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Blue and white color change Posted by Henry Meetze on March 25, 2012, 3:14 pm My wife and I have a moderately large collection of Blue Willow including staffordshire pieces and a number of other very unusual holloware pieces. We have had this collection for about 20 years and take extraordinary care of each piece. Most recently, we have noticed a change in color of several pieces, the glazed white color having changed to a light tan, the worst case being on a Buffalop piece (no staffordshire pieces have been affected). After "googling" the problem, we could find no mention of color change in blue pattern china. Perhaps someone reading the message board might have heard about the color change in other china pieces. We thought that someone more knowledge than we might have heard of a similar problem.

Re: Blue and white color change Posted by David Hoexter on March 25, 2012, 3:32 pm, in reply to "Blue and white color change" 75.36.131.85 One of possibly several explanations is that these color changes are occurring at areas which have been formerly repaired. "Re-glazing" over a repair involves using some sort of material which takes on the appearance of glaze, but is not the same as the original silica-lead glaze. Many repairs look "perfect" initially, but over the years will age and discolor. I don't know the size of your discoloration areas, but some restorers extend the "re-glazing" well beyond the restoration, and I have even seen entire pieces "re-glazed". Although this discoloration may occur under any light conditions, direct sunlight would be the worst location to display your pieces.

Re: Blue and white color change Posted by Henry Meetze on March 25, 2012, 5:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Blue and white color change" Thank you - both front and back are affected. I can send phot if it might help. No direct sunlight is involved. Henry

Re: Blue and white color change Posted by David Hoexter on March 25, 2012, 5:56 pm, in reply to "Re: Blue and white color change" 75.36.131.85 That would be a good idea.

Re: Blue and white color change Posted by Henry Meetze on March 25, 2012, 7:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Blue and white color change" 24.145.17.104 [img]c:\libraries\pictures\my pictures\2012-03-25\front[/img] Attached is a photo. I have two more- one the back of the plate and one for an insert. I hope the photo is attached. The optional image refers to a URL.

Re: Blue and white color change Posted by David Hoexter on March 25, 2012, 8:06 pm, in reply to "Re: Blue and white color change" 75.36.131.85 Hi Henry, this does not work; please post your images on an image hosting site,and then link as directed on the Message Board entry page. If you have problems, send your images to our webmaster, as directed on the entry page, and she will post them for you.

Re: Blue and white color change Posted by Jane Diemer on March 26, 2012, 9:29 am, in reply to "Re: Blue and white color change" Good day to you. I have had white ironstone absorb a pale brownish color just by sitting for a time in an antique cupboard with raw wooden shelves. Perhaps this happened during a damp summer when there was no heat and not sufficient air conditioning. I removed the "toning" (silly word used by dealers to make it seem desirable) by a bath in peroxide obtained in a beauty supply house. Use with caution.

Re: Blue and white color change Posted by Connie Rogers on March 26, 2012, 5:26 pm, in reply to "Re: Blue and white color change" 24.165.108.63 I want to follow along with the idea that Jane has brought up. The ware, over time, can absorb impurities from the environment. Buffalo earthenware is very porous, and the crazing in the glaze allows "dirt" to get into the clay body, turning it darker -- definitely off white. I once showed a bone china saucer to Geoffrey Godden that had turned yellowish. He told me that it had gotten "dirty" over the years. Smoke in the air is a potential hazard to keeping china white. Bone china usually has a tighter glaze, so I was surprised that it can even happen with those pieces.

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