Westminster started business in 1954 (Melbourne) and used quality fine china blanks which were then skillfully decorated locally here in Australia.
WESTMINSTER China Side Plate
White fine china background
Design: 252
The design depicts a branch of flowers with foliage. These white bell shaped flowers look very similar to the Australian native "snowbells" and the lovely green of the foliage is so similar to other Australian green colours such as that used in drip glazed Diana pottery. The colour just seems to jump out as "Australian" a bit like a gumleaf (unless burned!)
Due to the extremely "clean" look of the graphics, I would say this is transferware NOT handpainted.
Gold gilding around the top edge rim
Dimensions: 168mm diameter
BACKSTAMP INFO:
Gold metallic graphic print
FINE CHINA
WESTMINSTER CHINA (folded around a graphic)
AUSTRALIA
252
CONDITION:
NO chips
NO cracks
NO discolouration
NO crazing
Design graphics are in very good condition
Gold gilding has extremely light wear - by this I mean that there is a dot here and there in the flow of the gold, this does not look to be handling wear though,
I suspect that although the graphics appear to be transferware, the gold gilding was hand applied (nice job!) and there is a small "dash" of gold on the underneath (artists mark) which seems to support this idea.
Like to see more of this Snowbells design, #252 - have a look HERE
