Topic: Sowerby butterfly dressing table sets

[Cathy B]

A very quick question: have the Sowerby butterfly dressing table sets ever been reproduced? The context is that a friend is selling a set in non-uranium green, without surface treatment. She is worried that it could be a reproduction. I think it's probably fine but what do you think?

Thanks!
Cathy

[ChrisStewart]

Hi Cathy

The non-uranium green sets I believe are post war. I was informed by a collector that a good way of identifying post war sets is to look at the width of the hole in the candlestick. If it is small and shallow then it is post war. There are also some very minor differences in the pattern as well (cannot remember what they are).

Regards

Chris

[Cathy B]

Hi Chris,

Thank you, as always.  

I've found this collectors' page which has some interesting information, but as they admit, some of it is conjecture. http://www.sherriff-family.com/butterfly.htm
Also, somewhere Bernard has made reference to David E's research of the candlesticks.

Cathy

[Lustrousstone]

It's very unlikely these were reproduced, the time of production is too long and they're not that collectable. Sets like this were out of fashion by the 1960s. They also seem to have been produced in all the colours and all the finishes

[Cathy B]

Thanks Christine. That's what I thought. Not very long ago I would have said that no-one had bothered reproducing Australian carnival, but that's no longer true, so I just wanted to make absolutely sure.