If you like old whiteware, you'll love this piece. I was floored when I found it in a thrift store. The shape indicates it would be used as a lemonade or cider pitcher, and it holds 8 cups of liquid. The maker is New England Pottery (Boston), "Rieti" ware, and the mark indicates a manufacture date between 1886 and 1888. The design style is Aesthetic, with a gorgeous Japonisme gold pattern of cherry blossoms and bamboo on the front, bamboo branches on the back, and a studded belt-like square handle; the design was apparently by Thomas Copeland (Spode Copeland in England). The body is a very dark, very glossy blue. This is one of the hardest pieces I've ever tried to photograph--I took 70 pictures to try to get 10 that were usable.

The pitcher measures 6 inches high at the rim, and 7 inches long from the tip of the spout to the top end of the handle; the foot ring under the bulbous bottom is about 4.25 inches. The pitcher is in very good condition, with no chips or cracks. There is a visible wear to the gold trim on the rim edge, but the front and back designs (and the handle) are still very nicely golden. There is light overall crazing, but no browning or heavy craze lines. The white bottom has a hand-written price from the thrift store that won't wash off, stupid thrift stores.

The bottom has a logo that is a slightly blurry arm hold a sword, and the word "Rieti." There is also a gold decorator's mark 300.

From Lehner's Encyclopedia of US Pottery Marks: "...this pottery was founded in 1854....they made ironstone china and white granite ware. Around 1886 they made "Rieti" ware, a semi-porcelain decorated ware, and they also made porcelain with old ivory and mazarine blue finish...Thomas H. Copeland modeled most of the pieces. Chocolate jugs, vases, jardinieres, cracker jars, rose jars, etc. were made."