Dating to the 1860’s, this pattern is commonly known by collectors as the “basket weave” pattern. This would have been used on Cunard ships like the Russia, China, and Cuba. Very heavy-duty piece of china. Back marked “British & North American Royal Mail Compy.” Produced by Bodley & Company, Burslem. Measures 8¾” in diameter. Impressed into the back is “Genuine Ironstone.” Aside from a few utensil marks, this is the best condition piece of this pattern I have ever seen. There is some blurriness to the pattern at the edge, but this is very common for this pattern and stems from the wet transfer-ware decal slipping as it was applied. Step up your Cunard 19th Century collection! $750.
49103 Cunard Tea Biscuit Cup and Saucer
One of the most beautiful pattern of steamship china you can find. This tea biscuit cup and saucer is made by Mintons and was used for afternoon tea on board Cunarders before the first World War. Beautifully top marked with the pre-war ribbon logo, and the saucer is dated 1907. While you won’t hear me claim that a 1907 date means Lusitania or Mauretania, it is without a doubt the most desirable china date for Cunard! You can tell that the company really splashed out and spent a lot of money on this china because it's hand-painted bone china with lots of detail. Interestingly, this cup and saucer come to us by way of a yard sale in Louisiana of all places. One never knows where great liner items will turn up! In excellent condition with none of the usual stress marks typically seen on the saucer. A slight hairline in the bottom of the cup which does not detract and does not show when on display. No loss of gold, chips, cracks, or crazing. The saucer is 8½” long x 5” across at the widest point. $995.
I sometimes hesitate to use a piece of china as my "featured" item on the main page. Obviously, Luxury Liner Row offers many other items than steamship china, but this cup and saucer is so beautiful and displays so nicely that it deserves to be featured until it sells.
A delft dinner plate as used on Lusitania, Mauretania, Caronia, and Carmania. See the archival at left for it in the second-class dining room of Lusitania. Measures 9½” in diameter. Made by Mintons and is dated on the back 1906. Has only the slightest utensil marks and two small rough spots on the edge that appear to be from manufacturing. Some blurring to the crown in the logo but otherwise in excellent condition. Much sought-after pattern. Variations of this pattern were used for about 25 years on Cunarders. $495.
This pattern was introduced by Cunard in the later part of 1913 or the early part of 1914. Used in first class from the outset on board Aquitania (see archivals at left on board Aquitania), this pattern was also used on the Lusitania and Mauretania. How do I know, you ask? Because examples of this were recovered from Lusitania in 1982 and a single photo exists of the pattern in use in her dining room.
It looks like Cunard revamped all the first-class china on at least its main ships at that time. It is often referred to as the "spider web" pattern. Interestingly, only a few dinner plates (which were likely seconds because they are missing the red part of the decoration) and oyster plates seem to survive. Serving pieces or cups and saucers from this pattern are unheard of. Made by Wedgwood and date marked 1913. Measures about 9" x 7" and in excellent condition. $295.
Pre-WWI bone-china demi-tasse cup and saucer as used on board the Lusitania and Mauretania. Made by Mintons and in mint condition. Note archival on board Mauretania. $245.
As an aside, I was talking to a customer of mine a few months ago, and he told me that when he was a tour guide on the Queen Mary in the 1970's, he was given a tour of the forward storage areas. One of the rooms he was shown was where all the remaining china and crystal on board was kept. He was shown a crate that was full of these cups and saucers in the original packing material. They were mint and had never been used. It seems that, when Cunard sold the Mary, a lot of the Cunard's surplus inventory was put on board simply to get rid of it. I've never seen any photos showing this pattern in use on board any Cunard ship after the first world war. It just goes to show that Cunard *never* threw things away....
Cunard (and the rest of the UK) went for the cube-style teapot in a big way in the 1920's. Cunard being Cunard, they were tradition bound and kept using the cube style for 60+ years, even as late as on QE2 in the 1980's. This hand-painted "bird of paradise" teapot is made of fine bone china and is in excellent condition. Marked on the bottom as souvenir. Stands 3" x 3½" wide. $175.
Hand painted and in excellent condition as sold in the gift shops on Cunard's big three in the 1920's. Marked on the bottom as souvenir. Stands 4" tall. $65
Sporting the Bird-of-Paradise pattern, this individual creamer is in near mint. Marked on the bottom as souvenir. About 3" tall. $50.
Large waste dish in the famous Cube pattern. Hand painted and happily near mint. Identical to the onboard service but sold in the gift shops. Marked on the bottom as souvenir. Measures about 3" x 2". For some reason this dish is one of the hardest to obtain in this pattern. $65.
