History of Adams China:

Established in 1769, William Adams & Sons is among the oldest names in the Staffordshire pottery industry. Some sources describe William Adams as a favorite pupil of Josiah Wedgwood, but it is well known that in the 1780s, Adams began production of Jasper wares to rival that of Wedgwood's. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Adams was a leading manufacturer of earthenwares, Parian creamware, and Jasper wares. Many patterns, such as the popular Singapore Bird, show considerable Oriental influence with their pale green Calyx glazes recreating the celadon glazes of ancient Chinese dynasties. Adams Ironstone, with its timeless appeal, is characterized by a lovely handpainted style that highlights its shapes and colors. In 1966, Adams china became part of the Wedgewood group and Adams tableware continues to appeal to casual and fine china lovers alike.

top

History of Coalport China:

Quality and craftsmanship have been the hall marks of Coalport since the firm was founded in the mid-eighteenth century. They have earned for Coalport a distinguished reputation which is respected everywhere.

Today a studio of highly qualified designers produces patterns and ceramic models which continue to delight all those who cherish the highest standards. These artists are sometimes inspired by ideas in Coalport's beautiful and rare old pattern books which date back to the eighteenth century. The result is the singular continuity of ideas so beloved by Coalport admirers.

In these old books can be found the original drawings for "Hong Kong", which is as popular now as it was more than 150 years ago.

As early as 1801 Coalport dinner services were selling at two hundred guineas (a sum equivalent to several thousand pounds today), and in 1841 Queen Victoria ordered from Coalport a large, richly decorated dessert service which was presented to Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. It was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and caused a sensation.

The history of Coalport goes back to 1750 when Squire Brown of Caughley Hall in Shropshire began producing wares using clay and coal from his estate. On his death he was succeeded by his nephew who was joined in 1772 by Thomas Turner, the originator of the Blue Willow pattern in England and an eminent engraver.

The firm was sold in 1799 to John Rose who had founded a ceramic manufactory at Coalport, a village on the bank of the River Severn. In 1820 he received the Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Arts for a new felspar china with leadless glaze, a discovery which was a major life-saver as well as a fillip to business.

In 1926 Coalport moved from Shropshire to Stoke-on-Trent, its home today, and in 1967 it became a member of the Wedgewood Group, since when it has continued to flourish.

top

History of Denby China:

The Denby Pottery Company dates back to 1809. It was named for the village of Denby, located in rural Derbyshire, England. The discovery of clay during the construction of a turnpike road, in 1806, led to the formation of the company. Denby's first products were bottles and jars made of salt-glaxed stoneware. Denby continues to make a wide range of tableware and kitchenware in the 1990s. Many of the original handcrafting methods that Denby used in the beginning, such as handpainting, hand glazing and hand turning, are also still in place in the manufacture of its products.

top

History of Flintridge China:

Flintridge China Company was founded in 1946 in Pasadena, California. Flintridge took its name from two materials necessary for making china: "flint" and "kaolin." Kaolin is a Chinese word meaning "high hill" or "ridge" where the finest clay is made. Flintridge China featured both a rich, ivory-toned body that was translucent as well as a white, translucent china known as "Bon-Lite." Many Flintridge patterns were offered in a variety of colors, with more than a dozen color options available. In 1970, the Gorham Division of Textron, Inc., acquired Flintridge; the purchase resulted in the discontinuation of most Flintridge patterns over the nest few years. A few Flintridge patterns continued to be made by Gorham for many years, including the popular Black Contessa which was discontinued in 1994.

top

History of Franciscan China:

In an effort to explain the evolution of Franciscan's embossed, hand painted dinnerware, a brief chronology of Gladding, McBean and Company history prior to 1940 is necessary.

In 1875, an exceptional clay deposit was discovered in Lincoln, California (Placer County). This area of land was purchased by Charles Gladding, Peter McBean, and George Chambers who formed Gladding, McBean and Company (GMcB), parent company of Franciscan Pottery.

In 1928, Dr. Andrew Malinovsky developed a high talc, one fire body, using non crystalline amorphous flux. This innovative ceramic material was patented as "Malinite" and was to be use in the ceramic body of tile.

By 1932, experimental work had started at the Lincoln plant aimed at producing a pottery line using the "Malinite" body. The dinnerware and art ware were to be made in solid colored glazes.

In 1933, Frederick J. Grant, a chemical engineer, suggest to Mr. Atholl McBean (son of Peter McBean) that the company consider dinnerware production if plant room were available. Mr. Grant was later hired in 1934, as manager of the new GMcB pottery department at the Glendale Plant. Complete lines of art pottery, colored tableware and kitchenware were to be produced. In August, the first mimeographed price list was published. The trade name of Franciscan Pottery was chosen for the line in order to honor the padres who helped to settle California.

In April, of 1935, the first catalog containing photographs of Franciscan Pottery was published. By the end of the year, the Glendale plant pottery department had 283 different shapes in regular production.

By 1939, the prolific Glendale plant had produced at least fifteen patterns of dinnerware and nine lines of art ware. Marketing indications suggested a new dimension in dinnerware. The company moved quickly to design, produce and market a totally new line of embossed, hand painted, dinnerware. This concept was a complete departure from anything previously produced by GMcB Co.

Between the years of 1940 and 1983, many new patterns were introduced into Franciscan pottery. In 1962, Gladding, McBean and Company merged with Lock Joint Pipe Company in September. The name was changed to Interpace.

Then in 1979, Wedgwood Limited of England, purchased the entire forty five acre property on Los Feliz Boulevard on the outskirts of Glendale and renamed the facility Franciscan Ceramic, Inc. The purchase included all existing patterns and equipment.

Finally, in 1984, Wedgwood Limited of England eliminated all jobs, closed the Glendale plant, and moved production to England. The site has subsequently been sold and leveled, thereby ending 109 years of California pottery production heritage.

Franciscan China Gladding, McBean & Co., began production of Franciscan dinnerware in 1934 at their plant in Glendale, California. Gladding, McBean & Co. formed in 1875 to produce sewer tile for the then expanding American West. Over the years they acquired several regional potteries and expanded their product lines several times to include roof tile, decorative art tiles, garden pottery, and art pottery.

