A sinister reproduction

I recently found the above plate on eBay. This otherwise innocent looking blackberry plate is actually one of the most sinister reproductions currently scamming majolica buyers across the country. I call the piece sinister because the quality of the reproduction is absolutely top of the line, good enough to fool the most experienced majolica dealer. If I weren't familiar with the original myself I too would have been taken in by it.

The pattern this plate reproduces is one originating, I believe in Great Britain though most commonly it is found within the U.S. as a copy made by the Arsenal Pottery of Trenton, NJ. The difference between the Arsenal examples, shown below, and the contemporary copy shown above is obvious when shown side by side, but collectors rarely have the luxury of being able to make such comparisons in the field.

The difference in the reverse is also striking, the contemporary reproduction shown on top even reproduces the stilt makes of the older plates. The reverse treatment, however is not in keeping with that  of the Arsenal Pottery. That's not to say that all plates with this modeling treatment are suspect but I would take extra care when examining one like this.

These plates I believe are coming from the same pottery in the Carolinas that gave us the excellent reproduction fish head oyster plate about 15 years ago. Those were being retailed as reproductions when new but later appeared on the secondary market as real antiques. These blackberry plates are possibly being distributed the same way though it would not surprise me if the intention to deceive with these is there from the beginning. It certainly seems that way. The plates are never marked and are artificially distressed to appear antique.

I've written about this pottery before. They have reproduced a number of different pieces over the years, all slipping quietly into collections under the radar of most dealers. Until these are revealed as the contemporary copies they are, they will continue to destroy the validity of our majolica pottery heritage and the collections of enthusiasts across the globe.
I would encourage readers everywhere to not purchase these plates and expose them as copies whenever feasible.