Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Object of the Day: An Antique Transferware Plate

Created by German china-makers Villeroy and Boch this late Nineteenth Century black transferware plate depicts an English hunting scene. Transferware gets its name from a precise description of how this china is decorated. Scenes such as this one were engraved on copper plates, then printed on tissue paper. The tissue paper—still wet with ink—is applied to the unfired china which is then fired to secure the pattern in place.

Plates such as this one were produced in large quantities for import to England where they were used both for decorative purposes and as actual dinnerware. The hunting scene is meant to show an idyllic English lifestyle—the sort that Prince Albert would have enjoyed.

Antique transferware china can be found at any good antique shop. Prices depend on color, condition and age.

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