Originally, the dinnerware line was sold as Franciscan Pottery and included solidly colored, bright earthenware in the casual style of Mexican folk pottery. This informal tableware was a warm friendly note in the midst of the Great Depression and the company selection of the Franciscan name, an allusion to Franciscan monks, further played into the Southwest imagery. 1930's Franciscan patterns, with names like El Patio, Coronado and Montecito, enhanced the California casual style and sold well. The name was altered to Franciscan Ware in the late 1930's to allow for a more upscale and broader image. Shortly thereafter, the company introduced raised relief, handpainted patterns that proved hugely successful. Two of these, Franciscan Apple (1940) and Franciscan Desert Rose (1941) are the only continuously produced Franciscan patterns, and remain in production today. Franciscan Desert Rose has become the most sold American dinnerware of all time. Other handpainted patterns such as Ivy, October and Fresh Fruit became quite popular during this time. One of the most desirable and difficult to find Franciscan patterns for collectors is Wildflower, a handpainted and many colored tribute to the flora of the American west. It was produced for no more than three years.

The entry of Gladding, McBean & Co into the dinnerware market was made possible in part by the arrival of Frederic and Mary Grant. Frederic was a ceramics engineer and previously had been president of the Weller pottery in Ohio. Mary was a successful stylist whose designs drove the first two decades of production at Franciscan. A number of other artists created designs and modeled shapes but the Grants worked together in their successful control of Franciscan products.

Some of the best of the Grants influences can be seen in their Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York's Thirteenth Exhibition of Contemporary American Industrial Art in 1934. Two objects designed by the Grants appeared in this exhibition as Gladding, McBean products: a large satin gray bowl and a lemon yellow vase. In the same exhibition of 1940 "a bowl and platter designed by Mary K. Grant: made by Gladding, McBean & Co." was again honored. This acclaim for Mary's work continued in 1951 when an exhibition called Good Design by the Museum of Modern Art, New York selected the Encanto shape for exhibition. Encanto shapes went into production as fine china and sold with great success throughout the 1950's. Extensive advertising and numerous new patterns on the shape kept the classic shapes alive and vital in the market place.

Franciscan introduced their Fine China line in 1942. This was marketed as Franciscan Masterpiece China after 1958 and production continued in the United States until 1978. The Franciscan name appeared on fine china from around the world after that time, but will bear a backstamp indicating the country in which it was produced.

The 1950s marked the departure of the Grants and the arrival of other design influences for Franciscan. The Eclipse "American Modern" shaped patterns of 1954 included Starburst. Starburst would prove a radical departure from prior tradition and used an irregular shape and abstract radiant stars resulting in a very modern earthenware pattern. Today it is collected as some of the best design work from the Modern 1950's.

In 1954 designer George James created an artware line for Franciscan called Contours. It used fine china forms, two tone colors and fluid, graceful shapes to create bowls, covered dishes, trays, candlesticks and more. The contours line was very "new" for Franciscan in the 1950's quest for modernism.

By the 1960's and 1970's "casual dinnerware" made of earthenware was very popular and surpassed the sales of fine china of all types. Franciscan followed this trend, successfully marketing various patterns on their Hacienda shape in '60's colors of harvest gold and avocado green. In the '70's informal earthenware lines such as Franciscan Madeira and Picnic rose to popularity.

Franciscan survived the competitive ceramics market and the entry of plastic onto Americans dinner tables by having production of china made in Japan beginning in 1960. The Japanese Cosmopolitan fine china and earthenware Whitestone lines were marked changes for this historically California based producer.

Franciscan rose to pentacles of acclaim often in it's history. Noteworthy are the 1961 order by Jacqueline Kennedy for Masterpieces China to be used on Air Force One and the 1969 selection by the Richard Nixons of Franciscan Masterpieces China for service aboard the Presidential yacht. Other orders for special services for royalty from around the world were also filled.

A series of mergers and sales contributed to the closure of the American Franciscan factory in 1984. In 1962, Franciscan became part of a large ceramic giant, International Pipe and Ceramics Corporation, known as INTERPACE. In 1979 Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, LTD of England acquired Franciscan from INTERPACE, and renamed the company Franciscan Ceramics, Inc. American production of Franciscan Ware ceased in 1984, following the announcement to relocate all Franciscan production to England. In the year 2000 "Johnson Brothers/Franciscan, a member of the Wedgwood Group" markets Franciscan china in the U.S. from production facilities around the world.

top

History of Gorham China:

The Gorham company was founded in 1831 by Jabez Gorham. Initially, Gorham manufactured only sterling flatware and holloware. Later, from 1970 to 1984, the Gorham Division of Textron, Inc., made fine china dinnerware in Pasadena, California, at a plant formerly occupied by Flintridge China Company. Gorham purchased Flintridge in March of 1970 and for few years continued to make some Flintridge patterns. Eventually Gorham began producing their own china designs many of which were made to coordinate with their sterling silver patterns. In 1984, Gorham ceased manufacturing its own china and began importing it from Japan. In the early 1990s, Lenox, Inc. of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, purchased Gorham and continues to make various Gorham China patterns today.

top

History of Haviland China:

Haviland China D.G. & D. Haviland & Company of New York, a china importing company, was created by David and Daniel Haviland in 1838. David moved to Limoges, France where he unwittingly reinvented the French fine china manufacturing process by both manufacturing and decorating whiteware blanks at the same location. Another brother, Robert, joined the company in 1852 and the name was changed to Haviland & Company.

There were, at one time, two Haviland brothers with individual china companies, which sometimes causes confusion. The American Civil War closed the original New York office in 1863. David's sons, Theodore and Charles Edward worked together in France, enjoying a great measure of success until 1891. At that time irreconcilable differences caused them to dissolve Haviland & Company.

Charles Edward reopened Haviland & Company, but the Great Depression closed its doors in 1931. Theodore also opened his own porcelain factory, Theodore Haviland & Company, in 1936. He later bought the "designs, trademarks & rights" of Haviland & Company and restored the original name.

Many popular Haviland patterns, such as Appleblossom, are known for their delicate floral sprays. Also, some of the backstamps contain origin of manufacture names (New York or France) which can be helpful in identifying the time period in which the Haviland Company manufactured the pattern.

Identifying your Haviland Pattern:

Thanks to the great work done by Arlene, Dick, & Dona Schlieger there is now a way to identify you unnamed Haviland China. They have published six books with detailed drawing of over 1200 patterns. They have put a number with each pattern that the world refers to as the Schleigher Number. Thanks to their painstakingly detailed work, you now have a chance to replace your treasured Haviland pattern.

