Significance of symbol on plate alarms collector
Q. Enclosed is a photo of a porcelain plate I purchased at a yard sale. The border is decorated with flowers, green leaves, butterflies and black swastikas inside yellow squares. Since there are so many swastikas on the border, I was wondering about its origin. On the back of each plate is the image of the god Mercury. Also included are the words "Villerory & Boch - Mettlach."
I would be grateful for any information you may find on the history of my plate.
A. Villeroy & Boch made your plate. It has made porcelain and earthenware in Saar, Germany, since 1813. The mark with the image of Mercury, the god of commerce, wearing a winged hat and holding a staff with two entwined snakes was used from 1874 to 1909. A swastika is an ancient symbol that has been used by most cultures for thousands of years. It represented good fortune and well-being. The word has its origin in Sanskrit. The Nazis in Germany made a connection between the ancient history of the word and their ancestry coming together to promote a godlike warrior Aryan culture. The ancient Greek key pattern that was used in architectural ornamentation evolved from the swastika. Before the swastika was adopted by Nazis, it was used by Coca-Cola, the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts, and the American military during World War I, and it was seen as late as 1939 on Royal Air Force planes. After World War II, it was banned.
Your plate is circa 1900 and would probably be worth $25 to $50.
Q. I have enclosed an English mark that I am curious about. It is on each piece of a dresser set that belonged to my great-grandmother. The set includes a tray, two candlesticks, a hair receiver and two small covered dishes. Each piece is decorated with pastel flowers against a white background.
I hope you can tell me something about the origin, vintage and value of my set.
A. A. G. Richardson and Co. Ltd. in Tunstall, Staffordshire, England, made your dresser set. Albert G. Richardson founded his pottery in 1915. The Crown Ducal Ware mark was first used in 1916. The company made earthenware dresser sets, dinnerware, breakfast sets and tea ware. The company was sold to Enoch Wedgwood Ltd. in Tunstall in 1974 and eventually closed.
Similar dresser sets can be seen selling on the internet in the range of $50 to $75.
• Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
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