BING & GRONDAHL 1897 Christmas Plate A CHRISTMAS MEAL for the SPARROWS
is the title of the Bing & Grondahl (B&G) 1897 Christmas Plate. It features a large sheaf of wheat (tied in the middle), with three sparrows enjoying the Christmas bounty. The embossed (white on white) inscription along the bottom reads JULEAFTEN 1897 (Christmas 1897). It is a Christmas tradition in Denmark to put food out for wild birds and animals at Christmas time.
Design by Frederik August Hallin, who worked for Royal Copenhagen from 1885 to 1895 before moving to Bing & Grondahl, where he designed the first three B&G Christmas plates – 1895, 1896 and this 1897.
The scene is embossed on Danish porcelain and handpainted in traditional Copenhagen blue under the glaze. Diameter approximately 7 inches (18 cm). Pierced foot for hanging wire.
Marked on the back under the glaze in green: “Danish China Works – B&G – COPENHAGEN”, a mark that was only used by B&G from 1895 to 1898.
FIRST QUALITY (no scratch through the trademark) and in EXCELLENT CONDITION (no chips, cracks, or repairs). However, manufacturing standards and techniques in 1897 were not the same as they are today, and virtually ALL of the pre-1900 B&G Christmas plates have one or more minor manufacturing flaws, a normal part of the manufacturing process at the time. The front of this plate has a very few of the tiny black specks (cinders from the coal fired furnaces) embedded in the glaze, so common on these early plates. See extreme close-up photo of date, where contrast has been enhanced both the make he date easier to read and to show the tiny black specks. Color is excellent for an 1897 plate, which can be so pale that it is difficult to see the pattern.
There is also a small firing flaw on the back of the plate, not visible on the front of the plate or when displayed in a normal fashion, possibly caused by an air bubble in the clay that expanded during firing. Please see last picture in the listing.
THESE ARE PHOTOS OF THE ACTUAL PLATE YOU WILL RECEIVE! Many sellers use stock photos of plates that they sell . There are HUGE variations in the plates produced before 1900. Some are so pale that the design is difficult to distinguish at a distance. MOST have various manufacturing defects, such as iron spots, cinders, or other inclusions in the glaze. And prices vary substantially from one 1897 plate to another; a premium plate commands a premium price, and a lesser quality plate SHOULD sell for a lesser price. If you rely on a stock photo, you will know the design of the plate you are buying but you will not know the quality. Even when photos of the actual plate are included in a listing, sellers often fail to mention (or gloss over) manufacturing defects. I provide several photos, including close-ups that present details the eye can’t always see, and a full description of any defects or anomalies that I see in the plate. I want you to know exactly what you are buying. If you have any questions about MY plate, please ask!
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