Posted by Connie Rogers on March 30, 2007, 2:42 pm, in reply to "Booth's Real Old WIllow versus a very similar set! " My best guess is that your Booths pattern dishes were made in Japan. I wrote an article in the "Willow Word" in August, 1993!?! showing the various different versions of the Booths pattern by Japanese makers. Most were made by the Nihon Koshitsu Toki Company (NKT) with various marks including 'Double Phoenix', 'Two Phoenix' and 'Ironstone China'. We came across 'Royal M by Nikko Antique Willow' that is probably the same company. Various willow collectors have found the pattern marked 'Mantu Ware', 'Royal Ironstone China IDE BROS made in Occupied Japan', 'Craftsman China', 'Ocean Sakakibara", and 'Imperial Ironstone China'. Not all pieces of a set are marked, and impressed numbers and/or letters can be found. Certainly there are makers who didn't put marks on their copies of the Booth's Real Old Willow pattern. If you want to see examples of the Nikko Japanese Real Old Willow, you can go to www.blueandwhite.com. Click on "museum" in the upper right corner (the pieces have been sold). Then in the slot, type in Nikko Real Old Willow, and you will see examples of what they made. That website does not usually sell anything but British made wares, but the Nikko was of sufficiently good quality that they decided to offer it as well.
Hi Sue,
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