Introduction
Asiatic Pheasants is a transfer printed pattern, usually in light blue,
which has proved its popularity for nearly 200 years and yet little information about it has previously been gathered together. As popular as Willow it has been so much a part of our antique heritage that it really has been
taken for granted. Ask most people what an antique blue and white plate would look like and they would
immediately think of the Asiatic Pheasants pattern without being able to put a name to it. The paleness of the
design can look old even when in pristine condition, and some people believe that the paler it is, the older it is. The colour, of course, depends upon the amount of cobalt ink used in the
transfer, which has not always been very consistent so that even within a single batch from one manufacture the
transfer colour can have a lot of variation.
This site is designed for those in the antiques trade, collectors or casual enquirer. Everyone, in fact, who wishes to add to their knowledge and understanding of this most popular
of blue and white pottery patterns. As always happens on a quest like this the research has answered some questions, but left others unanswered, particularly about the origins of the pattern. So common is this pattern that many areas claim it for their own, but, for instance
Asiatic Pheasants was not a pattern produced at Swansea during its heyday, and as yet we have no evidence that
it was produced there at all. Neither is there any evidence to suggest it was produced earlier than about 1835.
From its earliest days, the Podmore Walker & Co partnership, which claimed to be the originators of Asiatic Pheasants shared its production with other reputable pottery firms including
Ralph Hall & Co, whose factory at Swan Bank, Tunstall they took over in 1853. The production quality of Asiatic Pheasants varies as it was made to different price levels for different markets.
At the beginning of this new century the pattern is becoming both more collectable and scarcer as each year goes by, but
it is one of the very few antique pottery patterns which was produced in such numbers as to allow the modern collector
the opportunity to build, without the aid of a lottery win, a complete service not merely of the pattern, but by individual manufacturers. Pieces are to be found in many households, and may be
purchased at car boot sales, jumble sales and antique fairs. There are few specialist dealers, of which the best known are our sponsors Lovers of Blue & White Meat
Platters are common, and can usually be found easily, but the smaller pieces like sideplates, have survived in much fewer numbers, and consequently can cost as much if not more than a
platter. Tureens and covered vegetable
dishes often have lids and dishes that do not fit particularly well and this may be because they are a later "marriage" or may never have sat too well with each other. Finding marks on anything other
than flatware may be considered a luxury, so when a collector is searching for that elusive gravy boat, they will have
to be guided by the pattern transfer itself, to determine how closely it matches their flatware, because it is difficult to determine which body shape relates to which
manufacturer or period.
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