For information on identifying or replacing your discontinued unnamed Haviland contact one of the following:

Schleiger Haviland Connection

1626 Crestview Road, Redlands, CA 92374 - (909) 798-0412

China House

801 W. Eldorado, Decatur, IL 62522 - (217) 428-7212

Overview of the History of Haviland China:

John Haviland formed the Johann Haviland Company in 1907 in Waldershof, Germany. Early products included everyday china, hotel china and high quality china for home use. In 1924, Johann Haviland was sold to Richard-Ginori and the name of the firm was changed to "Porzellanfabrik Waldershof AG." Rosenthal China of Germany purchased the Waldershof factory in 1937 and began producing fine china for export to the United States. This dinnerware was marked "Johann Haviland, Bavaria, Germany." In the 1970s and 1980s, many Johann Haviland patterns were sold in grocery stores as premiums, distributed by the Johann Haviland Corporation of Des Plaines, Illinois. Some of these patterns carry either a Bavarian or Thailand back stamp. Johann Haviland China was made at the Waldershof factory until the late 1980s.

top

History of Hutschenreuther China:

Hutschenreuther China Karl Mangus Hutschenreuther established one of the first private porcelain decorating factories in Germany in Hohenberg, Bavaria in 1814.

In addition to decorating white ware, Hutchenreuther wanted to produce his own patterns, and after an eight year struggle with the Bavarian Government (which was not interested in creating competition for the state-owned factory), Hutschenreuther received the necessary permission to begin production in 1822. Upon his death in 1845, his son Lorenz founded his own Hutschenreuther Porcelain company in Selb. Son Christian and widow Johanna also worked to carry on the company tradition.

In the early part of the 20th century, Hutschenreuther grew quickly by absorbing factories at Altrohlau (1909), Arzburg (1918) and Tirschenreuth (1927). The branches of the company were united in 1969. Hutschenreuther was a trend-setter and enabled Germany to gain an excellent reputation in the European china industry. The Hutschenreuther "Mark of the Lion" is a symbol of excellence that continues to this day.

top

History of Johnson Brothers China:

In 1883 at a small factory called Charles Street Works in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England the two sons of Robert Johnson, Frederick and Alfred, established a partnership called Johnson Brothers for the manufacture of durable Earthenware, which they called "White Granite". In 1888, the elder brother Henry joined forces. In addition to manufacturing well-potted white ware, they began producing under-glaze printed ware for which they became famous.

Due to the increased demand for pottery after the Civil War, they opened up two new factories in Hanley close to their original factory. By 1898, they had five different factories producing tableware. In 1899 and 1909, new mills were constructed to supply Johnson Brother's own factories and outside customers in the trade with prepared Flint and Cornish stone for use in pottery bodies.

A fourth brother, Robert, had joined the company by 1896 and set up an office in New York City. He traveled across the country with dinnerware samples in order to further stimulate the demand for Johnson Brother's products in North America. Alfred left the company by this time, while the sons of the founders began to become involved. With the new efforts from the family members, they began to concentrate on expansion efforts, overseas markets and the improvement of business methods. By 1913, they began to focus their efforts on the German market where they opened a plant for production to increase business and for a reduction in labor and freight rates. This project was terminated at the start of World War I and was never to be re-established in later years. During the war period from 1914-18, business became extremely limited due to a large majority of the labor force joining the Forces and the danger of naval transportation.

At the start of the Twenties, new shapes, patterns, and bodies were introduced and the "Dawn" range of colored bodies began for which Johnson Brothers became very well known. New methods were developed for making halloware items which allowed for a more rapid production over the old method of using pressed clay. At the end of the Twenties, the grandsons of the founders entered the business.

During the Thirties was seen the closure of the Charles Street Works, the original factory. It was not until the mid-Thirties that the factories got under full production. At the end of the Thirties, was seen the development of modern systems of firing using electricity as fuel rather than raw coal and new brick-built tunnels using an automatic ware-propelling system replaced the traditional "Bottle Ovens." The more accurately controlled firing system meant better quality and less loss and the conditions for the wokers was much more superior than before. A new mold-making department and making shops accompanied the construction of the electric kiln.

During the second world war there was a delay in the construction of the new Tunnel Kilns which was resumed and linked with plans to improve production processes afterwards.

top

History of Lenox China:

Lenox China Lenox China as it is known today was founded by Walter Scott Lenox & Jonathan Coxon Sr. as the Ceramic Art Company in 1889 in Trenton, New Jersey. Their intent was to form a fine china company to rival the best in Europe. Lenox china quickly became recognized as some of the highest quality china produced in this country. In 1894, Mr. Lenox purchased the entire company from his partner and renamed the business Lenox, Inc. The Lenox Company was operated with an art studio atmosphere with many talented designers and artisans. Lenox china received great publicity in 1917, when Walter Scott Lenox was commissioned by President Woodrow Wilson to produce a 1,700 piece White House dinnerware service. Lenox china was also the dinnerware of choice for Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Ronald Reagan. Lenox then began production of crystal in 1965 when they bought Bryce Brothers of Pennsylvania. Bryce Brothers was known for their distinctive use of color in glassware. Today, Lenox crystal is the official crystal for the Vice President of the United States, United States Embassies, the White House, the State Department and Congress. Lenox also opted to coordinate china and crystal patterns rather than completely separate the design departments of the different divisions. One coordinated pattern example is Lenox Weatherly china and Lenox Brookdale crystal. This idea of coordinated patterns, in conjunction with aggressive marketing techniques, allows Lenox china and crystal to remain very popular with new brides.

Lenox is now the only major producer of fine china in the United States and is known for the absolute uniformity of its glaze, its translucency, its perfectly applied design, its true and consistent color and its durability. Today Lenox China product is still handcrafted to the same high standard of perfection set by the company's founder in the 1800's. The Oxford plant with over 275 employees, is recognized as one of the best manufacturing facilities owned by Lenox, Inc.

The Lenox Tradition

It began in 1889. A young artist-potternamed Walter ScottLenox founded a company dedicated to the daring proposition that an American firm could create the finest china in the world. He possessed a zeal forperfection that he applied to the relentless pursuit of his artistic goals.

In the years that followed, Lenox china became the first American chinaware ever exhibited at the National Museum of Ceramics, in Sevres, France. In 1918, Lenox received the singular honor of being the first American company to create the official state table service for the White House.

