Description: This is a beautiful hand painted plate in an unknown pattern, possibly flower ring. The edge is Piecrust. It is simply decorated with a large vibrant blue flower, a yellow flower and green leaves. The edge is piecrust shaped and there is a band of green around the rim of the plate. It was made by Southern Potteries and was part of their famous Blue Ridge Dinnerware line. It is blurily marked in ink on the bottom with the manufacturer's mark.The pottery was in operation from 1917 through 1957. This plate would date to the later years of operation when they introduced china into their line. It measures approximately 6.5”. It is in very nice vintage condition. There are no cracks, chips or stains. Southern Potteries began making their popular line of Blue Ridge dishes in 1938 in Erwin, Tennessee. The use of a method of hand painting the dishes before the final glaze was fired, resulted in vibrant colors, which made the designs come alive. Women were recruited from "up in the hills" who had no artistic training to learn the basic folk painting strokes used in creating these works of art. Using broken pieces of china for practicing, they soon acquired the speed and skill needed to produce the pieces. The technique gave the dishes a happy and less formal appearance that was very endearing to customers. Sales of the dishes flourished during the 1940's, especially during the years of WWII when imports were restricted. Much needed jobs were created by the plant as they employed as many as 500 painters who were earning an average pay rate of 13 1/2 cents an hour. They were turning out an amazing 324,000 pieces each week. At that time, Blue Ridge Southern Pottery was the largest hand-painted china producer in the United States. They had 11 showrooms throughout the country, including one on New York's Fifth Avenue. The dishes became a popular premium item offered by companies such as Quaker Oats and Avon. Stanley Home Products had their own Blue Ridge Pottery pattern called "Stanhome" which was offered as an incentive to purchasers of their home products. Major catalog retailers such as Sears & Roebuck and Montgomery Ward carried the Blue Ridge dishes in their mail-order selections. Grocery store chains offered them as a reward program gift to their faithful customers. After the war, trade with Japan was reopened, and imports came flooding into the US. Most American potteries could not compete with the lower-priced imports and the increased labor costs associated with production. Blue Ridge Southern Pottery closed its doors in 1957 and discontinued production of the beautiful and loved pottery. Fortunately, they were able to pay their debts and stockholders and avoided filing for bankruptcy.
Price: 8.76 USD
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
End Time: 2024-12-03T18:06:39.000Z
Shipping Cost: 9.99 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Origin: America
Pattern: Flower Ring
Shape: Round
Occasion: All Occasions
Production Type: Dinnerware
Color: Multi-Color
Material: Ceramic
Set Includes: Plate
Vintage: Yes
Brand: Blue Ridge
Type: Bread Plate
Original/Licensed Reproduction: Original
Plate Diameter: 6.25"
Theme: Flower, Fauna
Style: Colonial
Original/Reproduction: Original
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Production Technique: Pottery
Finish: Glazed
Product Line: Southern Pottery