TEA LEAF ONLINE                              December 21, 2003
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DISCUSSION TOPIC:  HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

The season of holidays is here.  How will you celebrate? Anything special or different this year?  Will you be traveling or receiving family and guests? How many Tea Leafers in your family?  Does your family have holiday traditions? Gift exchanges?  Decorations?  Menus?  Will Tea Leaf be part or your holidays? As serving pieces, decorations?  Do you think you will receive Tea Leaf as a gift.   Will you give it as a gift?

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HOMER LAUGHLIN KITCHEN KRAFT COOKIE JAR

Seller's Description I am calling this pattern tea leaf. This cookie jar is a little over 7" tall. It has a 3 1/2" hairline starting at the top rim going down on the backside. The glaze on the backside is not perfect, feels a little rough compared to the other side and one of the decals is not complete and 2 are a little faded. It has no chips, is clean and marked HL Kitchen Kraft and the cover is in good condition.

BAKER DRAPED LEAF MORNING GLORY COFFEEPOT

Seller's Description This incredible tea leaf variant in morning glory measures 11 inches tall and 10 inches handle to spout. What a gorgeous display. It has the fig style finial which has a bit of crazing on it, easily cleaned, lid has no chips or cracks,body of coffeepot has no chips, has a small hairline about 1 inch long on the side of the spout. some crazing on the base of the spout. Gorgeous raised leaves at handle attachments.... great luster.

QUARTERED ROSE LUSTRE BAND WITH PLUMES AND PINSTRIPES COFFEEPOT
	Seller's Description IRONSTONE TEAPOT. Molded ribs with copper luster stripes and flow blue leaves. Fruit finial. 9 1/4"h.

GRAND LOOP CINQUEFOIL CHAMBER POT LID
	Seller's Description You are bidding on a Copper lustre Grand Loop lid. This measures 8 3/4" across. My have gone on a potty.

ELSMORE & FORSTER TOBACCO LEAF CREAMER
	Seller's Description This gorgeous tea leaf variant in tobacco leaf pattern is gorgeous. Hard to find footed pitcher measures 5.5 inches tall. One teeny shallow under foot rim chip. NO chips or cracks. NO crazing and luster is very good.

ALFRED MEAKIN BRUSH VASE
	Seller's Description Measures 3" x 4.5" tall. Bottom marked Royal Ironstone China Alfred Meakin England. Lustre is very good.

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		January 12 January 26

	TEA LEAF ONLINE                              December 7, 2003
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Where did all this wonderful Tea Leaf come from?  See letters below.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:  HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

The season of holidays is here.  How will you celebrate? Anything special or different this year?  Will you be traveling or receiving family and guests? How many Tea Leafers in your family?  Does your family have holiday traditions? Gift exchanges?  Decorations?  Menus?  Will Tea Leaf be part or your holidays? As serving pieces, decorations?  Do you think you will receive Tea Leaf as a gift.   Will you give it as a gift?

Have an opinion about this topic? Click below to send your  TLOL contribution

Region	2004 Date	Host	Location	Contact Info
Heartland	April 27	Tom & Kathy Valentine	Topeka KS	Please check your Membership Directory for Host contact information or contact Regional Chair Charla Warner. Remember, you are invited to attend ALL Regional Meetings, not just those in your own area.  If you're traveling or close to another region, please feel free to RSVP and attend!
North Central	May 7	Verleine & Richard Grimm and John & Ardis Copple	Minnesota
Mountain States	May 22	Nancy Gunter	Windsor CO
Great Northwest	October 9	David & Pat Kile	Seattle WA
Hoosier	Date not yet announced	Morris, Crandall & Carr
New England	Date not yet announced	Kimmey Decker	Saranac Lake NY
Southeast	Date not yet announced	Barbara Kuhn	Athens GA
HOSTS ARE NEEDED FOR THE FOLLOWING REGIONS
Southcentral		Host Needed
Prairie		Host Needed
Capital Edition		Host Needed
Florida		Host Needed
Great Lakes		Host Needed
Golden West		Host Needed

JOHN FARRALL DANGLING TULIP GRAVY BOAT

Seller's Description This is a Fine Gravy Boat with embossed decoration on a panelled body. It does not actually have the Tea Leaf, or any of the other variant leaves, however it is decorated with a rich, deep Copper luster used for accent. But the part about it that I like the best is the mark. This manufacturer, John Farrall, is not in my book "Grandma's Tea Leaf Ironstone" by Annise Heaivilin. Size - A little over 5" at the highest point and almost 8" long. Condition - Excellent!! The Luster decoration is virtually unworn. It is as bright and fresh as the day it was painted. The body is equally nice with only the most minor, I mean VERY minor discoloration. NO Nicks, Chips, Cracks, Repairs, etc.