Lenox china has been in use at the White House ever since, commissioned by Presidents and First Ladies of four different eras. Works of Lenox may also be found in more than half our Governors' mansions and in United States embassies throughout the world, and they have been specially commissioned for gifts of state

On one occassion in the struggling early days of the firm, Walter Scott Lenox took an eminent guest on a tour through the new workshops. They stopped before a kiln and watched as craftsment removed chinaware representing an investment of $2000 (quite a large sum in those days). Lenox looked at the pieces with his usual piercing scrutiny...and noticed a tiny flaw in every one, possibly visible only to him. Before Lenox could voice his dismay, the enthusiastic visitor cried out, "This is exhilarating. Such excitement!" "Yes," Lenox replied. Without hesistation, he then ordered everything that had just come out of the kiln to be destroyed.

The Difference

Lenox Collections today creates work in many mediums. In every case, it maintains an unbending position regarding quality. The collector will see this difference in the detail of each Lenox hand-painted sculpture...in the fiery, hand-polished luster of each Lenox crystal bowl or vase...and, of course, in the flawless finish of every piece of Lenox china.

Guarantee of Satisfaction:

Lenox takes pride in offering works of uncompromising high standards of quality, crafted with care and dedication by skilled artisans. Our goal, in every case is to meet the highest expectations of artistry and fine workmanship. Therefore, if you are ever less than completely satisfied, Lenox will either replace your work or refund your purchase price.

Breakage Protection Policy: If you ever break or damage a work you own, Lenox will strive to satisfy you as well. If the edition is still open and a replacement is available, Lenox will send it to you at only one-half the current price of the work.

Lenox Artistry

Because Lenox was founded by an artist, it has always placed special emphasis on working with the very finest artistic talents available. Perhaps the most celebrated of these in the company's early history was William Morley, often considered the greatest of all china painters. A woman from New Jersey once requested that Morley create a service portraying the formal gardens of Europe. She had no color pictures, but knew the gardens intimately -- and by listening to her recollections, Morley brought every flower and tree to life.

Today, Lenox Collections conducts an ongoing search for great talent and has extended its patronage to gifted artists of many different lands. To earn the Lenox hallmark, the highest standards must be satisfied. Every nature subject must be shown completely true to life..each historical piece must be authentic in every detail..and just as in Morley's day, all works must be infused with the fire of imagination.

This quest for excellence in artistry has earned Lenox the privilege of creating authorized works for famed institutions throughout the world...from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. to the famed Palace Museum in Peking's Forbidden City.

top

History of Meakin China:

There is no information on this china company at this time.

top

History of Mikasa China:

Mikasa Mikasa China is not a manufacturer per se, but a distributor that has cultivated relationships with more than 150 manufacturers worldwide to produce its line of china, crystal, flatware and decorative accessories. The Mikasa name is often licensed to other companies, and appears on patterns made by Studio Nova/Savoir Vivre, Christopher Stuart, and Oscar de la Renta. Many older Mikasa china patterns also bear the name Narumi, a Japanese manufacturer. Mikasa, which translates as "The Company," was established in America in 1948. The company is based in Secaucus, New Jersey, and focuses on marketing and design of its products. There is a wide variety of Mikasa china and tableware available, including bone china, ceramics, stoneware, stainless flatware, and casual and fine stemware.

The Early Years. Established as an importing company in the 1930s, it was not until the 1950s that the Mikasa China Company added ceramic dinnerware to their list of imported products. Due to its success over the following decades, dinnerware became their primary product imported and distributed.

By the end of the 1950s, their dinnerware had grown increasingly popular in department stores such as Bloomingdale's, Macy's, and the May Company. In the 1960s they introduced the name Mikasa which quickly associated with quality, value, and fashion.

Strategic Expansion. In the mid 1970s, Mikasa carefully designed a plan for expansion. The plan broadened their assortment of products and developed new avenues to sell their products.

A primary purpose of the expansion plan was to diversify our product selection. Sensing that their customers wanted more than just dinnerware, they introduced an extensive assortment of crystal stemware, stainless flatware, crystal server ware, table linens, crystal gifts, picture frames, ceramic vases, and household accessories.

In addition to their Mikasa brand name, they also introduced several other brands each addressing a different lifestyle. Studio Nova was designed for young (and young-at-heart) shoppers who use dinnerware in a casual environment, often in the kitchen. Home Beautiful was created to be very durable for day-to-day casual living at budget-conscious prices. Christopher Stuart was developed for the customer who wants a broad selection of styles at a great value.

The second element of their 1970s expansion plan was to increase the number of avenues in which they sold their product. Having already found success in department stores, they opened a tiny warehouse store in the area of their Secaucus, New Jersey distribution facility in 1978. They continued to gradually open stores during the 1980s and found that as they opened them, consumer awareness of their brands and product diversity grew.

Their Competitive Edge. Fashion has always been the component that separates Mikasa from their competitors. Their style and pattern selection is constantly changing tastes. They are able to do this because, unlike other tabletop companies, they do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities.

Instead, they out source (contact with privately owned factories) the manufacturing of their products to approximately 150 factories in over 20 countries throughout the world. This strategy affords them the flexibility needed to adjust their production quickly and efficiently in response to the changing needs and tastes of their customers.

Today. In little more than 50 years, Mikasa has made its mark in the field of tabletop and home accessories in the United States. They have become a fundamental part of department and specialty stores tabletop sales and their Factory Stores span the United States. (The tiny New Jersey store still exists - nearly 7 times its original size.) They operate distribution centers on both the east and west coasts and our international ventures are now taking them to Europe.

To the outside world, Mikasa is considered a classic American success story. At Mikasa, they feel the best chapters are yet to come.

top

History of Minton China:

Thomas Minton founded his factory in 1793/6 in Stoke-upon-Trent. Minton was Spode's nearest rival. He was famous for Minton ware - a cream-coloured and blue-printed earthenware maiolica, bone china, and Parian porcelain; his factory was outstanding in the Victorian period for its "art" porcelains. He also popularized the famous so-called Willow pattern.

The love birds are from the "Willow Pattern" plate. In the 1820s he started production of bone china; this early Minton is regarded as comparable to French Sèvres, by which it was greatly influenced. Minton's was the only English china factory of the 19th century to employ a Sèvres process called pâte-sur-pâte (ie: painted decoration in white clay slip instead of enamel before glazing). Minton also produced Parian figures. The Minton factory was the most popular supply source in the 19th century of dinnerware made to order for embassies and for heads of state and the factory is still producing to the present day.

