Grandma Valentine's china has been residing in Kansas for over fifty years.
My mother Cele inherited it after her grandmother Elizabeth Valentine died in 1951.
I am guessing we brought it to Kansas when we moved here in 1959.
There is a service for about 10.
I inherited it after Cele died when I was 20.
It's been my "good China" all my adult life.
It was probably Elizabeth Valentine's good china too.
The large tureen is missing a handle and I think it came to us like that.
In all the years of dinner parties (with some serious partying going on) I have never broken any. But of course my friends were always terrified of breaking it as I would look sternly at them and remind them it was my Great-Grandmother's china.
It did not come with any cups and saucers. I have been looking for matching cups for forty years but have never found any. I have to conclude they didn't make them.
I always assumed it was Haviland China because that Bavarian company specialized in these pink rose designs, generally called moss rose. But when I recently turned a piece over I see it's not Haviland but Iroquois China.
The mark says
Iroquois
China
Syracuse,
N.Y,
and then S.S. in red
Iroquois China Company began in Syracuse about 1905 and went out of business in 1969. They are best known for their restaurant ware but this early line of household china imitating Bavarian china must have been very lucrative.
Haviland made a variety of pink rose designs but I am guessing Iroquois just made this one pattern.
The pattern doesn't seem to have a name, but when you do a web search for Iroquois China SS this is the only pattern that comes up.
I'd guess Elizabeth Valentine got the set about 1910. She kept it for 40 years and I've had it for 45. Yikes!
The stamp might read S-5, instead of SS.I can't really tell from the photo. Block letters meant the sets were made pre-1940.Script is post 1940. S-5 would indicate this set was made May of 1933.
ReplyDeleteIf I ever come across any additional pieces of this, I will certainly let you know - great blog!!! I am Larry McNally's wife, Pat, and a follower now. Drop by my blog is you get a chance!
They do make the cups and saucers! I have the same set except in blue and I have also had a very difficult time find much information about this pattern! I believe the stamp does say S5 for May of 1933 as suggested above. But my set does have cups and saucers!
ReplyDeleteThey do make the cups and saucers! I have the same set except in blue and I have also had a very difficult time find much information about this pattern! I believe the stamp does say S5 for May of 1933 as suggested above. But my set does have cups and saucers!
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