VINTAGE HAND-PAINTED TILES

If you know me well you know that I'm a collector.  Of course my children label me a hoarder.  Let's just say that I have a few collections.  Sometimes I actively look for something and sometimes the collectible finds me.    I guess the vintage hand-painted tiles found me.  

Years ago I was obsessed with transferware.  I was always on the hunt for that one pattern I didn't have, but also for patterns to complete a set.  My favorite is brown or green transferware, but I could be talked into blue, lavender or red.  While "shopping" I saw this transferware trivet.  I never knew there could be trivets too.  Of course I bought it.

RED TRANSFERWARE TRIVET ON MY VINTAGE BREADBOARD

In this next photo you can see the round "feet" that support it.

FOOTED ENGLISH TRANSFERWARE TRIVET

Many times the pieces are marked.  There's a link at the end of this post if you'd like to date a piece you have.  This piece was made by Copeland in England.  The person who sold it to me had researched and dated it already.

REGISTRY MARK AND MANUFACTURER ON UNDERSIDE OF THE TRANSFERWARE

I never came across another footed trivet, but I did purchase several hand-painted tiles.  I use them as trivets too.  They're a fun way to protect my table top from hot foods.  If it's a large casserole, I put two underneath.  I don't think any of these tiles were ever on a wall.  They're all different and all lovely.  This first one is my favorite.  I think it's the way the leaves and vines almost seem to be swirling around the flowers.  It's not marked.

FLORAL HAND-PAINTED TILE

Here's another one in my trivet collection.  The pattern is a very English design.

HAND-PAINTED ENGLISH TILE

I think the yellow in this tile makes it really unique.

ENGLISH TILE

They're both marked ENGLAND on the underside.  There are no registry marks to research.  I do know that if a piece is marked England, it's made before 1920.  Those pieces after 1920 are marked MADE IN ENGLAND.  So I do know that these are older tiles.

UNDERSIDE OF TILES

I'm pretty sure this is French.  It's not marked.

FRENCH TILE

This last tile has special meaning to me.  My husband found it while on a business trip to Holland.  He had some free time and went to a local flea market.  I like that it has fruit instead of flowers.  It's not marked, but I'm guessing it was made in the Netherlands.  Or, maybe not.  Things do travel.

What do you collect?

To learn the basics of transferware pottery, go here.

To see a guide to English registry marks, go here.