The Willow Legend

There was once a Mandarin who had a beautiful daughter, Koong-se. He employed a secretary, Chang who, while he was attending to his master's accounts, fell in love with Koong-se, much to the anger of the Mandarin, who regarded the secretary as unworthy of his daughter.

The secretary was banished and a fence constructed around the gardens of the Mandarin's estate so that Chang could not see his daughter and Koong-se could only walk in the gardens and to the water's edge. One day a shell fitted with sails containing a poem, and a bead which Koong-se had given to Chang, floated to the water's edge. Koong-se knew that her lover was not far away.

She was soon dismayed to learn that she had been betrothed to Ta-jin, a noble warrior Duke. She was full of despair when it was announced that her future husband, the noble Duke, was arriving, bearing a gift of jewels to celebrate his betrothal.

However, after the banquet, borrowing the robes of a servant, Chang passed through the guests unseen and came to Koong-se's room. They embraced and vowed to run away together. The Mandarin, the Duke, the guests, and all the servants had drunk so much wine that the couple almost got away without detection, but Koong-se's father saw her at the last minute and gave chase across the bridge.

The couple escaped and stayed with the maid that Koong-se's father had dismissed for conspiring with the lovers. Koong-se had given the casket of jewels to Chang and the Mandarin, who was also a magistrate, swore that he would use the jewels as a pretext to execute Chang when he caught him.

One night the Mandarin's spies reported that a man was hiding in a house by the river and the Mandarin's guards raided the house. But Chang had jumped into the ragging torrent and Koong-se thought that he had drowned. Some days later the guards returned to search the house again. While Koong-se's maid talked to them, Chang came by boat to the window and took Koong-se away to safety.

They settled on a distant island, and over the years Chang became famous for his writings. This was to prove his undoing. The Mandarin heard about him and sent guards to destroy him. Chang was put to the sword and Koong-se set fire to the house while she was still inside. Thus they both perished and the gods, touched by their love, immortalised them as two doves, eternally flying together in the sky.

top

History of Noritake China:

During the late 19th century the previously closed society of Japan opened its doors to international trade. Baron Ichizaemon Morimura, an important representative of Japanese commerce during that era, recognized the potential for exports to the United States. In 1876 he established Morimura-kumi to ship china and other gift items to America, distributed through a wholesale and retail store in New York.

Baron Morimura soon realized that the American market was ripe for fine china dinnerware manufactured in Japan. In order to ensure that his exports were of the highest quality, however, he decided to control production by building his own factory. To that end, he founded a new company called Nippon Toki Gomei Kaisha in the village of Noritake, near Nagoya, on January 1, 1904.

Since then, Noritake has steadily built its reputation as the world's premier manufacturer of tabletop products. From the very beginning, the china took the name of the town where the factory was built, and became so popular that the company officially changed its name to Noritake Company Limited in 1981.

Throughout its history Noritake has developed tools and machinery designed to improve china manufacturing technology. Many of these are now marketed by separate Noritake divisions. Grinding wheels were first manufactured in-house for polishing china. Since 1939, however, they have been marketed for industrial uses and today realize greater worldwide sales than Noritake china. Similarly, industrial ceramics, electronic components and even the unique roller hearth kiln, created by Noritake to make china production more effcient, have become important segments of the company's international business.

Today, Noritake continues to pursue new markets and new industries through exhaustive research and development. Indeed, the pioneering spirit of Baron Morimura lives on in the creative ideas and dedicated commitment to excellence that have grown from the tiny village of Noritake to touch the lives and careers of millions throughout the world.

Overview of Noritake History
Noritake China Noritake China was founded as The Noritake Company in 1904 by the Morimura family, which also produced white porcelain under the company Morimura Gumi, a pioneer in Japan’s foreign trade industry. Prior to 1963, the company was known as Nippon Toki Kaisha, Ltd. but was then given the English name Noritake Company, Ltd. Noritake takes its name from the village of Noritake in Nagoya City, Japan, where the principal company office was located. Early Noritake china dinnerware featured the "Hand Painted Nippon" design around the familiar wreath-circled "M" (which stands for Morimura) on the backstamp of most pieces. "Noritake" appears on backstamps of other pieces, with either "Japan" or "Made in Japan" present on most of these. The United States has always been the largest customer of Noritake China, and the U.S. helped Noritake stay in business following World War II. Noritake China was called Rose China from 1945 to 1948, because of concern that a shortage of raw materials and skilled labor would affect their high quality standards. In 1956 Noritake China began to diversify its product line with the addition of stainless steel flatware. Crystal glassware was added in 1961, and earthenware and stoneware were added in 1971. Today Noritake china is known throughout the world for its quality and elegant design.

top

History of Oxford China:

Oxford China is an American china company. It was purchased by Lenox China company in recent years.

top

History of Rosenthal China:

Phillip Rosenthal (1855-1937) began business in 1884 by purchasing white ware from Hutschenreuther and selling designs, handpainted by his wife Maria, door to door. In 1891, he established a factory in Asch, Bohemia and began production of white ware for use in his workshop. From 1897 to 1936, Rosenthal acquired factories in Kronach, Marktredwitz, Selb, Waldenburg, Sophienthal, and Waldershof. The popularity of the Maria White and Moss Rose patterns helped the business grow rapidly. By the time of WWII, Rosenthal operated 10 companies and employed over 5,000 people. When the war ended, Rosenthal’s son, Phillip, returned to Germany where he modernized out of date factories and reestablished lost markets. Phillip quickly rebuilt the business by reaching new markets interested in the modern shapes and artistry of his dinnerware. To this day, Rosenthal continues to work with leaders in fashion and design to create unique tabletop designs.

top

History of Royal Albert China:

There is no information on this china company at this time.

top

History of Royal Doulton China:

In 1815, on the eve of Waterloo, John Doulton was taken into partnership by the widow Martha Jones who had inherited from her late husband a pottery in Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, by the side of the Thames. Her foreman John Watts was also taken into partner ship and the firm became Jones, Watts and Doulton.

The young Doulton was just out of apprenticeship with one of the most important of the early commercial potteries of England, the Fulham manufactory founded by the great John Dwight in the latter quarter of the 17th century, where the making of stoneware in its true, vitrified form was brought to a high degree of perfection. Thus began the long and distinguished history of the Royal Doulton Potteries and it is not surprising that the earliest years of the firm's existence were devoted to the making of articles ranging from decorative bottles to drain-pipes in that very challenging of ceramic materials, stone clay.

