Rare Vintage (1860s) English Wedgwood “Whitehall” Bone China Plate With Gold Gilt City of Manchester Coat of Arms Motif (8”/20cm, 325g).

Generously good gilded plate. Please browse all 12 photographs for size, weight and condition as they are self explanatory.

The Latin words on the gold motif are “Concilio et Labore” which is the city of Manchester’s (England) coat of arms. Loosely translated is means “Wisdom and Effort” or “By Counsel and Work” a phrase derived from the Biblical book of Ecclesiasticus. The ship represents the trading relationships of Manchester.

The coat of arms was granted to the city in 1842 and is a classic heraldic design, showing a shield bearing the image of a ship, supported by an antelope and a lion and crowned by a globe covered in bees.

Either side of the shield are an antelope and a lion, derived from the arms of King Henry IV, which can be seen from the red Lancaster rose on their shoulders

The lion is a symbol of bravery and strength, while the antelope (referring to a mythical beast, not an actual antelope) means peace and harmony, extreme courage and discipline

Above all this is probably the most famous part, a globe covered with bees, a symbol of industriousness.

Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, commonly known as Wedgwood, is amongst the world’s most famous fine china, porcelain, and luxury accessories company founded on 1 May 1759 by English potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood. .

Josiah, the youngest of 13 children, founded his company in 1759. He was a perfectionist who took 3,000 attempts to get just the right shades of chalky blue and sage green for his most popular Jasperware.

He made his name when he manufactured a tea and coffee service for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. Her Majesty was so impressed she allowed Wedgwood to use the title Potter to the Queen. Soon other royal households, including Russia's, were clamouring for Wedgwood pottery.

Josiah was a benevolent employer who built good homes for his workers but he could also be a demanding taskmaster. If a vessel did not meet his exacting standards he would smash it and shout: "This will not do for Wedgwood!"

His company became the first to innovate the perfect mixture of fine bone china which was both durable and beautiful to the touch.

Before he succumbed to cancer in 1795 Wedgwood passed his company on to his sons. Many descendants were directly involved in the business over the years and it thrived throughout the 19th and most of the 20th century.

Were it not for a bout of smallpox the name of Josiah Wedgwood would have been lost in the mists of time. The disease severely weakened his leg and he was unable to work the pedal of his potter's wheel. Faced with the loss of his livelihood the enterprising apprentice turned instead to designing ceramics.

Josiah had a keen eye and an interest in the latest advances, such as new glazes. His designs were unlike the typical clunky wares on the market in the early 18th century and were soon gracing the homes of the aristocracy and royal palaces. Production at Etruria Works in Stokeon-Trent, Staffordshire, could barely keep pace with demand.

Quite simply Wedgwood is considered the finest potter to have lived and his name is famous far beyond these English shores.

The vast Wedgwood collection of pottery, art and manuscripts is regarded as one of the most important industrial archives in the world.

In 1986 Wedgwood was acquired by Waterford Glass Company for £250million. The names were merged to become Waterford Wedgwood with a workforce of almost 8,000 at its peak but its fortunes began to decline. Later the main assets of Waterford Wedgwood were purchased by the New York City-based private equity firm KPS Capital Partners in 2009, and the group became known as WWRD Holdings Limited, an acronym for "Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton". On 2 July 2015, Fiskars Corporation acquired WWRD.

Original UK made Wedgewood products are now real collector’s items as production of English porcelain has mostly moved abroad to the Far East.