Posted 7 years ago
Thurcroft
(4 items)
This observation/ question is about the butter dish in the Richards and Hartley, pattern 500, Cupid and Venus pattern. There appears to be two different style of butter dish lids. They both have oval medallions that measure 2 inches in length. distinguishing the lid from the 7 inch small low standard compote lid with a 2 1/4 inch medallion in length and which is overall bigger. I've included 3 pictures to illustrate my question. One picture shows two butter dishes both 6 1/4 in. wide at their outside diameter with lids. The second picture shows that the lid of one of the dishes sits directly on the edge of the base whereas the other lid sits on a narrow ledge of glass. The internal diameter of the lid with the peripheral ledge is 5 1/2 inches while the diameter of the lid without the ledge has an internal diameter of 6 inches. Also interestingly and notable is the design is embossed on the outside of the lid on the lid with the ledge while on the other lid the design is embossed on the inside of the lid. This is difficult to capture on a picture but is probably best detected on the picture of the butter dishes with their lids on by observing how the light is reflected. The butter dish with the internal ledge and the design on the outside is heavier looking and seems older than the other. Is anyone else familiar with this lid difference and do we know if one or the other was made by Richards and Hartley while the other followed at the consolidated factory? As always thanks for your input and expertise. Go check and see which butter dish is in your collection! Thank you. DGB
I may have answered my own question yesterday. While rearranging some pieces I realized that the lid to the 10 inch high tall std. compote fits the butter dish as well as the compote. The compote to my knowledge is embossed on the outside so the lid I was questioning belongs most likely to a compote. That leaves the butter dish lid with the design embossed on the inside for the butter dish.
not sure that it makes much of a difference, but one reference I use has a butter pictured with the exterior molded motif, and looks like the lid pictured to the right in your images...
Well, that is most interesting. Thanks for responding Tallcakes. Besides the butter dish I own with the outside design, my other two are inside designs. I’ve followed eBay and have only seen lids with inside designs. There is one offered now listed as a candy dish. I find it odd that there would be two different lids for one item of tableware. Happy Thanksgiving. David