Tropical Chintz cruet set marked Foreign, more likely 1920s?

Tropical Chintz cruet set marked Foreign, more likely 1920s than earlier, no third shaker. Marked rather than a sticker. German or Czech? I am grasping at straws here. From the look of the pepper top, I am guessing pepper rather than salt, one has holes higher up on the tip, I am thinking late 1920s, but I thought by then stickers were more probable. The lids are marked EPNS so they were aimed at the UK market more than likely. They are 2-1/4 inches tall (2-7/8" to top of lid) and 1-3/8 inch in diameter. Any help on ID would be great.

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Well that didn't work!

www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=9&u=14167674

As I recall the Foreign mark was a US requirement c. 1890 - 1920, so probably aimed at the US market. The EPNS suggests maybe made in UK?

Was it Foreign or country of origin? I haven't seen this one for sale over here, but it certainly could be. The tops are later rather than earlier. If only it had the third shaker or an open salt.....

I had thought that about the EPNS, but I have seen that mark on other countries items aimed at the UK.

These cruet sets are so difficult, so many were made and so few marked.

Thanks,

Inez

Funny you should say that, as I just had a Kovels Komments email in my inbox saying "When a country name is included in a mark, it usually indicates the piece was made after 1891, when the McKinley Tariff Act was passed requiring the country of origin to be on all pieces sold in the United States. All china imported into the United States after that had to be marked with the country of origin."

My next book is on cruet sets, and have hundreds of them. Trying to figure out where they came from is difficult.....

Is there a club or society out there?

Here is a Noritake mustard (I have seen but was outbid on a pepper, and have never seen a salt) note that is is marked EPNS. Sorry it isn't clearer, but I would have to find it and retake the photos. Noritake made these for the UK market circa 1908-1920. I have a fair number of books and they say items marked EPNS are often Sheffield, but lots of weasel words......and to my knowledge Noritake and manufacturers in Europe didn't send the ceramic to the UK then put on the tops, but it is possible.

The same question was asked about a tea set on eBay's Discussion Board on Pottery, Glass & Porcelain. They say the mark was used just before and during WWII to hide the fact that the items are Japanese and sold possibly in Allied Countries.

Last reply partly correct - items made in occupied Germany and Japan after WW2 were marked foreign as it was believed customers in allied countries would not buy them.....
The pattern is an old english chintz pattern dating from the 1920's which remained popular into the 1960's.
EPNS tops were fitted in the UK - jewellers used to buy the tops in from makers in sheffield, and the pottery bases from wherever was cheaper, in the 1920's that would have been Britain but postwar the Japanese and German govts "owed" the allies money for the war...

this is a question I have asked dealers for years,it's good to finally get a definitive answer.
Thanks Nik and welcome to the forum

Now I have a few more questions. I have a fairly extensive personal library (inc.: Thompson, Slack, Kovel, Mappin, Danckert, Hughes, Dudson, Shuman, Gaston, Godden). The museum I write for here has a fair number of catalogs, magazines and experts. I have access to Pressglass and Masterbuch. I have a fair number of links for ceramics and glass. But there is very little info out there on cruet sets. I haven't been able to scare up magazines or catalogs for UK or European glass or ceramic sets. I haven't been able to find clubs or experts. I have tried the British Patent office and the British Library, but even tho I have Rd numbers I haven't found a searchable data base. It is more likely just I am inept. But any thoughts are welcome. Right now I have at least 100 sets that are unmarked and about that many that are marked in some way. Thanks, Inez

If you post pictures on this site - maybe within this topic I will give you whatever assistance I can, this will generally be with cruet sets dating from about 1910 - 1950.
If anyone does know where to search the old reg design numbers please let me know as I have some Wilkinson items that need researching.....

I will open another query and just title it "unmarked or unidentified misc cruet sets", THANKS!