COLLECTORLINKS...ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT
FOR WHAT OTHERS ARE LOOKING FOR
Antique and vintage items make nicer than new gifts
We often remind buyers that today's collectables become tomorrow's antiques and lovely little period pieces like this crested souvenir china model are a delightful example.
This one bears the name of the historic English market town, Hitchin, in the County of Hertfordshire. It is in the interesting shape of an artefact, "a model an Arabian wine vessel" No 203. It carries the town's crest, that features a deer, which has been transfer applied with hand-painted enamel detail.
Date and condition? The basic Shelley China back stamp suggests c.1920, which means it has achieved antique status. It is in very good condition, free of chips or cracks.
Background: The industrial revolution in Great Britain and the growth of the railways opened up the opportunity to travel for ordinary working people and crest ware souvenirs from where they visited became very popular as early as the 1860s until the start of WWII in 1939.
Goss is probably the best known name, with Shelley China another popular brand.