The History of Turkey Transferware and Thank You's

Last month I was fortunate enough to be interviewed and featured in Romantic Homes magazines in regards to turkey transferware.  In the interview I shared the following history of the turkey themed plates and platters that England produced.

(above, I have this 1930-40's Black Polychrome Platter by Midwinter in the Rural England pattern displayed on a wall table.  This was one of the plattes featured in the magazine article.  It is very unusual to find black turkey transferware!)

With their economy struggling shortly after the Revolutionary War, the British began targeting America as a market by offering dinnerware depicting historical landmarks, the expansion of the West and patriotic scenes.  English potters began producing turkey themed wares for the American market circa 1870, shortly after Abraham Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday of November to be the nation's official Thanksgiving Day in 1863.

Until 1863, both the date and observation of Thanksgiving  depended on national triumphs or local inclination.

(below is my red/pink transferware turkey platter.  Circa 1930 Wood and Sons in the English Scenery pattern)

 I displayed my platter on an entry table, one of my favorite pieces of furniture btw, and created a floral spray of dried hydrangeas, pinecones, pheasant feathers and berries around the base.  To the side I placed a ceramic turkey plate.

This baby will easily accommodate a 24+ pound turkey. 

This is one of my favorites, very traditional in brown and white, by Royal Cauldon.  This one was made around 1910.  I served turkey form it either last year or year before...can't remember for sure.  This one was featured in the magazine article as well and is currently listed for sale in my shop at $425.  Yes, these are pricey I know.

Here's the same Royal Cauldon platter but in blue polychrome.  You can pick this up on Ebay right now for $800.  So see, mine is a bargain! 

Last year, I shared some of the turkey pieces at my shop in this post:  Talking Turkey and Transferware

Famous potters such as Ridgway, Royal Doulton and Wedgwood produced beautiful Flow Blue Turkey Platters.  These rarely start below $500 and usually go for $700-1200!  Yikers.  Beautiful though!

This Royal Doulton platter realized $700 at auction.

Wegwood, ditto

Same with this one by Ridgway

I know for a fact that Mrs. Maison Decor wants a purple turkey transferware platter, but this one is a goner (sold before I knew her!)

and I bet she would like this purple turkey plate to.

Green isn't a color you see very often either.

One of my favorite tablescapers, The Tablescaper, posted yesterday about turkey plates and platters and was so sweet to mention my Romantic Homes feature. Thank you for the shout out! Click the link above and you can see her post full of turkey transferware.  She is sharing some beautiful pieces that she found at Brimfield.   She sets some of the most gorgeous tables I've seen, including this one set for  Thanksgiving  with blue turkey transferware.   Tell her I sent you over!

(photo source, The Tablescaper)

Another favorite blogger of mine, and a customer from my Ebay days, Delores at Vignette Design did a post on turkey plates as well.  You don't want to miss that one either.  

You can find turkey themed English  transferware in a lot of colors, blue, green, red, purple, flow blue, brown and rarely black, like the platter in my first photo and this plate below, which is from the same pattern.

Tune in later this week to see my turkey tablescape with these black plates.

Congratulations to Savannah Granny!  Amy announced today that she is the winner of the $60 credit to my shop.  And, to Amy, thank you for the kindest words today in your post that touched my heart (and made me cry like a baby!).

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