In the King James translation of the Bible: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold" - Proverbs 22:1.
I too have seen a similar [unmarked] plate in transparent pale blue glass, diameter 5 inches, and also one in clear glass.
I have also seen a similar 6 inch diameter plate in clear glass with the embossed legend REGISTERD [sic.] DESIGN.NO 2971 and, significantly, with the 'N's in DESIGN and NO reversed as in a mirror image . So, REGISTERD is mis-spelled, and there is an anomaly in the orientation of the letter 'N's. Interestingly, this was being offered for sale by an Australian seller too.
Now I have photos to show of an 8 inch/200mm diameter plate of the design with the embossed legend REGISTERD DESIGN.NO 2971 (and the reversed Ns in DESIGN and NO) PLUS the embossed legend MADE IN JAPAN (with the 'N' in JAPAN also reversed as in a mirror image) - permission to re-use these images on the GMB granted by dick123.
I'm not sure about glassware specifically, but in America, the McKinley Tariff, which took effect on 1 March 1891, required that all imported goods be marked in English with their country of origin. At the time, NIPPON was considered to be an acceptable name for Japan, so most Japanese ceramics of this period were backstamped NIPPON or HAND PAINTED NIPPON, often with a company logo as well. However, not all were stamped that way. There were still unmarked pieces, and pieces stamped JAPAN as well. Then the U.S. Customs Bureau ruled that NIPPON was no longer an acceptable synonym - as of August 1, 1921 all goods were supposed to be backstamped JAPAN. Technically, the 'Made in Japan' Era began when the 'Nippon' era ended in 1921, but it really was not that precise. At some point the US Customs Bureau may have required that the words MADE IN... be added to the backstamps, but this was not always done. Unmarked pieces sometimes slipped through Customs, but most of the ceramics from 1921 to 1941 are marked either JAPAN or MADE IN JAPAN. The United States occupied Japan from September 1945, until April 1952. The Occupied Japan backstamp Era truly began August 15, 1947 when the first shipment of Occupied Japan ceramics arrived in America. The U.S Customs Bureau decreed in 1949 that Japanese goods could be marked OCCUPIED JAPAN, MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN, JAPAN or MADE IN JAPAN.
So it appears as though these ' A Good Name .." glass plates are possibly 1920s-1940s Japanese-manufactured 'looky-likey' imports destined for America, attempting to imitate late 19th century British or American motto glassware (probably British glassware in this instance because of the 'faux' or anomalous design registration number, and the stylistic similarity to late Victorian Greener and Davidson motto glassware).
Pamela's mention that she acquired a similar plate in Australia or New Zealand might also have a bearing in that Japanese glassware for export to America could easily have also found its way to the Antipodes. Moreover, in the mid- to late-1930s, Western designs of all types were being widely copied by the Japanese and sold in Australia. As a result, British manufacturers of glassware and ceramics started to registered designs both in Britain and Australia so that from the late 1930s and into the 1940s articles are seen bearing both British and Australian design registration numbers. [Some Davidson glass designs from the time are commonly found with dual design registration numbers].
Does anyone have photos to show of "A Good Name..." motto glassware of different shape (but similar design), or even the same motto but with a different decorative design to those shown here, please?
Fred.
Topic: Davidson Glass with Quote (Read 2233 times)
