Pond Lily Plate by Dedham Pottery (marked) from about 1910

The use of lamp black is not a folk myth since the same glaze is found on the front and back of the plate and the crackled glaze is not evident on the back except for a small spot where some lamp black inadvertently stained the back (spot on back of plate is about 1 1/4 inches from the blue Dedham Pottery mark and located just outside of the footring).

This plate has a tight hairline and two small chips and so it is not perfect (see full Condition notes farther below). The plate, however displays well the crackled glaze nicely masks the hairline and so if you ever wanted an authentic Dedham Pottery plate without paying a full Dedham price, then this is the plate for you.

The hand painted border pattern on this plate consists of eight white water lily flowers with water lily leaves floating in between each flower. Other Dedham patterns include borders with elephants, dolphins, polar bears, chicks, swans, turtles, ducks, butterflies, snow trees, lilies, clover, and mushrooms to mention a few. The Dedham mark is printed in blue on the back of the plate and is the mark used by the Dedham pottery before 1929 and consists of the words DEDHAM POTTERY with a rabbit underneath. There is no REGISTERED in the mark below the rabbit, a change that indicates pottery made from 1929 to 1943. There is also no impressed foreshortened rabbit mark which is frequently found on pre 1928 wares (and found in pairs on post 1928 Dedham wares).

The glaze on the back of the plate was modified before firing and has been scraped off several areas in broad swaths using a tool with teeth (see photos of back of plate). In addition, the glaze does not cover the foot ring and has been pegged or wiped so that a distinct dry band exists along the inside of the foot ring. This was done before firing and while the glaze was still soft an liquid. Whether this indicates that the plate was actually an experimental or trial piece or underwent some aberrant alteration or accident before firing is not known. And so if you collect early 1900s America art pottery in general or Dedham ware in particular, then you may want to acquire this plate now while it is still available. Or if this plate brings back some distant memories of visiting a relative or of growing up in a household that had some of these Dedham dishes displayed, then you may want to acquire this keepsake so that you can journey back to those days over a cup of coffee or tea in your own kitchen or dining room.

Dedham pond lily frequently sell for $150 to $400+ depending on condition, crackling and marks. The reason why this example is being offered for less is that it has a short hairline and two small chips that are not readily noticeable from the front due to the natural crackle in the glaze. There are nine photos and three of the photos show the hairline (photos # 6, 8, and 9). In fact, there is a yellow pencil pointing to the hairline since it is hard to see unless viewed up close. The hairline is located at about the 3:00 oclock location on the front of the plate (or 2:45 oclock location to be precise). The hairline has not been professionally repaired (see full condition notes below).

And so what makes this plate particularly nice and still very collectible is the quality of the crackled glaze and its tight and evenly spaced fine cracks. The plate also has the blue printed Dedham Pottery mark. Some old Dedham plates have crackled glazes that are rather course and uneven and others lack the printed mark. In addition, this plate has no major knife cuts or scratches typical of Dedham plates more than 80 years old. All of these attributes make this plate a nice addition to any home or collection, especially since a perfect pond lily plate without any hairlines would easily command $175 to $375+ each at a major antique show in New York, Boston, LA or Chicago (e.g., NY Park Avenue Armory show; NY Pier Antique show, etc.). And as my return policy notes, the buyer may send this plate back for a refund (minus shipping costs) if they are not 100% satisfied (there are no restocking fees for items under $500).

SIZE: This plate measures 8 5/8 inches across and stands about 1 inch tall along its rim. It is a perfect size for displaying on a shelf or along a mantle or in china cabinet and will certainly capture attention in most any setting.

CONDITION: This plate is in good condition and has one hairline that extends in from the rim for 1 3/8 inches before stopping along the foot ring (see all photos). Photos# 6, 8, and 9 show the hairline and in the last two photos there is a yellow pencil pointing directly to the hairline since it is hard to see due to the crackling effect of the glaze. The hairline is located at about the 3 oclock location on the front of the plate (or 2:45 oclock location to be precise). The hairline has not been professionally repaired (see full condition notes below). There are two chips that are also not visible from the front of the plate (see photo of back of the plate). In the sixth photo, a rim chip is visible at about 10 oclock on the back of the plate and a footring chip is evident at about 12 oclock on the foot. There is no other damage and the plate has not been professionally repaired. If the buyer is not 100% satisfied with this plate, then she/he may send it back post marked by 7 days for a refund minus shipping costs.

SHIPPING: This plate weighs just over 1 lb by itself and when properly boxed the total shipping weight will be about 3 to 3 1/2 lbs. All mainland US buyers pay just 12.70 for well packed, insured USPS Priority mail (this is an estimated savings of about $1 to $4 since insurance is also INCLUDED in the above quoted amount for all mainland US addresses). Save with combined shipping - add 2nd & 3rd item purchased to same box at no additional shipping costs! Docs Antiques never charges more than it actually costs to ship the item to you and we will refund any excess should you live near us. All international buyers will pay only the exact shipping costs for all verifiable locations outside the continental US mainland. Please note that import duties, taxes and other charges are not included in the item price or shipping costs and these additional charges are the Buyer's responsibility. We do offer a petition for VAT relief on the behalf of the buyer which may help reduce certain import taxes should your country allow such petitions for items over 100 years old. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to purchasing this item -- thanks.

RETURN POLICY: Satisfaction and peace of mind are guaranteed for all Docs Antiques listings -- please refer directly to our Service Pledge and our Return Policy for full details. And this means that if you are unhappy with your purchase, you may return this EARLY DEDHAM POND LILY PLATE c1910 by sending it back post marked within seven days of receipt for a refund (see terms of sale for full details). Items damaged during shipping are covered by insurance and while this rarely happens because we double box, we will gladly help you file your claim should it ever be necessary (to date, we have had only two claims for damage from shipping in over 7 years). Of course, never send an item back that was damaged by shipping since that will void the original insurance. Instead, contact us for help and we will gladly assist.

PAYMENT OPTIONS: Ask about our Lay-away program if you want to spread out your payments. We accept checks on US Banks (no temporary checks, all checks must have 9 digit routing code; item ships after check fully clears), USPS money orders, PayPal or contact us with your verified address for more options. If you wish to use a credit card by way of Paypal, then that option becomes available after you submit a Ruby Lane purchase order (see Terms of Sale for additional information). Once submitted, a PayPal icon will appear at the bottom of this listing and then you may proceed from there if you wish to pay via Paypal. Thanks for looking and do come back and visit again when you have the time.

Item ID: RL375.a1039