Small sugar bowl in the Bird of Paradise pattern. Measures 2" x 1½" tall. Marked on the bottom as souvenir. Excellent condition. $50.
Very hard to find luncheon plate from the Bird of Paradise tea service from the 1920's. In mint condition and measures about 8" in diameter. One of the harder pieces of this pattern to find. Marked on the bottom as souvenir. Most people are looking for luncheon plates to complete their tea sets. $135.
Bone china hand-painted side plate in the “Bird-of-Paradise” pattern. Measures just over 6” across. Marked "souvenir" and purchased in the on-board gift shop. Produced by Tuscan china and bottom marked with the Cunard logo. Identical to the china used on board many Cunarders in the 1920’s. In excellent condition. No chips, cracks, or crazing. A quantity available @ $65 each.
Beautiful in its simplicity, this Cunard White Star demi-tasse cup and saucer by Mintons is a rare find. Unusual to see Cunard or Cunard White Star china with no pattern. Mint condition. $95.
SOLD!
Foley bone-china tea pot in the famous cube pattern. Measuring just about 4" square and standing 4" tall. Excellent condition. No chips or crazing in excellent condition. This is the larger of the two sizes of tea pots and is much harder to find. $265.
SOLD!
Foley bone-china tea pot, measuring just about 3¼” square and standing 3" tall. Excellent condition. No cracks, chips, or crazing. Some slight wear to the black line on the lid. Displays well as a set with the larger tea pot (if you've got one!). Note the archival of the tea set in use in Queen Mary's post-war garden lounge. It seems that these small tea pots were strictly for individual service, one per passenger. Note that both "passengers" in this publicity image have their own. $175.
Foley bone-china footed dish. Measures about 3” across the top and stands about 2” high. Very good condition. No chips or crazing. One of the harder Foley pieces to find and one of the most popular. Only one left I had 20! You cleaned me out. $125.
49024 Cunard China, Demi Cup and Saucer
Unusual bone china demi cup and saucer made by Foley as used on the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. I have heard all sorts of rumors about where this type of china was used ranging from the children's play rooms to the officers' ward room. Proof of these claims, however, has been hard to come by. I have seen a photo of a plain white Foley compote dish that was oddly in use with other more traditional patterned and colored china in the Queen Mary’s dining room in the mid 1950s. See the archival at left. At this time I cannot say why Cunard ordered plain white variations of their more famous china; yet here is the evidence that they did. Do any of you knowledgeable collectors have any ideas? Despite the plainness, or perhaps because of it, I like this little cup and saucer. Mint condition. Not too often seen so get it while you can! $145.
SOLD!
Everybody loves a cup and saucer. This classic bone china example made by Foley in the pattern used on the Queens is in the typical English style they call a "coffee can." In excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing. $95.
Famous cube pattern individual creamer from Cunard's on-board tea service. Stands almost 3" tall and is about 1¾" square. Made from bone china and is nearly mint with no chips, cracks, or crazing. $45.
SOLD!
Many collectors call this a "large creamer," but it is actually a hot water jug. Your tea was brought to you as loose leaves, and you poured your own hot water and you made your own tea. Note that this is what the woman in the archival photo at left is doing. This image was taken on the Queen Mary in the 1950's. Made by Foley of fine bone china, this hot water jug stands almost 4" tall and is 2¼" square. This jug is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing. $75.
The cube Foley sugar bowl. Made of fine bone china. Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing. Measures about 1½" tall and is nearly 2" square. $45.
Although commonly referred to as a "large sugar bowl," this is actually a waste dish for your spent tea leaves. In the late 1960's, Cunard made the "bold" move of switching to tea bags. Such a "risky" decision! This waste dish is 2½" square and 1¾" high. Excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing. $65.
The ubiquitous shell dish as used on the Queens. These filled many uses, apparently at the stewards' discretion. In archival photos, I've seen it used for olives, cashews, and lemon/lime slices. Measures 3½" across. Made by Foley. See photos for condition. A quantity available @ $35 each.
An on-deck cup of bullion. In my mind, at least, it is one of the hallmarks of British ocean-liner service. QM2 still provides this expected tradition to this day. Sadly, they do not provide nice quality double-handled bullion cups and saucers like this. For your next crossing, perhaps you might take this original bullion cup and saucer from the first QM with you and bring it along for another ride across the pond. In excellent condition. Only a couple left! @ $135 each.
Desirable and hard-to-find coffee cup and saucer as used on the great post WWII Cunarders. This example comes to us from the Queen Mary. These coffee cups and saucers are quite popular, and in fact, just about any cup and saucer for just about any transatlantic line is quite collectable. In excellent condition. A small quantity available @ $95 each.
