Amber Fade

Name: Amber Fade
 
Type: Decorative plate
 
Year: Circa 1885–1900.
 
Set: No
 
Mark: Unknown - Likely late Victorian Staffordshire production
 
History: This is a decorative transfer-printed and hand-finished porcelain dessert plate with a softly scalloped rim and shallow relief-moulded radiating ribs. The floral design features sprays of pale pink dog roses with tan and sage-green foliage, lightly scattered across the ivory-toned ground.
 
 
The plate features a stylized wild rose pattern—transfer-printed in sepia tones with added hand-tinted pink, green, and peach highlights. The edge is dusted with soft gilt, now heavily worn, with light iridescent mica-like speckling.
 
 
The item is unmarked, but based on form, floral motif, and technique, this plate is highly characteristic of late Victorian Staffordshire production, especially from lesser-known potteries such as Cartwright & Edwards, John Aynsley (early period), or Hackwood.
 
 
This plate is a good example of the decorative wares made during the aesthetic movement’s waning years, when naturalistic floral motifs remained in vogue. The pale ivory glaze, transfer floral decoration, and gently undulating rim reflect popular taste in the late 19th century, especially for tea and dessert wares. The soft color palette and shell-moulded form suggest it may have been part of a matched dessert service, commonly produced for domestic parlours. While the absence of a maker’s mark prevents precise attribution, the quality of the transfer and colour application, combined with the age-appropriate wear and glaze crazing, supports a Staffordshire origin. There is edge rubbing and some gilt loss, which modestly affects the value, but its visual charm remains intact for decorative display or gentle use.
 
Flaws: None