Burley & Tyrrell Co. Antique, Hand-Painted Porcelain Plate, Germany, Circa 1891–1907
A hand-painted porcelain plate marked with the crowned shield "B.T. Co." backstamp of Burley & Tyrrell Co., a Chicago importer and retailer that became the largest importer of china and glassware in its market, sourcing porcelain from Germany and Bohemia and decorating much of it in its own Chicago studios — a house good enough that it also supplied blanks to Pickard, the most celebrated American china-decorating firm of the era. This mark dates the piece to circa 1891–1907.
The plate is hand-decorated with soft pastel bouquets of pink and lavender blossoms set against a pale blue-washed ground, with delicate silver floral sprigs scattered throughout. Each principal flower center is finished with raised, hand-applied gold "jeweling" — small dimensional gold beading rather than flat printed decoration — a hallmark of genuine studio hand-painting rather than transferware. The scalloped rim carries an embossed shell-and-scroll relief with a gilt beaded edge.
Dimensions: 11⅞" diameter.
Condition: Excellent. No chips, cracks, or repairs noted.
Curator Certified for accuracy and quality.