Isn't it gorgeous?
The creamy white background is perfect for the denim blue flowers ... they look like roses, but I think they're chrysanthemums!
The gold on the edge of the bowl and the pitcher is a little worn, but there were no chips that I could find.
According to the mark, this is a really good maker ... and the pieces date from between 1886 and 1936.
'Pretoria' Dunn Bennett & Co. Burslem England
The price on the tag? $24.50, as is. This set should cost hundreds of dollars. I had already looked at the edges and checked the bowl over thoroughly ... where is the 'as is' flaw? I looked inside the pitcher, and I saw this:
I didn't notice it during my initial evaluation. This appears to be quite a significant 'as is'. Why didn't I see it on the outside?
This is why.
This has to be the most ingenious repair I have EVER seen. Someone put masking tape over the gaping hole in the side of the pitcher and crudely painted the pattern onto the tape to hide the hole. After finding this, I couldn't resist anymore ... my quest was over. The repair made me love it even more, and I had finally found my bowl and pitcher set!
Now I just have to figure out where to put it.