It was John Doulton's son, Henry, however, who carried that tradition of the Lambeth pottery to its zenith. By the time Queen Victoria came to the throne, Doulton was established as a manufacturer of domestic and industrial products in a fine stoneware body that bore comparison with any in Europe. Within the first ten years of Victoria's reign, by 1846, the Lambeth factory was in the vanguard of the revolution in sanitation which Chadwick and the great reformers of the day brought to metropolitan England. Without the hard work and foresight of Henry Doulton that revolution would have been best delayed by decades.

In 1882 Henry (later to be knighted by Queen Victoria, the first potter so honoured), acquired the small factory of Pinder, Bourne and Company at Burslem, mother town of the Staffordshire potteries and, the home of that unique and essentially English ceramic body, bone china. The incursion of the Lambeth potter was looked upon with little enthusiasm or favour by the proud and insular men of Staffordshire. "In their view we Southerners know little bout God and nothing at all about potting", observed Henry Doulton.

The early relationship was uneasy and by no means profitable. But by shrewd investment in men and plant he succeeded where more timid men would have succumbed to local advice and given up the unequal struggle. Early commercial success and artistic renown came to the factory through domestic and art wares made in earthenware and decorated in the limited range of colours which that body permits under its lead glaze. But Doulton's brilliant young art director, John Slater and his forceful and enterprising manager, John C. Bailey, hankered after the colourful effects produced on the Continent by the on-glaze enamel decoration of so-called faience, maiolica and delft wares; and on the now popular porcelain body. They also sought the bone china body with which near neighbours in Staffordshire were enjoying increasing success.

By 1884 they wrung from a reluctant Henry Doulton permission to use the new body and to spread their artistic wings. Soon they were surrounded by one of the most outstanding teams of modellers, decorators and painters in the world of ceramics. The fame of the company and of its products became truly international, and that fame was extended into the 20th century under a new art director, Charles C. Noke, and through the talents of a brilliant generation of artists who had grown to maturity under the old guard of the Victorian period; Joseph Hancock, Harry Tittensor, Edward Birks, Percy Curnock and others.

In 1901 King Edward VII conferred on the company the double honour of the royal warrant and the specific - as opposed to the assumed - right to use the title "Royal". Along he way the honours were won at the great international exhibitions at Chicago and Paris and the range of products proliferated: the much sought-after Sung and Chang wares, and Rouge Flambe, in those rare colour-effects which western potters had tried to simulate since the dynastic wares of ancient China first found their way to Europe centuries before; figures and character jugs reflecting the moods and fantasies of the world around them; decorative and utility china, on earthenware and bone china bodies, decorated both under the glaze and in a dazzling array on on-glaze enamels.

The inter war years saw the continued growth of the firm's product range, of its renown and prosperity. In America, especially, the name Royal Doulton became synonymous with the finest English china. By the conclusion of the second world war, however, a new spirit was abroad. Simplicity became the watchword in domestic furnishing and decoration; art, as practised by the great ceramic painters of the past, began to give way to the concept of design; new decorative and manufacturing techniques emerged to make fine china available at a price that millions could afford where it had, hitherto, been the preserve of the privileged. Jo Ledger, a product of the modern school of designers, joined the company as its new Art Director in the mid 1950's, and so another era began - an era in which a healthy regard for past achievements and for the decorative traditions associated with the finest of English tableware, bone china, was allied to the fast-changing demands of the present. In 1960 the company introduced a new product, English Translucent China, developed over several years by research team led by Richard Bailey, who was then Technical Director. By evolving his fine, translucent body while eliminating the costly ingredient of calcined bone from the clay mix, Royal Doulton was able to offer many of the qualities associated with the best bone china to the world's markets at a relatively modest price.

Now known simply as Royal Doulton Fine China, the new tableware has proved one of the outstanding successes of the firm's long and eventful history. In 1966 it brought one of the first Queen's Awards for Technical Innovation to the Doulton Company. Alongside these firmly established bone china and fine china tableware ranges, has sprung a revival of Doulton Lambeth wares, motivated by modern man's sympathy towards his natural environment. Royal Doulton's Lambethware oven to tableware range captures the spirit of the present day in a series of well-researched designs with a rural but progressive flavour.

The present day Lambethware range derives many practical advantages from its rich inheritance. Its combination of tough, quartz-like compounds with feldspathic Cornish stone gives it immense strength; a startling robustness of appearance and feel. Modern ceramic technology adds refinement of glaze and colour to those qualities, plus the essential characteristics of inherent resistance to chemical attack and to extremes of heat and cold. The result is a tableware range with a refreshing, country feeling whose keynote is practicality; the entire range is oven and freezer proof and is unaffected by detergent or dishwasher.

Today, Fine Bone China, Fine China and Royal Doulton Lambethware are the triple prongs of the commercial prosperity and fame which Royal Doulton enjoys through the civilised world.

Overview of the History of Royal Doulton China
Royal Doulton China was founded in London, England, in 1815 by a potter named John Doulton. Originally Mr. Doulton made only stoneware, but his son, Sir Henry Doulton, expanded the company into many other areas of ceramic products. By 1877, Royal Doulton china began to be produced at their newly acquired factory in Stoke-on-Trent.

Royal Doulton china pieces quickly became known throughout the world for their distinctive design and quality. The company officially became Royal Doulton in 1901, when Sir Henry Doulton was granted use of the word "Royal" by King Edward VII. In the 1930’s, Royal Doulton also began production of their world famous figurines. Today, what some people term Royal Doulton China is actually seven ceramic factories making fine dinnerware, crystal and figurines under the Royal Doulton name.

Through a variety of mergers and acquisitions, the Royal Doulton Company now owns and produces other famous brands including Minton, Royal Crown Derby, Royal Albert, and Caithness Glass. With a workforce of 6,000 and annual sales of around $370 million, Royal Doulton is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of bone china, crystal, giftware and figurines. They have an elaborate international distribution network of trademark Royal Doulton products in the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia Pacific and Continental Europe.

top

History of Royal Worcester China:

In 1751 a legend began on the banks of the Severn River in Worcester England. Under the brilliant guidance of Dr. John Wall, a group of local businessmen established a small atelier where artists could work in the burgeoning new field of ceramics. From the beginning, great emphasis has always been placed on artistic expression and superb craftsmanship.

