Arcadian China crested ware - binoculars - Thorne
c. 1915Hollow, off-white china patriotic ornament in the form of a pair of field glasses or binoculars.
It features a colourful civic crest for Thorne in South Yorkshire. The colours of the crest are mainly gold, royal blue and orange, while the text and borders are black.
The sides and back of the ornament are plain. There is a gold band around the top of each eyeglass.
The maker's mark and name appear on the left hand side of the base. The letter 'R' is painted in pale blue in the centre. The words 'Made for W.H. Lister, Fancy Dealer, Thorne' are written in black on the right hand side of the base.
Crested china collecting became a craze in the Victorian period when tourists bought small, hollow, off-white coloured porcelain ornaments decorated with the coats of arms of the towns they visited to take home as a souvenir.
Before World War One, pottery companies including Adderleys, Arcadian, Carlton, Clifton, Florentine, Grafton, Podmore, Savoy, Shelley, Swan, Willow Art, and W H Goss, mainly from the Stoke -on-Trent area, made miniature collectibles such as vases, plates and other crockery, houses, public buildings, cars and replicas of visitor attractions. During the war, the range of souvenirs was expanded to include military caps, equipment and vehicles.
Crested china ornaments are also known as ‘Heraldic China’ or ‘Heraldic Souvenir Ware’.
There are several examples in the collection made by a variety of makers.
Details
Details
Beneath the crest:
"THORNE"
On the left of base:
"A & S
STOKE-ON-TRENT
ARCADIAN"
In centre:
"R"
On the right of base:
"MADE FOR
W.H. LISTER
FANCY DEALER
THORNE"
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