Welcome to my first blog series ever — An Ironstone Unboxing of my Old House Bins! These bins were packed up at our old house in preparation for our move a few years ago, and due to some unforeseen circumstances, they have remained unopened. I started doing unboxings of my antiques on Instagram during the pandemic (before my blog launched), and I am excited to unbox these old house bins together with all of my blog readers here.
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Throughout the remainder of the year and maybe into early next year, I will be sharing the details and close-ups on each piece of ironstone unboxed from one of these old house bins. Yes, there will be several weeks of ironstone unboxings because there are thirty-three bins. That is quite a lot of ironstone pieces to process. They contain a combination of inventory and personal collection pieces. Several pieces will be making their way into my booth at Franklin Antique Mall and be available for purchase for those local to or visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area, while some pieces I will keep.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with antique ironstone, my hope is you gain some insight into this old dishware through this series by seeing just how varied and diverse it is and seeing what characterizes it compared to other antique dishes like porcelain. I have been an ironstone collector for years, and I find it is an antique that works for décor (despite its original function) in so many homes of varying styles. I hope you discover its beauty and potential in your own home.
For those of you who are antique ironstone collectors, my hope is this ironstone unboxing series helps you discover a new pattern, a new maker, or a new type of ironstone to add to your collection. Based on my memory and the notes on each box, there are some unique pieces buried in these bins, and I cannot wait to share them with you.
These are my favorite bins to move breakables in!
They are made of hard plastic that holds its form when hot, and the lids have extra secure latches surrounding the perimeter of the bin.
41 quart bin | 62 quart bin | 74 quart bin
Ombre Stained Ironstone Pitcher Box
This first box included ten items, including six pitchers, two tureens, a dessert plate, and a toothbrush holder. All pieces of ironstone were marked. Eight pieces were English made, while two were American.
Two pieces were stained, while eight were not. One item was so unique with how it was stained that when identifying the box for this blog post, I chose “Ombre Stained Ironstone Pitcher” for the Bin #1 label. Most likely this unusual staining is from how it was previously stored, presumably upside down. However cool that pitcher is, it is worth noting that the dessert plate is quite a rare ironstone find, and the tureens are harder-to-find patterns as well.
Ironstone Pitchers
I was happy to discover that this first box contained a pitcher I consider to be one of my favorites. Yes, the ombre stained ironstone pitcher is a personal collection item that I have been wondering where it got put in the move. It is one of the two American-made pieces found in this box. The company is “Wheeling Pottery Co.” out of West Virginia.
Additionally, this first bin contained three other larger ironstone pitchers by the following makers—Alfred Meakin, Johnson Bros, and Powell & Bishop (pictured in that order).
The two smaller pitchers would be considered creamers since they stand at about 5.5” tall. The white one is a “Charles Meakin.” The stained one is the other American-made piece of ironstone in this box, with the maker being “W. B. Jr. & Co” out of Ohio.
Ironstone Tureens
Two tureens were in this box. One is considered a sauce tureen. It is a Berlin Swirl pattern by “Mayer & Elliot.” Unfortunately, the lid is missing on this piece.
The second tureen is larger, complete with its lid, and made in the 1860s by “F. Jones Co.” The pattern is Victor Shape.
Harder-to-Find Ironstone
Pitchers and tureens are ironstone pieces that are easier to find than the last two items in this bin—a high-relief dessert plate and an upright toothbrush holder.
I have only come across one other dessert plate like this in my years of buying and selling. I have even found more of the ironstone collectors’ holy-grail cake stands out in the wild than these plates. This plate is English, made my “J. W. Pankhurst”, and I believe it to be the Lily Pad pattern.
The upright toothbrush holder is an “A. J. Wilkerson.” Some of the vertical toothbrush holders will have underplates. The other type of toothbrush holder you will find is horizontal and lidded. I love the sweet scallops on this one.
Related Posts, Pages, and Sources
- If you are wanting to locate an antique or vintage find like ones I shared in this post, check out these listings for antique ironstone.
- If you are looking for other antiques for your home, check out my Antiques Shop Page.
- If you are looking for more inspiration using antiques in your home, check out these posts:
Ironstone Unboxing Blog Series
One box down, thirty-two to go! Which piece in Bin #1 was your favorite? Was there a new pattern or type of ironstone that you discovered after seeing the contents of this first box? I am so excited to be unboxing these old house bins and rediscovering some great ironstone pieces together with you.
If you are inspired to some ironstone shopping, I would love to see your find. Be sure to tag me @inheritedadco in your photo.
Make sure you don’t miss seeing the other boxes! Be the first to know when the next bin is shared by subscribing to my email newsletter.
