 77"). VERY similar to your piece........no?

I've done all I can do, the rest is up to you to put the pieces of this puzzle together.

I hope the above info helps?

 

"Nuff -- yes, yes, and yes! Apparently, the early Norse style of decoration was in high fashion during the 1870-80, and it is indeed exactly what this is. You have no idea how grateful I am to have an answer to what has been escaping me for the last 45 years.... I will dig some more now that I have all this invaluable info at hand.

 

Cool info, and cool items. I wonder how much of that ironstone stuff Gustavsberg produced back then...

 

I have a book about runes and those are not runes around the edge of the plate. Those are Celtic dragons. I'm seeing an Irish influence, but then Dublin was the Viking capital for 400 years or so.

 

Here's an image of a Celtic double dragon brooch based on an image from the book of Kells

 

And nowhere in those posts above does it state they are runes.

The point of post #14...

3 of 4 pieces below are IMO works of art produced by Gustavsberg in the same era by a very good and/or well known designer/artist.

 

I just remembered I have a Gustavberg Swedish Pottery "Argenta Bulbous Vase" with silver inlay fish. It was designed by Wilhelm Kage for Gustavsberg, Sweden, in the Argenta series. Mine dates c1940. It has Gustavberg's anchor mark. Is this the same Gustavberg???

--- Susan