Quail

Not in the garden but in the china cupboard. I saw this china on ebay and loved the fact that although the design is of quail they look just like our pair of Partridge. When they came the set of coffee cups were much smaller than I'd imagined but they are very sweet. The mark on the china shows that the design was first registered in 1921 and the maker is Furnivals who were based in Elder Road, Cobridge, Stoke-on-Trent, just on our doorstep.

Formerly Thomas Furnival & Sons, in January 1913 the name was changed from "Furnivals" to Furnivals (1913) Ltd. The works were closed in 1968 and the company name was purchased by Enoch Wedgwood (Tunstall) Ltd. It is with the Furnival (1913) mark that this set is stamped.

T. Furnival & Sons Established in 1851, T. Furnival & Sons occupied two old Cobridge manufactories, one formerly belonging to Adams and the other to Blackwell, and ranked high as manufacturers of white granite and vitrified ironstone and decorated toilet ware for the United States, Canadian, and Continental markets. For the home trade, they produced 'patent ironstone' dinner and other services in various styles of decoration. Among their specialities were dinner services, etc., of Italian design, in plain, white ware, the ornamentation on which was indented from an embossed mould, the lines being as fine and delicate as if cut in by the graver so as to have the appearance of chasing; and the lines being filled with glaze, the surface was still even. Another noticeable feature was the clever combination of transfer-printing, hand-painting, enamelling, and gilding, which characterise some of the services. 

Among the most successful of their toilet services were the 'Swan' and 'Nautilus', which were of great beauty. These were produced in white, heightened with gold, and enamelled in colours. The early mark of the firm was simply FURNIVAL impressed in the ware. From 1890, many printed name or initial marks were used. 

In connection with these works, Mr. F. J. Emery of the Bleak Hill Works introduced in about 1865 a method of crayon drawing and painting on the unglazed surface of earthenware and china, which came much in repute, and drawings were made in it by some of the artists as well as by lady and other amateurs. The unglazed articles and prepared crayons and colours were supplied by Mr. Emery, who afterwards became a partner with Edward Clarke at Longport, and proprietor of the Bleak Hill Works. Thomas Furnival & Sons continued under the style Furnivals (1913) Ltd until the 1960's.

Source: Jewitt's Ceramic Art of Great Britain 1800-1900