236 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS June, 1911 
Dark Blue Staffordshire 
HISTORICAL CHINA DEPICTING 
AMERICAN SCENES 
So 
Tn 
By Alexander M. Hudnut 
ST SUGGESTIONS TO INEXPERIENCED COLLECTORS 
4 
a HE name “Historical China” is used to desig- own. Take for example the ‘‘Nahant, Near Boston” plate. 
nate those pieces of blue Staffordshire pot- This is a view of a hotel which was built about 1820. It 
tery which are decorated with American — seems to have been a sort of roadhouse and watering resort. 
views. It applies also to the English views, There are three varieties of this plate, which are reproduced 
but is rarely used in this connection. in the accompanying illustration. The two rarest are the 
Just why some pieces should be rare and two with the oak leaf and acorn borders. The plate with 
others common is impossible to explain. the tree on it is very rare, especially when in fine condition. 
One might suppose that Most of the large col- 
platters would always lections have it, but it is 
be rarer than plates dificult to find and is 
because of the propor- easily worth $150. The 
tion of plates to plat- 
ters in a regulation din- 
ner set. But there is no 
such rule. Many of 
the rarest and _ best 
known pieces are in the 
form, of plates. It 
sometimes happens that 
a collector who posses- 
ses a unique specimen 
finds that several dupli- 
cates of his prize have 
been discovered in some 
old packing box or bar- 
rel. The future may 
have in store many dis- 
appointments of this 
kind for collectors of 
blue ware,and yet there 
is an equally good 
chance that some of 
these old hidden-away 
packing boxes may 
bring to light views and 
varieties of historical 
china which are now 
unknown. he Amer- 
ican scenes which ap- 
pear on this china are 
in many cases puzzling 
to collectors for the 
reason that there is no 
complete list giving 
every known variety. 
There is only one way of getting a complete list and that is 
by becoming familiar with all of the best known collections 
and writing down the names of every piece needed in one’s 
A group of American views 
Nahant plate with the 
acorn border and with- 
out the tree is very 
nearly as rare as ime 
one with the tree, but it 
probably would not 
command so high a 
price. The plate with 
the eagle border is not 
rare and usually sells 
tor about $25. 
The British potters 
never allowed national 
pride or patriotism to 
stand in the way of 
commercial instincts. 
As they were manufac- 
turing china for the 
American market they 
selected views which 
they thought would 
please Americans. This 
will account for a rep- 
resentation of the Battle 
of Bunker Hill which 
is found on a_ small 
platter, also in the bot- 
tom of a large soup 
tureen and on the tray 
which goes with it. 
This tray has eight 
round perforations in 
the upper and lower 
margins which are sup- 
posed by some to represent bullet holes. I have seen this 
same picture in a vegetable dish. 
mands a high price in whatever form it appears. ‘The little 
It is a rare view and com- 
