Saturday, August 14, 2010

Birds On Vintage China Patterns (broken china jewelry by Laura Beth Love)

Today I'm taking a look at jewelry I have made over the years from antique and 
vintage bird patterned china. Check my Etsy shop for new pieces.

Pendant approx. 1"



"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."


-Henry David Thoreau


American china with bird motif


Broken china bird pendant by Laura Love

Broken china jewelry bird pendant by Laura Love.


Broken china jewelry by Laura Love.

Broken china jewelry by Laura Love, Emmaus, PA.

Broken china by Laura Love.

Broken china Jewelry by Laura Love, Emmaus PA.




Bluebird China


“Bluebird china enjoyed a brief but spectacular history, first appearing in the late 1800s, reaching its zenith in the early to mid-1920s, and was almost entirely gone by 1930. China decorated with the bluebird motif was produced by over 50 different American companies including Anchor Pottery Company, Atlas China Company and Atlas-Globe China Company, Chippendale China, Homer Laughlin China Company, and Steubenville Pottery Company to name just a few.”

-Excerpt from the book Bluebird China (Schiffer Book for Collectors), above, which can be found Here





Classic Homer Laughlin "Fluffy Bluebird" Pattern



Homer Laughlin Fluffy Bluebird pattern china



Necklace pendant



Necklace Pendant



Bracelet made from a broken tea cup



Broken china mosaic heart with bluebird



Bluebirds of Happiness

“The mythology of the bluebird of happiness has deep roots that go back thousands of years. Indigenous cultures across the globe hold similar myths and beliefs about the bluebird. It is a widely accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births, the renewal of springtime, etc. Virtually any positive sentiments may be attached to the bluebird.
-Excerpt from Bluebird of Happiness, which can be found HERE in its entirety.






Other Bluebird China Patterns


Vintage Lovebirds - Unknown pattern




Some examples of a few less common American bluebird china patterns:



Necklace with freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal






Pin brooch with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals




Bracelet displayed on the plate it was made from




Link bracelet



How about these sweet little birds? Looks like they've made their nest in a basket.



Necklace pendant, vintage American china








Necklace pendant



Entry May 18

Your words are born not spoken. Dimensional soft-vowelled words palpable to the eye or to the fingertip. Exquisitely curved as the young that flowers conceive.



Often I have watched your lips shape words... and your tongue nudge them out

like small birds not wholly certain of their wings. Your sweetest words are those

shaped ovally like plums or wild birds' eggs. And the long bright ribbons you

laugh, the multitudes of hyacinth and bluebells.


-Walter Benton, This Is My Beloved






Pin brooch with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals




An older, unusual bluebird china pattern, probably circa 1920:



Necklace pendant



Pin brooch with freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal




Necklace made with Amazonite, Rohodonite, and sterling wire




Necklace



Necklace, unknown pattern





Robin pattern















Another unusual American bird pattern. These look like lovebirds or budgies. Notice the motif surrounding the heart design in the second photo below.






Pin brooch






Bird of Paradise & Pheasant Patterns



"The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp."
-John Berry










The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species in this family are found on the island of New Guinea...with a few species occurring in the Moluccas of Indonesia and eastern Australia. The family has forty species in 13 genera. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head. For the most part they are confined to dense rainforest habitat.”
-Excerpt from Bird-of-paradise, which can be found HERE in its entirety





Antique pattern. Pin brooch with heart-shaped coin pearl and crystal.




Heart charm, approx 7/8"




Pin brooch




Beautiful colors! Pin brooch with Swarovski crystals



Pendant



Parrots & cockatoos



Art deco china pattern with parrot motif, American china




Same pattern as above. This pin brooch was made from the design on the center of the plate.





This Parrot pattern is from England:



Pendant



Pin brooch




English china, necklace pendant






Blue Willow birds:




Pendant



Blue willow porcelain from Japan. Necklace made with glass beads, glass pearl beads and sterling wire.



Necklace




A few other bluebird and bird china patterns:



Pendant



Pin brooch





Silver spoon bracelet with 7/8" heart charm





Bluebird china earrings


Heart charm approx. 7/8"


Shelley fine bone china. Flow blue bird motif with gold overlay.



"One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


Pin brooch with amethyst briolette drop. Newer porcelain.



English transferware with swan motif. Pin brooch



Heart charm, approx 7/8" English transferware




Vintage American pottery with doves motif. Pendant



Birds are flyin' south for winter.
Here's the Weird-Bird headin' north,
Wings a-flappin', beak a-chatterin',
Cold head bobbin' back 'n' forth.
He says, "It's not that I like ice
Or freezin' winds and snowy ground.
It's just sometimes it's kind of nice
To be the only bird in town."
-Shel Silverstein Weird-Bird




Birds are one of my most requested china patterns for jewelry. Because they can be hard to find, sometimes even rare, my finished jewelry pieces made from these patterns on average cost a bit more than other patterns.

I hope you enjoyed this look into the world of vintage bird china! No matter how often I look at these patterns, they are still a delight me each time I see them!
-Laura

(all jewelry shown above was made by me...check out my Etsy shop here)




Which do you like best?


Have a great week!
Laura

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Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2021 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.