MIXED LOTS OF TEA LEAF AND LUSTRE BAND ITEMS

Seller's Description a large group of 22 pieces of Ironstone China. It appears to be 2 or three different patterns. I will start with Royal Ironstone China, Alfred Meakin England, Tea Leaf luster pattern. Lovely soup tureen with lid. 4 1/2 inches tall. 1 chip inside lid, otherwise quite nice. Does have crazing in glaze. Large plate, 9 3/4 inch, tea leaf pattern. Has crazing in finish. There are two other pieces that are tea leaf pattern however they are Royal Ironstone, W.H. Grindley and Co. England. These are 7 inch plates. They have crazing and utensil marks. The next group is Ironstone China by Edward Walley. Heavy gold band on white china. 5 saucers, no chips, some crazing 5 3/4 inch diameter.A large platter, 10 1/4 x 13 inches. No chips or breaks but has utensil marks. Oblong serving bowl. 8 1/2 x 6 3/4 inches. Has cracking in finish and utensil marks. 3 cups with no handles. 2 7/8 inches tall. VG condition. Six large plates 8 inches. I found one with a small chip and one with heavy crackling. The others have some crazing and utensil marks. Also on a few of these the gold band appears worn to a green underbase. Next is one 6 1/2 inch plate. Ha scuffs and utensil marks, fair condition. Last but not least is a lovely and large pitcher or coffee pot. 10 1/2 inches tall with lid on. Gold bands on this as well. I found no chips on the pot, there is a teeny tiny chip on the underside of the lid, very small. Overall EX condition. So there you have it. Some really nice pieces, and some just nice, but overall if you are working on ironstone sets, I think you will enjoy the lot.

BURGESS CHRYSANTHEMUM TEA LEAF JUG

Seller's Description This is a VERY RARE white ironstone TEA LEAF pattern hot water pitcher that has an impressed square on the bottom with an English registration number as well as a black mark as pictured that says "IRONSTONE CHINA W BURGESS BURSLEM". There is no doubt that this is a rare maker as well as embossed daisy molded shape and sold without a reserve on the price. This Tea Leaf hot water pitcher dates to the 1800's but is in such fine condition apparently never used. There are no chips, cracks, repairs, stains or crazing and the copper luster finish is in superb condition.

WALLEY GOTHIC SHAPE LUSTRE BAND RELISH
	Seller's Description This is a lovely early relish dish in Gothic shape, with lustre band, by Edward Walley, produced from 1845-1856. Condition is very good with a couple of discoloration spots and wear on the front edge, otherwise in great condition for its age. It measures 1 1/2" high by 8 1/2" long and 4 3/8" wide.

DAVENPORT FIG COUSIN TEA LEAF CREAMER
	Seller's Description This pitcher is stunning. It measures 9 inches tall and 9 inches handle to spout. It has raised leaves on spout and back by handle lined in pink luster. I find NO chips or cracks. A bit of glaze roughness on the side rim on the handle. Glaze crazing commensurate with age... a beautiful piece and eye-catching display.

ANTHONY SHAW SPITTOON

Seller's Description This is a wonderful early Tea Leaf Ironstone Spittoon. Other than the crack on the bottom, that I show, I can find no other damage or problems with this piece. This crack does not reach the sides but is just on the bottom. The design of the Tea Leaf and the stripes are copper lustre. This piece measures 8 inches in diameter and is 3 1/2 inches tall. This diameter measurement does not include the lion spouts on the sides. There are 2 lion spouts and 2 Tea Leaf designs, on opposite sides of each other. It was manufactured by Anthony Shaw of Burslem.

