How to Spot Fine Dishware

If cared for properly, a fine dishware set can serve multiple generations of a family, whether used at the table or on display in a collector's case. Estate sales, Internet auctions and thrift shops often yield quality and antique dishware pieces at very affordable prices. These same outlets, however, tend to also sell deceptively attractive dishes of lesser quality and forgeries. To avoid getting scammed, learn how to spot fine dishware from the rest of the rubble. Such recognition skills additionally assist owners wishing to identify and value pieces in their dishware collection.

Magnifying glass
China or ceramics identification book

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the dish in question to figure out if it features earthenware or porcelain construction or another material such as plastic. Compared to porcelain, earthenware stains more easily, generally looks more opaque and is softer and more permeable. Porcelain dishware tends to be thinner, lighter, more durable and higher quality. Look also for cracks or chips which clearly compromise any dish's quality.
- 2
  
  The one-of-a-kind designs of hand-painted plates make beautiful decorations.
  
  Study the dish with a magnifying glass to determine whether the design is hand-painted, hand-decorated or transferware. Raised surfaces and brushstrokes indicate hand-painted designs, valued for their artistry and individuality. Hand-decorated dishes typically display a stenciled design that an artist filled in with color. Close examination of transferware reveals thousands of tiny colored dots, implying mass image and color transfer.
- 3
  Look for a maker's mark or a backstamp on the bottom of a dish. If such a mark exists, note whether it is applied to the dish with an ink stamp, impressed or hand-signed by the artist. An underglaze maker's mark, where the mark was applied prior to glazing, suggests finer dishware quality than dishes with an overglaze. Overglaze dishes tend to come from large retail chains who commission numerous pottery manufacturers to make their dishes.
- 4
  Note down any information conveyed by the mark. Possible mark information includes the dish's pattern name or number, the manufacturer's name or device (an identifying image like an anchor, cross or crown), the manufacture location, the year of manufacture, construction and safe use recommendations. The mention of location implies dishware manufacture after 1891 to comply with the American McKinley Tariff Act, while dishes marked as dishwasher-safe or microwave-safe inform of a manufacture after the advent of those devices.
- 5
  Observe the colors and motifs in the design and the style of the mark. These cosmetic details shifted according to popular trends over the years. Likewise, if you are assessing a set, some types of dishes experienced popularity in a particular era. All of these factors can be helpful in identifying a dish's history and ascertaining its quality.
- 6
  Consult china and collectibles identification books, websites and experts. Armed with the information you have collected by examining the dishes, referring to one of these resources can lead you to discover the dishware's precise pattern. These resources also provide a sense of the dishes' value and how well they stack up against other dishware.
- 7
  If you are unable to identify the dish in question on your own, many websites offer pattern identification assistance.

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