One reviewer said in the 1960's that the Cunard ships were getting old and no longer seriously contending for the title "finest in the world" but that you should go because the "Cunard service, Cunard cuisine, and Cunard savoir faire are more than 50% of the any battle -- so they're recommended in spite of these limitations." These dinner plates were part of that special "Cunard service." Measures about 9½" in diameter. In very good condition with typical utensil marks. Dating to the 1960's. A few available @ $85 each.
One of the hardest-to-find pieces of Maddockware. If, like Cunard, you had to serve appetizers to 800 expectant first-class passengers and do it quickly, these dishes were the answer to your prayers. The idea was to rapidly, but attractively, set four of these dishes on a tray to tempt an entire table. Each dish is numbered on the bottom as to where it goes on the tray. Once in the tray, the four dishes combine to create a square with rounded corners. In excellent condition. Measuring about 6" x 7". $75.
Soup bowl as used on the Queens. Measures about 9" in diameter. Excellent condition. As a matter of interest Maddock Ware china is extremely hardy and was designed to be automatically dish washed in near boiling salt water onboard! Running it through your modern dishwasher will not hurt it. I have used pieces of it for years in my kitchen and it looks great. $35.
RESTOCKED!
Side bowl as used on the Queens, Caronia, and second Mauretania. Excellent condition. Measures 6¼" in diameter. A small quantity available @ $25 ea.
RESTOCKED!
Unusual shallow plate made by Maddock. Excellent condition. Measures 8" in diameter. Maddock ware is a real crowd pleaser and a collecting favorite. Everyone wants something off the Queen Mary or Queen Elizabeth it seems. $50
Rare egg hoop from the post-WWII on-board Cunard service. Full Cunard logo inside. This pattern was used in both first and second class on all the major post war Cunard ships, including Mauretania and Caronia. A small quantity available @ $65 each.
RESTOCKED!
Cunard went for Maddock china in a big way. The post war ships used it by the ton. Still it's getting tougher to find in good condition. Measures 7¼". Excellent condition and marked with a sticker as having been part of Queen Mary's onboard service. One of those rare chances to own something you *know* was from your favorite ship. $30.
SOLD!
A very unusual find! A coffee cup and saucer in Cunard's "Greek Key and orange" pattern. What makes this so unusual is that it is marked Cunard White Star. Probably dates to the 1930's. With a gold band around the edge that indicates that it was used in first class. $145.
Cunard's "Greek Key and orange" pattern side plate. Measures 7" in diameter and, aside from a touch of gold loss, the item has no condition issues. $65.
49826 Cunard White Star Tea Pot
Cunard, as we all know, went in for cube tea pots in a big way. They used them for over 60 years from the 1920’s through much of the 1980's. In fact, the iconic deco tea pots are associated with some of the greatest Cunarders of all time -- Aquitania, Queen Mary, QE2, to name only a few. This example is in the tough-to-find rose pattern. Most people assume that this is a pre-World War II pattern and don’t know that this china was used on the Media and Parthia. I have seen it in both Cunard White Star and Cunard versions -- both of which had date marks impressed into the plate. The CWS versions would almost certainly date to when the ships were new, and the Cunard versions to the 1950's. Like many of you, I have always liked this pattern because of the simple beauty of the roses. Made of bone china by Coplands, sourced by Stoniers, and marked Cunard White Star, this china is prime time Cunard White Star. Measures about 3¼” tall and 3½” across. It is in excellent condition. $350.
49122 Cunard White Star Hot Water
Individual hot water jug for the cube-pattern rose tea set. Made of bone china by Copelands for Cunard White Star. Measures about 2½” across x about 4” tall. In excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing. $145.
49007 Cunard White Star Creamer
Cube-set rose-pattern creamer. Made by Copelands for Cunard White Star. Bone china and in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing. Measures about 2” across by x 2¾” tall. $85.
49445 Cunard White Star Bread Plate
Bone-china bread plate in the rose pattern tea service as used on Media and Parthia. Made by Coplands and marked Cunard White Star. In excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing. Measures about 6½” across. $145.
49479 Cunard White Star Sugar Bowl
Individual sugar bowl made of bone china by Coplands for Cunard White Star. In excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing. Measures about 1½” tall x 2” across. $85.
49287 Cunard White Star Waste Dish
Rose-pattern waste dish in bone china by Coplands for Cunard White Star. CWS seemed to try to spread some of their business around to various suppliers after the merger in 1934. Thus dozens of vendors who had dealings with either White Star or Cunard separately would not be punished when the two companies merged. In this case, we see Copelands (Grosvenor), a pre-war supplier, getting the contract for Media and Parthia instead of the expected Foley. In excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing. Measures about 2” tall x about 2¾” across. $125.