Now for the footbath. I think it's American too and I think it may be a Potters Cooperative piece. My covered veg, although it doesn't have the fantastic critters on the finial, does have very ornate handles and finial and it just sang out to me - I may be a Potters Cooperative piece. Check out the drawing of the motif (and remember, I'm no Ernie Dieringer artistically speaking) but looking at the TLOL photo and my piece, it seems that it could be. After all, the Potters Cooperative

We finally have a TL story to report here in Mo. We happened on to some TL not too far from Belton. A gentlemen called us wanting to sell some TL. After talking with him for quite some time I figured him to be quite elderly. He was very insistent that we come to see his TL. A week or so passed & he called again. Since it was raining & Gerald couldn't work we told him we would come. He told us he would meet us in town & we could follow him to his house in the country. We tried to call him several times while in route but could not reach him. We got to the town where we were to meet, but he was not there. We circled around town
& still could not find him & he still did not answer his phone. By this time we were getting concerned that something had happened to the old gentlemen. We decided to go to the Sheriff's office & once inside we thought for sure we were in Mayberry RFD. The posters & internal memos to the employees tacked on the walls were yellow with age & Gerald kept looking for a wanted poster for Jessie James. The Sheriff came from the back room, we were assuming was his office, wearing a cowboy hat, flannel western shirt, pistol on his hip & a toothpick hanging from the corner of his mouth. After explaining our predicament he invited us to his office which was only big enough for a desk & he began making calls to the post office. He was trying to reach the mail carrier for the gentlemen's route, but the mail carrier wasn't there. During this time a lady entered the office & asked to borrow the Sheriff's badge. He promptly reached across the desk & gave it to her. We had no idea who she was or what she was going to do with the borrowed Sheriff's badge but they both seemed very comfortable with the arrangement. After several conversations with post office personnel, the Sheriff was able to get some general directions for us. We were to go 3 miles on a state road, turn left & the man we were looking for should be somewhere in that vicinity. Great. Well, we didn't give up. We followed the directions but we hadn't hit pay dirt yet. We saw a woman taking laundry off the clothesline & she said the man we were looking for lived another mile down the road in a yellow house. When we got there, the car that had been described to me by him over the phone was in the drive & the house was yellow so we knew we had arrived. (We're such good detectives) The dogs started pouring out of the yard to greet us & the only thing that overcame the small amount of anxiety of barking dogs was the anticipation of a TL bonanza inside the yellow house. He invited us in & he wasn't as old as he sounded over the phone, but still an older person & to our surprise he had no TL in the house.
	I was getting a little apprehensive by this time as he kept muttering under his breath something to the effect that he should bury it just to get rid of it. We nearly went into shock at the thought of burying TL. We followed him through the house to an out building. He had the TL laid out for us there. He also had a rather large box of miscellaneous lids & bottoms which he just gave to us. The very
large bowl in the picture looks like a mixing bowl to me, so I'm wondering if it is one of a 3 or 4 set, like the square nesting bowls. This is a true story & one we won't forget. We really had a fun day. Gerald & Maxine

I picked up this Furnival Berry Cluster Vine soup tureen base this week and could use your help.  If you've got a lid or undertray you'd be willing to part with, please let me know.   DA

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		December 21 January 12 January 26

	TEA LEAF ONLINE                              November 30, 2003
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What is it?  See letters below.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:  THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving 2003 Did you serve your special dinner on Tea Leaf? If so, please send stories and photos to share with our readers. How do your children and grandchildren feel about using the family heirloom china for special family gatherings?	Have an opinion about this topic? Click below to send your  TLOL contribution

CLEMENTSON TEABERRY BALANCED VINE EWER

Seller's Description Lovely tea leaf ewer or pitcher from a bowl and pitcher wash set (alas the bowl is long gone.) The ewer is 12” high and weighs four pounds so expect higher shipping cost. This Edwardian era pitcher is marked Royal Patent Stoneware and was manufactured by the Clementson Brothers factory in Hanley. It has both raised embossed and copper overlay designs. The embossed design is a stylized leaf and fruit design (almost looks like hops) and the tea leaf includes a stylized grape cluster. The glaze and copper overlays are in excellent condition with no noticeable crazing or scratches. There appears to be two small black paint smudges on the tip of the handle under the glaze.

BURGESS PAGODA MUG

Seller's Description Up for auction is a wonderful mug by Burgess in the tea leaf pattern. A large mug standing 3 3/4" high and just under 4" across the top this mug is in great shape with no chips, cracks or stains. Only minor crazing on the surface but no wear to copper luster tea leaf or bands across top, bottom and on handle. This mug is not perfectly round but is eight sided but in a very soft rounded way.

