Empire Porcelain Company was producing pottery at Stoke On Kent from 1896 until 1967
I have other pieces from Empire, take a look HERE
EMPIRE - Sweets Dish
Design: correct name is unknown but I have given it a title from the small sign in the artwork which reads "Ye Olde Flower Shoppe"
Very 'busy' artwork, dominated by gold artwork (foliage and small berries) and heavy gold gilding to the outer scalloped rim.
The centre of the dish depicts a country scene, a house with many flowers in the garden and the sign indicating it is a flower shop.
ALL artwork has been very skilfully hand applied, this is NOT transferware!
Heavy scallop work on all sides
Circa 1930's period (based on the backstamp design)
Quite a small sweet dish
Dimensions: 133mm diameter
COSMETIC CONDITION:
NO chips
NO fleabites
NO discolouration
NO wear evident to the extensive gold artwork or the central painted artwork
NO crazing observed (wet or dry)
BACKSTAMP DETAILS
Impressed into the porcelain, the number 290 which I believe is the blank dish stock number (before it was 'dressed up' and glazed/fired)
All text and graphic used in the backstamp is a Lime Green colour
EMPIRE ENGLAND (curved in a semi-circle)
(Graphic of a central flower with foliage either side)
12 52
Artist and gilder markings are present, these were extremely important to the works artist as they were paid "per piece completed" not hourly.
According to knowledgeable references, the printed numbers 12 52 are indeed a datestamp (this is so rare with English chinaware) and means that this dish was produced in December 1952
