the plate is Brownhills Pottery in Tunstall England and if the registry mark were all legible it would tell you just what year it was made....somewhere between 1870's to mid 1890's.

Seeing the decoration on the Oriental piece might determine the period and if it's Chinese or Japanese....I am leaning to Japanese.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cbhinese and Japanese marks

Thanks so much Lindac. Here is pic of 'Oriental' piece. Don't believe its special I'm just curious as to what it says and how to clean before using. Now the bowl/dish or whatever it is I REALLY LIKE and want to clean & display. Used to have keys plunked in it daily probably killed any value it may have had (any guess?). I've been looking for more pieces like it with no luck, doesn't help not knowing what pattern but every bit of info helps.IF I were to find more any suggestion as to what I can expect to pay for a similar or even a plate? I've read SOMEWHERE on this site RE: peroxide?(what strength) soak (how was that done?) & could I do that process on both items?

I would not do a thing to your piece, Beautiful!! Do not use anything strong to clean a damp cloth only. your mark is Chinese - Qing Dynasty - Tongzhi 1862-1874
scroll down the page on this site to Tongzhi 1862-1874
http://www.gotheborg.com/marks/index_jap_marks.htm

Ok link did not work
go to http://www.gotheborg.com
On left click marks
on left click later Chinese marks
On left scroll down and click QING DYNASTY
On right scroll down to Tongzhi 1862-1874
and you will find your mark :)

That's your mark alright!! But having trouble believing that style of decoration is quite that early.
Just wash it.....put it in the sink and give it a good scrubbing. Chinese porcelain isn't fragile, the decoration is all under glaze things like 409 would be good to get any grime off. It was often used for ballast in ships returning to Europe from The East and has been recovered unscathed after a hundred or more years beneath the sea.
As for the English piece, much more fragile....as you see.
You can soak it in straight clorox and it will lighten up the discoloration.
But....it's about 150 years old...dark spots are to be expected.
But I'll bet it spent a few years under a potted plant.
It's red transferware, probably a coup soup.
Linda C

Soooo wendy, let me get this straight-bowl is Beautiful? I LIKE THE BOWL ALOT but cant hardly display as is/really? & peroxide process is a NO NO for both bowl & box? Then when is it OK to brighten crazed china/porcelain/ceramic?box isnt crazed. Thanks for info on Chinese mark-surely computer generated copy...not THAT OLD. Just want to clean before using-LOVE birds & flower things.

Not to sound stupid, but isn't the pattern "Candahar", like after the city? It sort of has an Afhgan-inspired pattern!

With a strong magnifying glass back of coup soup is
Pd No ??246 (think it's ?9246) & CIDAHAR B.P.Co.
lindac what site do you suggest to check registy #? I'd already checked with Replacements only to hear we don't have any but couldnt tell me what they didn't have any of (therefore leading me to believe didn't know what I had to register & look for). forte, I'd searched Candahar with no success-kept getting directed to Kandahar...then got out the magnifying glass

Here are the British registry dates as relating to numbers....but without the first three numbers this means not a lot.
There were a lot of patterns.....and a lot of small Staffordshire potters. Going to be hard to trace.
Enjoy it for what it is....a rare old red transferware piece.
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: British registry

This is a terrible reference, but does suggest that that potter made what someone thought was a pattern called "Candahar" (one of the older spellings of Kandahar which I think is suitable for an old dish).

Of course you're reading the mark in person so I'll accept your interpretation of the letters!

Here is a link that might be useful: reference to a reference to a reference to something second hand

You say, "I LIKE THE BOWL ALOT but cant hardly display as is" .... why not.

People are paying a lot of money for artificially distressed furniture and pre-worn clothing. Yet you have a lovely old plate showing the traces of over 100 years of use and think you can't display it because of the marks?

That's PATINA!

Of course you can display it....soak it in 20% peroxide or clorox for several days and it will lighten up. And it probably isn't what's displayed on Worth Point as it's not an Aesthetic Movement pattern.
The Chinese piece isn't discolored in the same way the English piece is....the glaze is not crackled....so all the soaking in the world won't change the discoloration.....but a good scrubbing will.
And the mark is most likely NOT computer generated. That is a real piece of old Chinese porcelain, but I don't believe from 1890.....more like 1910. The Chinese often used the dynasty mark years after that dynasty had ended.
2 nice old pieces....but dirty. Clean them up....the colors won't fade.
Linda C

The red transferware dish is probably by Brownhills Pottery Co
Tunstall, Staffordshire, 1872-1896 but because you are only missing the first 2 numbers on the registration number the design was registered from 1885-1888. Usually designs were only produced for 2 or 3 years after this period.

Pleased as punch PROUDLY displaying the bowl as is. Now for the Chinese box had absolutely NO CLUE it was THAT old either. One of those impulse Salvation Army buys-splurged $1 (1/2 price yellow tag day) that why assumed computer generated. The 1 person who sets prices usually has a better eye, must have been clueless also. Next question, any 'guestimate' as to a value of the box or since only spent $1 do I let my 9yr old granddaughter talk me out of it?

Hi, I would love more info about these pots....I have been told they are antiquities...but I am not sure what that means....The base has Chinese or Japanese Language but I cannot find them anywhere to find an interpretation...They are stained from being buried as they were dug from a rubbish tip that closed over 70 years ago...however, they are able to be cleaned up nicely....Would you know the age, whether they are Chineae or Japanese & what their value may be.....Kind Regards....

Can anyone help I have a small bowl with these marking on it can anyone tell me what they are thanks

Have you checked on Gothenberg? Check Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

What a nice resource that I stumbled upon while searching for a backstamp.

I did search Gothenberg and didn't find anything. Hoping for some help.