I am a passionate collector of antique English white ironstone china. I will be selling a wide variety of gorgeous pieces from my collection to make room for new acquisitions.
My research has revealed the context in which these designs were created.
During the last half of the 1800's settlers were turning the fertile plains that cover much of North America's mid west into farms. British potters were wise to the tastes of that great agricultural society covering a good part of Canada and the United States - creating for them ironstone china in embossed designs combining native prairie flowers with the wheat, newest barley, corn and oats that they farmed.
This Prairie Flowers shape soup tureen was made by Livesley Powell & Co. between 1851- 1866. The embossing is crisp and excellent.
As to condition, my photos will show that the lid has a crack going from the opening for the ladle that travels as a very tight line up to the edge of the handle. There is also a large chip on the underside of the lid on the rim that fits down into the bowl of the tureen that is not, of course, seen when the lid is on. The underplate (aka a cracker tray) has some crazing in the center oval only, where the tureen bowl base sits. Apart from the lid, the tureen appears in mint condition and like it was never even used. It is a pristine white.
The under tray measures 15 7/8" L x 10 3/8" W, the base is 14 1/4" L X 7 1/4" W from handle to handle, the lid is 11/3/4" L x 8 1/2" W.
It could be used in many ways, but would be especially wonderful to use for any holiday entertaining. I love using soup tureen under plates separately as serving platters as well as with the tureens.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions and to let me know if there is anything in particular you are looking for that I might have not yet listed here.
Product code: Prairie Flowers newest Ironstone Soup Tureen