Keith - I would think Christine is almost certainly correct - the gilding in your pics. looks way too poor to be Barbe - also IMHO - But then I'm not over keen on being 'ever so umble'. My only real experience of good gilding is on a piece of 'peach blow' - and there the thickness of the gilding is remarkably thicker. I understand that a lot of the cheaper wares in the period 1860 - 1920 had their gilding applied by a transfer method - quicker and more accurate, apparently - although I'm not suggesting yours was produced by that method............it looks a little too spontaneous for that. But it's just a comment re the fact that vast amounts of glass and china were gilded - poorly - during that period, a lot of which by now has either worn away completely, or become very thin, like yours. I don't think J. Barbe's pieces would have done that. By the way, apolgies to anyone who was thinking I might have emigrated - I have lost my internet connection at home, and am going crazy trying to resolve the problem. f@"$%% it.
I hope to be sending my usual 'generalizations' - 'long winded and over wordy' epistles again soon. Was that a groan I heard somewhere :hi: