{HISTORY}

Weighing in at just under 2 lbs, this oval serving bowl was made by W. H. Grindley & Co in the bustling pottery hub of Stoke-on-Trent, England. Featuring a yellow lotus flower pattern with black stripes and yellow bands, it was made for the hospitality industry in what we suspect was the 1920s. 

Founded in 1880 by William Harry Grindley, Grindley & Co manufactured ironstone and earthenware for export to the US, Canada and South American markets. Beginning in 1908, Grindley opened a second pottery, The Grindley Hotel Ware Co that solely produced dishware for the hotel industry, 

What makes this bowl especially interesting is that it is marked with the Grindley & Co Ltd stamp yet was made for the restaurant/hotel industry - pieces that are usually stamped with Grindley's hotel ware mark. With its rolled rim - an industry design style that was added to restaurant ware/hotel ware dishes to make them easier to grab and go in bustling dining environments - and its hefty weight, this pretty bowl carries all the hallmarks of almost-antique hotel ware. The flowers are handpainted with daubs of butter yellow and spring green paint. The deep well of the bowl suggests it was used to serve side dishes like mashed potatoes or a mess of green beans. 

So bright and cheerful this is a hard-to-find pattern nowadays, making it a prized rarity when it comes to dishes of hospitality venues of the past.

It is so fun to imagine all the different types of places this bowl could have been in service. From cafeterias to cafes, diners to school lunchrooms, hospitals to civic organizations... the sky is the limits as far as possibilities not only here in the U.S. but in host of different countries and continents too. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Hard to find pattern

- Colors include butter, spring green, and black

- Stamped on back with maker's mark 

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. There are no chips or cracks. There is some slight, very light discoloration speckles around the rim of the bowl and one  small round stain spot (about the size of water droplet) on the inside bottom of the bowl.  Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

Measures 9.75" inches (length) x 7.5" inches (width) x 2.5" inches (height) and weighs just a smidge under 2 lbs.  

{STYLE IDEA}

This bowl looks beautiful with this vintage restaurant ware creamer thanks to their complimentary black and white color schemes.