Question:
It was advertised as a Austrian Royal Vienna, but I don't think so. I'm very sorry, but I couldn't get my camera to focus on the mark very well. It looks like a handpainted oval with some squiggly things in each corner. On the inside of the oval, is the letter "A" with a beehive sitting on a patch of grass and bees buzzing around the top, on the right side of the hive, is the letter "R". The plate is heavy with a tarnished brass or gold rim. Should I try to clean the rim? Or would I mess it up? What company/age is AR? I appreciate ANY insight you guys can give.
Answer:
Welcome to here Helen.
Sorry, but I cannot see your mark. Maybe you could place a magnifier on your camera lens when taken the picture. I use an 8X magnifier all the time to get close-ups.
I did look through my Kovels' and Rontgen's books for the mark that you described, but didn't see anything even related.
Answer:
That's a great idea! I will try that! Thank you!
Answer:
Many, many thanks to Elizdale! Your advice about the magnifying glass was right on! Now, for some better pictures of the mark!
Answer:
Well, that is a much better image of the mark.
I've been through 3 of my marks book with no luck.
I've given my 645 page book a cursory review with no luck. I'll look deeper into that book when time allows.
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Thank you, elizdale...I really do appreciate your time. You've been such a help! I'm having it looked at by an appraiser, too. Hopefully, I'll have some info I can share soon!
Answer:
Finally got the appraisal back! I wanted to share with this with you guys, because the mark was tough to find. Hopefully, this information will help someone in the future! Here's what the appraiser had to say:
"The detailed beehive mark on the bottom of your plate should not be confused with the stylized beehive mark used on Royal Austrian porcelain. An exact match was not found in available references,. However, it is similar to marks used in the U. S. by the Wheeling Pottery and by Ridgway, in England.
The plate is not porcelain, it is soft paste china. The decoration is a multicolor transfer and in Aesthetic Movement style. The tarnished metal rim may be silver or silver plate. Those features are indications of English manufacture. And the style of design indicates it was made in the 1870s."
If anyone else has any impressions, I would love to hear them!