Topic: Sowerby Ivory Queens Ware Daisy Plate 30th August 1878

[mhgcgolfclub]

A Sowerby IQW plate with a daisy pattern.

Date lozenge for 30th August 1878 design number 325534.

Diameter 9"

Roy

[Paul S.]

nice piece.         Would appear this is the less common type of Registration, where the protection is for the decoration rather than a shape.
Described by Simon Cottle as a 'Basket Weave Dish & Stand (factory pattern No. 1177), but unsure if he is suggesting this is an item composed of two separate pieces or not, and looking at the original factory drawing I don't think I'm seeing any 'basket weave' pattern?
I don't think Cottle has sourced his description from the factory drawing, which is faint and difficult to read, but which I think says Comport - but I could be wrong  -  does it look like a comport  ..............   no idea if this particular decoration appears on other pieces of QPIW  - perhaps someone else can say.

[agincourt17]

Thank you for showing these design representation photos, Paul.

The side view of this design representation is, of course, very similar in style to the commonly-seen Sowerby pattern 1102  'dish or plate on matching stand' which has an obvious basketweave pattern. Occurs as two separate pieces,  and joined together.

As to the 'daisy and stem' decoration, a quick scan through the Sowerby reference photos shows:

an IQW dish with the RD 325534 lozenge (so not shape specific)

the IQW RD 325098 sugar and creamer of 16 August 1878 (pattern 1331), and the IQW RD 328743 sugar and creamer of 4 November 1878 (patten 1346) - so occurs on other RDs and shapes.

Fred

[Paul S.]

thanks Fred.                     As far as 325534 goes, it does look as we've suggested, that this Registration was giving protection for the daisy decoration only and not the shape  -  this fact seems to be confirmed by the 5 inch dish in your second picture which has the same Reg. No., same daisy decoration, but is a completely different shape.             I'm still of the opinion that protection 'this way round' is far less common than what I'd assumed was the more general method whereby protection was for the shape.
Assuming we are correct with what was being Registered, then you might have assumed that having protected this daisy decoration with the No. 325534, then all subsequent pieces carrying said daisies might simply be recorded under this same No. -  but that appears not to be the case,
since you're now showing two other shapes, with daisies, that are entirely different Reg. Nos. 

Moving on to your third picture of sugar and creamer which carry Reg. 325098 - I've attached picture of the original factory drawing (apologies it's very poor quality) against which this Registration was issued, and which is described in the Register as a 'Round Sugar'.         The shape in the original drawing looks to agree with the shape of the sugar you have shown i.e. handles with what I believe is called 'rigaree' trailing, and am assuming that here it's the shape only that's being protected.           Despite the daisies on the sugar and cream you've shown, you can see there's an absence of any decoration on the original drawing, which might confirm the Registration was for shape only.

Referring to your last item - the creamer showing Reg. 328743  -  and for comparison again I've attached picture of the original factory drawing which is described in the Register as a 'sugar' -  and, as in the factory drawing, your pieces also show the rigaree trailing down the handles.
The obvious thought is that since your creamer and the 'sugar' shown in the drawing share the same Reg. No. then we're inclined to think it's the decoration that's being protected, as these are two unrelated shapes  -  but unfortunately, there isn't any decoration on the drawing!  -  so what do we think was being protected with 328743  ??

Lastly, have attached a picture of the original factory drawing for Reg. 324929 - a 'Flower Vase' according to the Register  -  and showing daisy decoration plus some rigaree trailing....................   so what do we think was being Registered with this No. ??           Have a feeling I might have shown this one previously.

No doubt the Sowerby factory knew what they were doing in 1878, but nearly 140 years later it's sometimes far from clear, with some Registrations exactly which features in some of these designs, were being protected.