Enoch Wedgwood (Tunstall) Ltd
Liberty Blue Bread & Butter Plate | Monticello
Liberty Blue Bread & Butter Plate | Monticello
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A smaller, quietly architectural piece from the Liberty Blue series. This bread-and-butter plate was made in the mid-1970s by Enoch Wedgwood (Tunstall) Ltd in Staffordshire, England, as part of the commemorative ironstone commissioned for the American Bicentennial.
The centre shows Jefferson’s Monticello — portico, trees, a carriage on the drive and figures in the grounds — set within the same dense floral border used across the range. On the table it sits easily with other blue-and-white transferware; on a dresser or wall it reads as a small historic view.
Dimensions
Dimensions
- Diameter: 15.1 cm
Condition
Condition
- Very Good — Structurally sound, with a clean, strong transfer on the face and only minor, localised imperfections on the reverse rim that do not affect display or use from the front.
Body / Structure
- The plate is even and sits flat. No warping, no cracks and no hairline fractures are visible.
Glaze / Surface
- The glaze on the face is glossy and largely intact.
- The well shows only the lightest age-consistent wear; no heavy utensil scoring is apparent.
- A few minute dark specks in the glaze are typical manufacturing inclusions rather than later staining.
Decoration / Transfer
- The Monticello scene and floral border are sharply printed in a good, even cobalt.
- There is no obvious fading, smudging or loss of the transfer on the front.
- The lined ground of the border remains distinct.
Rim / Edges
- The front rim appears smooth and complete.
- On the reverse foot rim there are two small white irregularities — one on each side of the plate. These are glaze pops or tiny fleabites from manufacture or early wear. They sit on the underside edge and are not visible when the plate is displayed face-up.
Base / Foot / Backstamp
- The foot ring is otherwise clean.
- The Liberty Blue eagle-and-shield backstamp is dark, complete and fully legible, including the Monticello line.
- No grinding, restamping or covering of the mark is evident.
Additional Information
Additional Information
1. Design & Features:
- The centre is Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, shown with the portico, trees, a carriage and figures in the grounds.
- The border is a dense ring of flowers (roses, leaves and berries) on a finely lined ground — the same floral frame used across the whole Liberty Blue range.
2. The Commission & the Backstamp
- The factory produced it from about 1975 as a promotional line for the Benjamin Franklin Federal Savings and Loan in the US, timed for the bank’s 50th anniversary and the American Bicentennial.
- After the bank promotion ended (around 1977), grocery stores continued selling it for a few more years.
- Production of the range sits comfortably in the mid-to-late 1970s.
- The factory is Enoch Wedgwood (Tunstall) Ltd, not Josiah Wedgwood & Sons. The bank asked for a patriotic eagle-and-shield mark rather than the usual Unicorn factory stamp, which is why the maker’s name does not appear on the reverse.
- “Made in England / Detergent and Dishwasher Safe” is part of the original mark.
3. Craftsmanship
- English ironstone, fired for everyday durability rather than display-only porcelain.
- Traditional tissue transfer from engraved copper plates, then glazed and high-fired.
- The body is heavier and more chip-resistant than ordinary earthenware of the same period.
4. Uses & Versatility
- Bread, butter or dessert plate; also useful as a small side, cheese or cake plate.
- Mixes cleanly with other Liberty Blue scenes and with older Staffordshire blues.
- The architectural centre makes it a good candidate for a plate wall or dresser grouping.
5. Care Instructions
- Marked detergent and dishwasher safe by the factory.
- For the longest life of the cobalt, avoid abrasive pads and sudden temperature shocks.
- Hand-washing is still the gentlest option if the plate is to be kept as a display piece.
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