ELSMORE & FORSTER TULIP TEAPOT AND CUP/SAUCER UNUSUAL COLOR COMBO

Seller's Description Size: 8 5/8"h. x 10 1/4"w., handle to spout. From our longtime collection comes this rare 'EXPERIMENTAL TULIP' on a 'LITTLE SCROLL' body WHITE IRONSTONE TEAPOT made by ELSMORE & FORSTER in the early 1860s. Impressed with an English registry mark that is hard to read. Illustrated in Jean Wetherbee's 'A SECOND LOOK AT WHITE IRONSTONE', pg. 154. Hand painted in polychrome enamel: cobalt blue and chrome yellow with delicate dark rose red and yellow on the tulip bud lid finial. It truly took my breath away when I found this teapot and its matching handleless cup & saucers years ago. (Cup & saucer are listed separately.) Condition is as-found CLEAN & EXCELLENT: NO chips, cracks, hairlines, stains, discoloration or repairs detected. Mentioned for accuracy, there is overall crazing, a bit of wear at the spout's edge and some underglaze kiln grit, seen mostly on the edge of the teapot rim. Also, a couple of miniscule flea bites or tiny bits of wear are on the inside of the lid rim. All barely noticeable and do not detract from use or display. This is a hefty teapot and it's a miracle it did not suffer conspicuous damage over its 140 year lifespan. Will make a marvelous addition to your growing early English white ironstone, Elsmore & Forster, Staffordshire ceramics or teapot tea set collection.

ELSMORE & FORSTER TOBACCO LEAF COVERED VEG

Seller's Description What a wonderful display this covered tureen has. It is a tea leaf variation of Tobacco leaf, the tureen lid and base have luster covered handles. The handles on the lid and the base sit on raised and lined areas. The Tobacco leaf design is on lid and base, one rim chip on the lid is all, good luster and design, fantastic display on this rare piece. Measures 8 inches high and 13 inches handle to handle. This one is not marked but a matching one has impressed E and F on the base. There is an impressed heart with a 2 inside the lid of this tureen.

THOMAS ELSMORE TEAPOT

Seller's Description This is a lovely copper lustre on cream tea leaf ironstone teapot in excellent condition. This classic shape holds approximately 40 ounces - a good sized pot of tea. Inside are the strainer holes for holding loose tea. The outside has a perfect high swan shaped spout for pouring, decorated with a Tea Leaf and a rim outline a shaped handle with thumb stop, decorated with lines and a small tea but. The body of the pot has 2 full Tea Leaf decorations - one on each side and additional lines at the rim and base. The dome shaped lid is properly deep with a steam vent hole and turks' head finial. The finial is painted with spoke-like petals and there is another painted rim line. The pot is approximately 6 1/2" tall and has no chips, cracks or crazing. As is often the case, this is unmarked. We also have a covered sugar bowl as shown

BURGESS CHRYSANTHEMUM GOLD LUSTRE WASTE JAR
	Seller's Description BURGESS IRONSTONE TEA LEAF COV WASTE JAR 14 1/2" H (small mold flaw on interior of handle)

		Hi! Hope everyone is having a great holiday. I am writing because I have a request. I recently purchased a piece of tea leaf, and since it is not marked, I can not find any information on it at all. I do not recognize the body style, and I have looked in all of my books. The handles look like dolphins, but I can not be sure. I am so thrilled about this piece. Seems like in Pittsburgh, we have an abundance of platters and plates, but not many unusual pieces. Any info on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much, Kim

[Kim, your purchase (above) , of course, a footbath -- quite a rarity in Tea Leaf.  My first reaction was that this is one of the footbaths produced by the Sayers in the 1980s, but it doesn't match either their motif or profile  (see Sayer's page in the new American Tea Leaf section of the Handbook for a photo).  The handles, however, make me think that this might be an older piece.  I love it, even though the odd Tea Leaf puzzles me.  Can anyone shed any light on Kim's neat piece?  DA] (right: Elsmore & Forster Copper Lustre-decorated footbath--->)

We're also attaching a photo of child's cup and saucer. The waste bowl, cup & saucer, and sugar bowl were all a gift to Suzi from one of her friends. The octogenarian's mother and grandmother had both played with them as they grew up. The cup and saucer set include a saucer like that which Mike and Marie recently found and we're sure the cup goes with it. We haven't seen other plain round child's cups with the tea leaf on the outside. These are among Suzi's most precious pieces!

[A&S,  Very interesting to see the cup that matches Mike & Marie's saucer -- see previous TLOL.  Your child's sugar bowl is a rarity and the only other one I've seen is in the Nickerson collection.  Not all of Anthony Shaw's child's sets have adult-size equivalents but the finial and lustre decoration on your lid does remind me of Shaw's Pear Shape -- see adult-size sugar bowl photo at right.  It's not quite the same, but sure is "reminiscent".  Wouldn't it be great to find the rest of this spectacular set!  DA]