By 1789 the artisans at Worcester were held in such high esteem that King George III granted a Royal Warrant and Royal was added to the company's name.

Indeed, while its rivals at Bow and Chelsea have long since disappeared, The Worcester Porcelain Manufactory became world famous and is now one of the largest manufacturers of Fine Bone china and Porcelain in England.

This record in a tribute to the quality of the wares produced at Worcester for more than two hundred years: a quality which has remained consistent throughout the many changes in fashion and technology. For even today, as one English historian has said of its unique heritage, "Worcester is one of the few enterprises where the traditional craftsmanship of the eighteenth century survives."

Dr. Wall's successors carried on his high standards and today Worcester pieces from the Flight and Barr, Chamberlain, Hadley, and Kerr and Binns periods are as prized as the early Worcester of Dr. Wall. Museums throughout the world reserve special places for their collections of old Royal Worcester. Connoisseurs recognize the superb quality and workmanship, the rich colorations and graceful, softly-rounded shapes.

Royal Worcester Fine Bone China has always has a unique silky feel and fine even texture that makes it stand apart from other English bone chinas. Dinnerware shapes follow the natural form of clay on a jolly so they have a lighter, natural look, a graceful femininity.

Because it contains 50% calcium phosphate derived from bone, Royal Worcester Fine Bone China can withstand 17,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. Gilding is always 22 ct gold, hand-burnished to a soft, mellow luster that's lovely in candlelight.

After World War II, the company was the first to introduce the concept of oven-to-tableware made of Fine English Porcelain and Royal Worcester remains the only British porcelain manufacturer of note today. The appeal of the patterns and the quality of the oven-to-tableware has lead to remarkable worldwide success. Indeed, the demand has been so great that a new factory has been built on the banks of the River Severn incorporating the most modern equipment available.

The lovely patterns shown here are very much in the Worcester tradition. Many of the shapes and designs are taken from the company's treasure of old pattern books. Others illustrate, in a contemporary way, that "unusual responsiveness to new ideas" which characterized the company some two centuries ago.

top

History of Spode China:

The Spode china factory was founded by Josiah Spode in Stoke-on-Trent in 1770. Spode had been the manager of the factory for years that was owned by Turner and Banks. When Turner died, Spode took over the factory. By 1776, he was producing earthenware under the famous Spode name. In 1797 Spode died, leaving a thriving business to his son, Josiah Spode. Josiah Spode was succeeded by his son, Josiah Spode III. He ran the business until he died in 1829. Spode was purchased by a partner of Josiah Spode III, William Taylor Copeland, in 1833. Mr. Taylor entered into a partnership with colleague Thomas Garrett, and the firm was known as Copeland & Garrett until 1847. While the company's name was changed from Spode, the high quality standards set by the original Spode family were never compromised. The Spode china factory has held royal warrants since 1806. The company was sold to the Carborundum Company Ltd. by the Copeland family in 1966. In honor of the company's 200th anniversary in 1970, the name was changed back to Spode in honor of its founder, Josiah Spode. Spode merged with the Worcester Royal Porcelain Company in 1976 to form Royal Worcester Spode.

The successful development of bone china by the Spode factory at Stoke-on-Trent (1776-present), for wares of outstanding beauty and economy in the Regency style of the early 1800s, ensured its preeminence among commercial producers. Spode's nearest rival was Minton (1796-present), outstanding in the Victorian period for its "art" porcelains. Among Spode's chief followers in producing bone china for the mass market were Davenport (c. 1793-1887); Wedgwood for a short period between 1812 and 1822; Ridgway, New Hall, and Rockingham. A host of lesser concerns served the expanding middle-class market.

top

History of Syracuse China:

On July 20, 1871, the Onondaga Pottery Company was incorporated in Syracuse, New York. By 1890, they were turning out a "vitrified" china that was white, thin, translucent, and stronger than any European porcelain. In 1893, with a new stamp, "Syracuse China" was introduced and awarded a medal at the World Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois. In 1896, the company unveiled its "rolled edge" china which became a standard in the commercial food industry. For the next six decades, Syracuse continued to expand and prosper until 1970 when the company closed its consumer division, giving in to the cheaper, Japanese imports. Today, Syracuse China stands as the largest commercial pottery complex in the world.

top

History of Villeroy & Boch China:

There is no information on this china company at this time.

top

History of Wedgwood China:

Wedgwood, Josiah (1730-1795), English potter, whose works are among the finest examples of ceramic art. In 1754 the English ceramist Josiah Wedgwood began to experiment with coloured creamware. He established his own factory, but often worked with others who did transfer printing (introduced by the Worcester Porcelain Company in the 1750s). He also produced red stoneware; basaltes ware, an unglazed black stoneware; and jasperware, made of white stoneware clay that had been coloured by the addition of metal oxides. Jasperware was usually ornamented with white relief portraits or Greek Classical scenes. Wedgwood's greatest contribution to European ceramics, however, was his fine pearlware, an extremely pale creamware with a bluish tint to its glaze.

In the 18th century, the county of Staffordshire became the recognised home of British porcelain and pottery makers, to the extent that "Staffordshire" became the widely known name for their products, and especially for the ornamental figures which were produced. The most celebrated of all English porcelain-makers, Josiah Wedgwood, who was descended from a family of potters, set up his own business in Burslem in 1759, and rapidly established his reputation.

Wedgwood was born in Burslem, Staffordshire, on July 12, 1730, into a family with a long tradition as potters. At the age of nine, after the death of his father, he worked in his family's pottery. In 1759 he set up his own pottery works in Burslem. There he produced a highly durable cream-coloured earthenware that so pleased Queen Charlotte that in 1762 she appointed him royal supplier of dinnerware. From the public sale of Queen's Ware, as it came to be known, Wedgwood was able, in 1768, to build near Stoke-on-Trent a village, which he named Etruria, and a second factory equipped with tools and ovens of his own design. At first only ornamental pottery was made in Etruria, but by 1773 Wedgwood had concentrated all his production facilities there.

During his long career Wedgwood developed revolutionary ceramic materials, notably basalt and jasperware.

