If you cannot find what you are looking for here are some useful tips on using the search facility.

Our search facility is designed to be very flexible and it really does work with any combination of selections: from a broad search for all Staffordshire to finding a single piece.

If you are not certain what you are looking for start with a broad search. Select just one of the periods or one item type or one pattern type (leave everything else blank or unselected). This will find you a selection of china to browse through, from which you can refine your search.

If you have a piece of the china you are searching for, look on the back and make a note of everything that is printed or impressed or otherwise appears there. Try to figure out the maker’s name and pattern name.

Maker or Brand Name

This is the maker’s business or trade name. Some have more than one!

It will search by all names used by the same maker. Enter any one of Copeland, Spode, or Copeland and Garrett etc. and you will find all the china made at the Copeland Spode factory, whatever name was used.

It also searches by brand name. For example, Royal Warwick was a brand name of Wedgwood and Co. Enter Royal Warwick and all the china made by Wedgwood and Co will be found.

Common mis-spellings also work. Wedgewood will find the correctly spelt Wedgwood and there are around 30 spellings you can try for Doulton!

The search facility is not case sensitive, but do leave spaces between words.

Do omit the words the, &/and Co/Company, Son/Sons, Ltd/Limited and any punctuation, including * # ". For example, for George Jones and Sons Ltd. type George Jones

If the name seems a long one, try a search with just one or two key words.

Omit place names such as Burslem, Cobridge, Fenton, Hanley, Longport, Longton, Stoke, including Stoke on Trent and Stoke upon Trent, and Tunstall, which are all towns in The Potteries area of the county of Staffordshire, England. They are very rarely part of the maker’s name. If you want all Staffordshire makers use the general Staffordshire search.

Omit England or English and generic terms such as Ironstone, Stoneware, Transferware or Pottery (unless you are really sure it is part of the maker’s name). Also do not type general or vague terms such as all, any, unknown, not known, old, new, current, present or etc.

Enter only one maker’s name for each search. Don’t type Doulton Wedgwood Spode together, but do three separate searches entering one maker’s name at a time.

Pattern Name

This is the name, normally as used by the maker, for the pattern or design used to decorate the china.

Many of the tips under Makers Name apply equally to Pattern Name.

Do not use your own pet name or nickname for the pattern, nor descriptive words like old or Chinese, as in Chinese willow. Willow is the name of the pattern, so type just that.

Don’t type the word pattern. For example, type willow not willow pattern.

Pattern names are usually short, one or two words, so if you have a long name try just one word at a time.

The word Blue may not be part of the pattern name, so try a search omitting the word blue.

If you have a pattern number (and no name) type the number in Pattern Name box.

If you have a pattern name and number, type just the name

For finding kitchenware, wash or bathroom accessories etc use the Item type search, not Pattern.

To find all flow blue use the general flow blue search. Flow blue is not a pattern name, but a technique used to make the glaze and ink flow together.

Pattern Type

Pattern type is probably best used as a general search method, when you know what you like, but do not have a particular maker or pattern to look for.

Patterns are grouped fairly generally by type. A Chinese floral pattern will be under Oriental/Chinoiserie and not under Floral! It may be worth trying different types if you are not certain.

Classical World are scenes inspired by Ancient Greece, Rome and Italy.

Historic/Literary are real historic scenes or literary figures.

Romantic Scenes are the contrived scenes and views, rural or otherwise, that were popular from 1840 onwards.

Period

This is ideal for finding the specialist older pieces from the early 1800s, regardless of maker or pattern. For example, if you combine Pattern Type: Country/rural/English scene and Period: 1780-1849 you will find all those lovely early rural scene pieces.

Or use it to find a selection of more recent tableware, by selecting the 1950-1999 period and leaving all other selections blank or unselected.

Item

These groupings are fairly self-explanatory, although there are sometimes differences in terminology. A jug in England is the same as a pitcher in the US. A small plate about 6” diameter is a bread and butter plate in the US, but called a tea plate in England, where a bread and butter plate is a large serving plate.

If you are not sure, try some different ones to see if they bring up what you want.

General searches: Staffordshire and Flow Blue

These work best when used on their own. Normally, it is wise not to use them when searching by maker or pattern etc. as it may reduce the number of matches you find. However, if you know exactly what you want, say all Grindley flow blue, type Grindley in the Maker box and select Flow Blue general search and all Grindley’s flow blue patterns on the site will come up.

For a general search tick or check only Staffordshire and search or do the same with Flow Blue. Staffordshire and Flow Blue can be combined as a single general search, if you wish.

A general reminder

Our site covers china made in England, Wales and Scotland. It does not include US potteries or continental Europe: France, Germany or Dutch Delft etc. Occasionally, there are Chinese or Japanese pieces.

The golden rule

If in doubt don’t! If you are not sure about a name, then leave that box blank. Not sure about the pattern type, then select any type. Remember you only have to make one selection for the search to work. The more you leave blank and unselected the more china you will find.

Still no luck?

Help is at hand. Tell us what you are looking for by registering your search or interests and we shall let you know when relevant stock arrives, or email us now with your search details. Both are free no-obligation services.