Early 20th-Century Soho Pottery Chinoiserie Plates – Set of 5

Product Description

A beautifully matched set of five early 20th-century English side plates by Soho Pottery Limited of Cobridge, England.

Each six-inch plate features a wide, wonderfully decorative border filled with stylized fruit, pink blossoms, green foliage, cobalt-blue accents and scrolling gilt ornament. The quiet white center balances the exuberant border, making the plates especially striking when displayed together on a wall.

A Little Pottery Education

The decoration is best described as English Chinoiserie—a European interpretation of East Asian decorative motifs rather than Chinese export porcelain. The stylized fruit, floral reserves, scrolling foliage and generous use of gold recall the Chinese-inspired and Indian Tree-style patterns that became enduring favorites of British pottery manufacturers.

The exact pattern name has not been identified, so we have resisted assigning one. They should not be represented as Chinese porcelain or as an official Indian Tree pattern.

The backstamp reads:

Semi-Porcelain
Soho Pottery Limited
Cobridge
England

Soho Pottery began in Tunstall in 1904 and moved to the larger Elder Works in Cobridge in August 1910. The company continued to operate under the Soho Pottery name until 1944, when it became Simpsons (Potters) Ltd. The Cobridge backstamp therefore places these plates after 1910 and before the 1944 name change. Their decoration appears most consistent with the earlier decades of that period.

Despite its name, semi-porcelain is not partially porcelain. It was a Staffordshire pottery term used for a dense, durable, opaque white ceramic body developed to provide the refined appearance of porcelain at a more accessible price. Related wares were also marketed as ironstone, opaque porcelain or stone china.

At six inches across, these would originally have served as bread-and-butter, tea or small dessert plates. Today, we think their best role may be as a ready-made collection for a plate wall, china cabinet or layered tabletop display.

Sold as a complete set of five.

Details

• Maker: Soho Pottery Limited
• Origin: Cobridge, England
• Era: Early 20th century, after 1910
• Estimated date: Circa 1910–1930s
• Material: Glazed semi-porcelain
• Decoration: Polychrome Chinoiserie-inspired border with gilt detailing
• Dimensions: Approximately 6 inches in diameter each
• Quantity: Five plates
• Pattern name: Unidentified

Condition

Good vintage condition with age-appropriate surface wear, faint utensil marks, small production irregularities and some variation or loss to the gilt decoration. Please examine all photographs carefully; images are considered part of the condition report.

Because these are early ceramics with gilt decoration, hand washing is recommended. They have not

been tested for compliance with contemporary food-safety standards.