Mauchline Ware

My late grandfather was a keen collector of many different things and one of his largest collections was of Mauchline Ware. I was given these pieces when my grandmother passed away.

They probably don't have great monetary value but I treasure them.

The production of box-work or Mauchline ware took place from the 1820s until 1933 by the firm of W & A Smith. These boxes were extremely collectable. They ranged from the basic transfer as on small vases, each piece having the view of the place of purchase. These went from Mauchline to the Isle of Wight. Tartan ware was also extremely popular as a result of the Smiths inventing a machine for "weaving" tartan designs on paper. Fernware was introduced in the 1870s. This involved applying actual ferns to the wood which was then stippled in dark brown, the ferns removed and the wood varnished. The wood used was Sycamore. These products were sent all over the world. A fire in 1933 stopped production, which was never restarted.

~ from Wikipedia