Rare "One of  Kind" Salesman Sample

SYRACUSE CHINA O. P. CO. (OPCO) CHINA COVERED VEGETABLE SERVING BOWL

Offered to you is this beautiful and Rare round covered vegetable bowl for serving casseroles, soups or vegetables done in a cream colored ivory fine china pottery stamped on the back with a dark green backstamp saying "Old Ivory" written in cursive and "SYACUSE CHINA" in a curled ribbon with O.P.CO. and "Made in America" under that. In Barbara J. Conroy Restaurant China, Volume 2, book on page 485 is a picture of three pieces of china/pottery and the left and center ones are indicated to be high quality fine /gauge household china pottery produced by the company until June of 1970. (Some of the letters are smudged because the back stamp did not strike strong but are readable and as stated above). The Restaurant Ware Collectors Network web site shows the mark in various colors made for different railroads and department stores. That web site says "Old Ivory" describes the ivory-colored clay body used from 1927-1950's and usually does not indicate a date code.  Replacements Ltd. gave/gives this pattern number SY3. I have not found any pattern name and none is indicated in the back stamp. The design on this piece is a series of swags of small flowers in pink, yellow and blue hanging from brown stems with green leaves. A gold gilt line decorates the angular handles and knob, rims and foot. It measures 3 1/4" tall to rim (5" to top of handle), 7 3/4" wide and holds one quart (1 Qt) or four cups.   The shape is called Winchester. The material is semi-transparent fine china that you can see your fingers through when held up to the light. This round covered vegetable/casserole bowl is in beautiful unused condition with no staining, utensil scratch marks, nicks, chips, cracks or crazing and similar ones sell for over $47.99 to over $100 at Replacements Ltd. depending on the pattern. 

P.S. For the past 22 years I have been selling on eBay, and after accumulating my substantial library of pottery and glass research books, I really believe that this was an experimental salesman sample or a highly specialized pattern for one customer (cruise boat/railroad line or even exclusive resorts or N.Y. City retail establishments) for their approval before signing off on the design. And for some reason, the buyer/purchaser or the company decided not to go with this particular pattern.

I ship using USPS.  I strive to describe my items accurately and very carefully and show detailed photos. I sell mostly collectible and antique items, so it is to expected that minor use marks or normal age conditions can be found.