Jasper ware

Wedgwood's basalt, a hard, black, stone-like material known also as Egyptian ware or basaltes ware, was used for vases, candlesticks, and realistic busts of historical figures. Jasperware, his most successful innovation, was a durable unglazed ware most characteristically blue with fine white cameo figures inspired by the ancient Roman Portland Vase. Many of the finest designs were the work of the British artist John Flaxman.

After Wedgwood's death in Etruria on January 3, 1795, his descendants carried on the business, which still produces many of his designs. Wedgwood was the grandfather of the British naturalist Charles Darwin.

Timeline:

The youngest child of the potter Thomas Wedgwood, Josiah came from a family whose members had been potters since the 1600's.

1730 Baptised July 12, 1730, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. 1739 After his father's death in 1739, he worked in the family business at Churchyard Works, Burslem, becoming exceptionally skilful at the potter's wheel. 1744 Became an apprentice to his elder brother Thomas. However an attack of smallpox seriously reduced his work (the disease later affected his right leg, which was then amputated); the result of this inactivity, enabled him to read, research, and experiment in his craft as a Master Potter. 1752-3 In 1749 Thomas (Josiah's elder brother) refused his proposal for partnership and Josiah formed a brief partnership with John Harrison at Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. 1754 Wedgwood formed a partnership with Thomas Whieldon of Fenton Low, Stoke-on-Trent, probably the leading potter of his day. This became a fruitful partnership, enabling Wedgwood to become a master of current pottery techniques. He then began what he called his "experiment book," an invaluable source on Staffordshire pottery. 1759 After inventing the improved green glaze which is still popular even today, Wedgwood finished his partnership with Whieldon and went into business for himself at the Ivy House factory in Burslem. 1765 Queen Charlotte's patronage of Wedgwood's cream-coloured earthenware in 1765, led the well finished earthenware which Wedgwood produced to be called Queen's ware.

Queen's ware became, by virtue of its durable material and serviceable forms, the standard domestic pottery and enjoyed a worldwide market. Because the sale of his ware had spread from the British Isles to the Continent, Wedgwood expanded his business to the nearby Brick House (or Bell Works) factory. 1762 On one of his frequent visits to Liverpool to arrange export of his ware, Wedgwood met the merchant Thomas Bentley. 1768 The merchant Bentley became his partner in the manufacture of decorative items that were primarily unglazed stonewares in various colours, produced and decorated in the popular style of Neoclassicism. Chief among these wares were:- black basaltes, which by the addition of special painting (using pigments mixed with hot wax, which are burned in as an inlay), could be used to imitate Greek red-figure vases; and - jasper, a fine-grained vitreous body resulting from the high firing of paste containing barium sulphate. 1771 Wedgwood built a factory called Etruria, for the production of his ornamental vases. Later the manufacture of useful wares was also transferred. (At this site his descendants carried on the business until 1940, when the factory was relocated at Barlaston, near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire - the Etruria site was used as part of the "National Garden Festival" and Wedgwood's great house can still be seen as it has been incorporated into an hotel. 1774 Evidence of the popularity of Wedgwood's creamware is found in the massive service of 952 pieces made for Empress Catherine the Great of Russia 1775 Jasper's introduction in 1775 was followed by other wares such as: - rosso antico (red porcelain), cane, drab, chocolate, and olive wares. 1782 In 1782 Etruria was the first factory to install a steam-powered engine.

Other notable comments:

Artists: The most famous artist he employed at Etruria was the sculptor John Flaxman, whose wax portraits and other relief figures he translated into jasperware.

Competitors: Wedgwood's wares appealed particularly to the rising European bourgeois class, and porcelain and decorated and glazed earthenware factories suffered severely from competition from him. The surviving factories switched to the manufacture of creamware (called on the Continent faience fine or faience anglaise) to try to imitate and compete with Wedgwood. Even the great factories at Sèvres, France, and at Meissen, Germany, found their trade affected. Jasperwares were imitated in biscuit porcelain at Sèvres, and Meissen produced a glazed version which they even called Wedgwoodarbeit.

The Royal Society: Wedgwood's invention of the pyrometer, a device for measuring high temperatures (invaluable for gauging oven heats for firings), earned him commendation as a fellow of the Royal Society.

Another History of the Wedgwood China Production:

Wedgwood China has its origins in 1759, when Josiah Wedgwood established a pottery near Stoke-on-Trent at the former Ivy House works in Burslem, England. By 1761, Wedgwood had perfected a superior quality, inexpensive clear-glazed creamware that proved very successful. Wedgwood moved his pottery from the Ivy House to the larger Brick House works in Burslem in 1764. Wedgwood china continued to grow in stature until 1766, at which time Wedgwood was appointed "Potter To Her Majesty" by Queen Charlotte. Wedgwood immediately named his creamware "Queen's Ware". Wedgwood china was produced at the Brick House works until 1772.

Wedgwood built a new factory in Etruria, which began operating in 1769, the same year he formed a partnership with Thomas Bently. Wedgwood's most famous set of Queen's Ware, the 1,000 piece "Frog" service, created for Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, was produced at the Etruria factory in 1774. By the late 1770s, the Wedgwood product line included black basalt, creamware, jasper, pearlware, and redware. Moonlight luster was made from 1805 to 1815. Bone china was produced from 1812 to 1822, and revived in 1878. Fairyland luster was introduced in 1915, but all luster production ended in 1932.

In 1906, a Wedgwood china museum was established at the Etruria pottery. A new factory was built at nearby Barlaston in 1940, and the museum was moved to and expanded at this location. The Etruria works was closed in 1950. During the 1960s and 1970s, Wedgwood acquired many English potteries, including William Adams & Sons, Coalport, Susie Cooper, Crown Staffordshire, Johnson Brothers, Mason's Ironstone, J.& G. Meakin, Midwinter Companies, Precision Studios, and Royal Tuscan.

Today, the Wedgwood Group is one of the largest fine china and earthenware manufacturers in the world. Wedgwood's marketing strength centers on the breadth of its wares - in style, type, and price range, varying from luxurious fine bone china tableware to inexpensive earthenware and oven-to-tableware.

Design is an essential factor. Wedgwood Group companies are served by a large, highly qualified, and experience team of designers and modelers, supplemented by contributions from eminent contemporary artists. The company prides itself on the fact that its continuing success is based upon skilled craftsmanship that is allied to advanced technology, coupled with imaginative design, and supported by energetic marketing. Over the year's, Wedgwood has received eleven Queen's Awards to industry for export achievement.

top