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Copeland Rd Plates and Cake Pedestal

Here are four plates and one cake pedestal, all acquired separately, that bear the clear stamp of coming from the same manufacturer.  In fact, the manufacturer has several clear symbols on the back of his work.  Still, the manufacturer's identity escapes me.  The common theme is that "the" is transformed here into "ye" on three of the five pieces.  The cake pedestal has a date inscribed on a sticker on its base: "1879" and I take that as a first clue.  One seller identified his plate as "Copeland" and I take that as my second clue.  I look forward to identifying the manufacturer better with the help of the seals on the bottom of the three items, and so I produce them here. 

Plates

Archaic English Plates

 

1880? One black-and-white DS plate. 10¼" in diameter. Slightly scalloped rim. "Ye Dog and ye Shadow." $14.99 from Nancy Wolf, Brookfield, WI, through eBay, Oct., '06.

The emphasis in this strong illustration is on the match between the aggressive dog with a chop in his mouth and the reflection in the water, beautifully positioned along the rim between the center and outside of the plate. The title makes its way toward the center of the plate from about 11 o'clock. On either side are branches with leaves and blossoms. Would this plate have been colored in some versions, like the plate of FS? There is a curious burn in the finish of this plate around 7 o'clock. The "Rd" of the trademark is here surrounded, clockwise from the top, by 28, Y, C, and 11, with IV over the whole mark.

1880? One colored FS plate. 10¼" in diameter. Slightly scalloped rim. "Ye Stork Inviteth ye Fox to Dinner." £9 from Franklin Giles, Romney Marsh, Kent, UK, through eBay, Sept., '11.

The lively and beautifully colored picture spreads across the center of the plate onto its rim. Print outlines the illustration to the upper right. A floral branch circles the rest of the plate. The artist's moment here is the revenge moment: the stork gets back at the fox by offering food only he can reach. There are several small chips around the edges. The trademark seal on the back is joined by a lovely image from the fable world: two pots sailing on a river. The "Rd" of the trademark is here surrounded, clockwise from the top, by 12, Y, W, and 12, with IV over the whole mark.

 

#2102 Colored Fable Dinner Plates with Branches on Their Rims

Two 10½" plates have several features in common. branches with buds around the rim, a multicolored fable illustration filling the indented center of the plate, "#2102" on the plate's bottom, and the "R" seal imbedded in the bottom of the plate.

 

1880? One white-colored plate with a multi-colored illustration of TH in the indented center of the plate.  Around the outside of the plate run four vines; their stalks are at about 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, and 10:30.

The central picture has the tortoise apparently reaching the finish line, where a bird sits on a branch.  There are greens of several shades, browns, and some lovely blue in the bird.  One of the manufacturer's marks on the base seems to be "2I."

 

1880? One white-colored plate with a multi-colored illustration of TT in the indented center of the plate.  Around the outside of the plate run four vines; their stalks are at about 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, and 10:30.

The central picture is just before take-off.  The two birds and the tortoise all grip the long stick.  Besides the greens of the grass around and the browns of the three animals, there is blue mixed with green in the birds' heads and wing tips.  There are also lovely little blue flowers on the top of the nearby stalks.  One of the manufacturer's marks on the base seems to be "2I."   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a view from the side

1880? One colored FC cake pedestal. 8½" in diameter. About 2¾" high. Sculpted rim on both the stand the plate itself. "Ye Crow and Ye Pitcher." From an unknown source.

This is a lovely piece of work. The black crow stands out in the center of the plate with a stone in his beak. Next to him is a red flower atop a green stem. The crow is perched on a red and brown surface and is ready to drop the stone into a gray vase. "Ye Crow and Ye Pitcher" runs from 12 o'clock to 4 o'clock. The base has an attached label: "28 Jan. 1879." The "Rd" of the trademark is here surrounded, clockwise from the top, by 28, Y, C(?), and 11, with IV over the whole mark. Very nice color work here!