Vintage M&S Harvest Butter Dish Ceramic Lid St Michael Marks Spencer Pottery
£23.00
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Vintage M&S Harvest Butter Dish Ceramic Lid St Michael Marks Spencer Pottery
£23.00
Item Overview
- Type: Vintage Covered Butter Dish / Traditional Ceramic Dairy Keeper
- Brand: St Michael (Marks & Spencer)
- Pattern / Factory Mark: Harvest (Production Series Suffix 1416)
- MPN: Does Not Apply
- Place of Origin: Great Britain / United Kingdom
- Style: Traditional Country Kitchen / Rustic Farmhouse Ceramic Tableware
- Colour: Warm Cream / Ivory Field, Muted Greens, Bramble Berries, and Ochraceous Brown Rim Line
- Design Era: Late Retro 20th Century Era (c. 1970s–1980s)
- Material: High-Durability English Ironstone Ceramic / Glazed Stoneware
- Set Includes: Two (2) Interlocking Matching Pieces: One (1) Oval Inset Base Plate Tray, and One (1) Domed Oval Protective Lid Cover with Integrated Loop Handle.
- Features: Iconic Botanical Harvest Illustration, Protective Flat Domed Casing, Hand-Applied Underglaze Rim Bands, and Official Circular St Michael Factory Backstamps.
- Condition: Excellent Vintage Condition with No Chips or Cracks.
- Size and Capacity: Base tray measures approximately 8.25 inches in length by 6 inches in width (approx. 21 cm x 15 cm); stands approximately 3.5 inches in total height to the peak of the lid handle.
Dating & Historical Context
- Dating: This authentic piece of British high-street culinary history dates to the c. 1970s–1980s. The underglaze base transfer displays the official circular hallmark used for the flagship "Harvest" tableware line produced under the beloved St Michael registry brand for Marks & Spencer. The specific numerical stamp "1416" denotes the registered shape blueprint identifier for the domestic flat-domed oval butter repository within this production line.
- Historical Note: Marks & Spencer’s "St Michael" label remains one of the most culturally significant consumer brands in post-war British social history. Introduced as the ultimate marriage of style, durability, and convenience, the "Harvest" collection became a massive design staple across millions of UK households throughout the late 20th century. Celebrated for its robust "oven-to-tableware" properties, the line broke away from austere mid-century styles to embrace a warm, nostalgic country cottage aesthetic. The pattern utilizes a delicate botanical assembly of wild field daisies, ripening wheat stalks, and trailing autumn bramble berries. While mugs and dinner plates were produced in massive numbers, secondary specialty service items—like this self-draining covered butter keeper—were manufactured in lower quantities, making them highly collectible targets for modern retro collectors aiming to finalize an inherited family set.
Description
A beautifully nostalgic, clean, and highly practical addition to any country-style dining table, this vintage Marks & Spencer "Harvest" covered butter dish is full of farmhouse charm. Crafted from dense, heavy-gauge English ironstone ceramic, the set features a rich cream glaze decorated with iconic botanical illustrations. The deep-sided oval lid is designed with a spacious interior cavity to accommodate a standard block of British butter, fitting securely onto a contoured tray base bordered by a warm, hand-painted brown rim line.
Expert Identification & Design Features:
- Authentic St Michael Heritage: Houses the definitive circular underglaze registry transfer on the base plate, guaranteeing its placement in the classic M&S kitchenware line.
- Nostalgic Cottagecore Vignette: Detailed with crisp, multi-tone transfer artwork celebrating a traditional British late-summer crop harvest.
- Integrated Handle Geometry: The top dome lid is formed with a matching glazed loop knob, ensuring a safe grip at the breakfast table.
- Flat Seating Profile: The flat base is carefully ground flush by the potters to sit level on countertops, sideboards, or exposed display dressers.
Condition Report
This vintage two-piece ceramic keeper set is in excellent condition, showcasing pristine collector-level preservation from a single-owner home. Both the flat domed lid and the matching oval base tray are completely free from structural impact chips, perimeter edge bites, hairline cracks, or post-factory cosmetic restoration. The glossy cream glaze is exceptionally bright and clean, showing no signs of dishwasher dulling, cloudiness, deep cutlery score lines, or greasy residue within the well. True to its high-quality British build, there is no heavy underglaze structural crazing present across either piece. Please inspect the comprehensive gallery photographs to confirm the factory markings and appreciate the vibrant artwork.
Shipping & Logistics
- Domestic Shipping: FREE UK TRACKED DELIVERY.
- Packaging: Packing two-piece interlocking ceramics requires absolute focus. The lid and base will be separated with soft protective foam sheets to prevent stone-on-stone friction during transit. Both components will then be individually double-wrapped in high-density bubble cushioning, nested flat inside a rigid box, and surrounded by loose void-fill peanuts to ensure safe arrival.
- Dispatch: Order before 12.00pm and we ship same day.
Returns & Payment Policies
We want you to be delighted with your heritage find.
- Not as Described: In the unlikely event of an error in our listing, we will provide a full refund and cover the return postage costs.
- Change of Mind: We accept returns within 30 days; however, in these instances, the buyer is responsible for the return shipping costs.