April, 1914 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
137 
Flower-spray and armorial Lowestoft. Collection of Mrs. H. P. Benson, Salem. Massachusetts 
indulging in the latest gossip and regaling themselves with 
a cup of tea, there has been a steady increase in the ranks 
of devotees of old china, more especially Lowestoft, much 
of which was brought over to England stored away in the 
holds of the cumbersome ships, and which did duty at 
the period when commercial prosperity was at its height. 
Little did the fair Colonial 
dame think as she passed her 
teacups to the assembled 
guests that these pieces of 
Lowestoft which graced her 
table would later on become 
most precious heirlooms and 
that pieces given to the chil- 
dren to play with would long 
years afterward be locked 
up in cabinets lest they be 
broken. 
Salem, Mass., has one of 
the best collections of old 
Lowestoft probably in New 
England. There is a won- 
cial prosperity and have been very carefully handed down. 
The legends of old Lowestoft are many and varied. It 
is stated that a Dutch sailor, wrecked on the coast, in re- 
turn for hospitality rendered, pointed out the value of white 
earth discovered on a gentleman’s estate, which led 
to the manufacture of this ware of greater purity than that 
compared with work of 
other parts of the country. 
I’he presence of coats 
of arms upon genuine 
known pieces of Lowestoft 
may have caused some con- 
fusion, for at the end of the 
last century a great deal of 
Oriental china was made 
having coats and arms of 
Imglish families upon it. Al- 
though Lowestoft bore no 
resemblance in its body to 
Oriental ware, people came 
to suppose that when decor- 
ated and re-fired at Lowes- 
derful set in the Nichols 
house of white and gold that is in the grapeleaf pattern. 
This was brought over from China many years ago as a 
wedding set, and still shows the gilt monogram on many 
pieces. 
Mrs. Daniel Low has also a fine collection ol Lowestoft. 
Much of this was owned by the late Elias Hasket Derby. 
Some of these pieces 
are very valuable. 
They are black and 
white, being mourn- 
ing pieces that came 
into vogue at the 
time of Queen Anne’s 
death. Many others 
are of the sprig pat- 
tern, while others are 
of the rose variety. 
There is scarcely a 
house in this city that 
does not show won- 
derful bits of Lowes- 
toft, many of which 
were brought over at 
the time of commer- 
Tea pieces, armorial Lowestoft 
article, but, whether or not, loved for its painted characters. 
Lowestoft may be divided into two parts, the first deal- 
ing with the early period when blue and white ware was 
made, and the second when a finer and higher class of 
goods with heraldic design and floral intricacies were in- 
troduced. At one period of its history, the paste of Lowes- 
toft appears to be 
much harder than 
that of Bow or Chel- 
sea. 
Roughly just half 
a century saw the 
rise and fall of Low- 
estoft. It was estab- 
lished from 1756, 
and in 1 802 the fac- 
tory was closed. 
Many families to- 
day possess speci- 
mens with names and 
dates painted upon 
them, this in addition 
to personal value is 
of historic interest. 
Uwestoft tureens, monogram and bird decoration. The latter is a very unusual pauern 