49266 Cunard Napkin Ring
Elkington silver-plated napkin ring dated 1892 for Cunard with a very nice, clear belted logo. In very good condition. This piece is early for Cunard. In fact, the company was only just over 50 years old. Just think, in a couple of years, Cunard will be celebrating their 175 anniversary! $85.
49445 Cunard White Star Ice tongs
Individual silver-plated ice tongs with great crow's feet claws for the ice. Made by Elkington for Cunard White Star and dated to 1947. In very good condition with no loss of silver plate. Displays so well with the iconic pinewood pattern and the cool “claws.” $165.
SOLD!
There's silver, and then there's silver. This immense champagne bucket and stand was designed with a heavy base to keep it upright in rough seas. You can see in the attached archival image the same type of bucket and stand in use on Queen Mary. A 1947 inventory of the silver and china used on board Queen Mary interestingly compares the number of items on board with a 1939 accounting done just as she was stripped for the war. (As an aside it is surprising what went missing during the war which was far less than you might think. Of note for us is the fact only about 70 buckets and stands were ever on board, most being in the first-class dining room but some in cabin class, and the Verandah Grill). Because not everyone ordered champagne at once, these were moved around the room as needed. Thus the rarity of these buckets and stands today.
Together these pieces measure over 18” tall. The bucket is 8” in diameter at the upper rim and is 9½” tall. The stand is 13” tall. Both produced by Elkington. In the the pinewood pattern, the bucket and stand are each dated 1945. There are two dents and slight bends in the rim. Despite the heavy stands, these did tend to tip over in rough seas. Both of these issues could easily be fixed by a good silversmith although they are mild enough that I probably would not bother. Otherwise in very good condition with the usual nicks and dings from use. It's a massive thing, weighing about 15 pounds.
SOLD!
Made by Elkington in the pinewood pattern and date marked to 1939. Stands about 4" tall. In very good condition with the usual use marks and a few dings to the lower rim. $75.
Mint-condition steward's table crumber. Such good condition, you can see your reflection in the pan. Made by Roberts & Belk. Measures 12½". An excellent addition to anyone's collection, especially because they are rarely seen in this condition. Just imagine the steward sweeping your table between courses. They still do this today on QE2. $235.
Silver mustard pot made by Chester. Measures 2" in length and 2" wide. The CWS logo on the bottom is worn but still readable. $55.
Cunard White Star nut dish. A little over 5" across from handle to tip. The typical use marks. Not too often seen. Made by Elkington and date marked 1947 so most likely made for the postwar return to service for ships like Queen Mary or Britannic. $45.
SOLD!
A plain pattern Cunard White Star sugar bowl. Any thoughts on where this might have been used? Made by Elkington and dated 1948. Post war replacement stock or for use on Caronia due out in January 1949? Measures about 4½" across. In excellent condition with the typical use marks. $65.
A must have for a Cunard White Star silver collection, the Pinewood silver sugar shaker. Stands about 6" tall. Produced by Elkington and date marked to 1939. Very good condition with a couple of dings. Otherwise excellent. $145.
Next to cups and saucers I find the biggest crowd pleaser in my ocean liner case to be toast racks. There is just something so attractive about them. This pinewood example was made by Chester. Not that common in fact the only one on display in the museum on board Queen Mary is broken! This example is in excellent condition save for one dent to a hoop. $225.
Cunard's breakfast condiment set for use with hard and soft boiled eggs. Dry mustard, salt, and pepper were provided. This early example is made by Elkington and is dated 1921. Perhaps used on Aquitania or Mauretania. It has both of its original glass inserts however the open bowl is cracked and the covered salt is broken in two. I see these from time to time without the inserts I though you would like to keep the original inserts even in this condition. No lose of plate. $135.
SOLD!
Silver service at the tableside was one of the highlights of travel in the golden age. Practically everything would be brought out and presented at your table as an extra mark of distinction (some high end cruise lines still serve this way today). Instead of hors d'oeures being brought out from the kitchen already plated they would instead be brought to you for table side selection. Meats were often carved at the table. In other examples your meal might have ended with the traditional flourish of Crêpes Suzette flamed at your table side. Silver table service was the function I suspect this pinewood pattern tray served. Although it is the right size to fill almost any role. Measuring about 9¾" in diameter this platter is small enough to easily display in your case. Made by Elkington and dated 1939. In excellent condition with one dent on the rim. $175.