Iris
Iris, the pale blue utility china by Wood & Sons Ltd, was in production for forty years from the 1940s, and was once in daily use in many a village hall and canteen. Its every-day, institutional functionality is appealing as it is today as it was then. It was the hardware store china of choice. A G Hendy & Co carry on the tradition, stocking some vintage pieces of this range.
BUYER’S GUIDE FOR VINTAGE CHINA
Our vintage china is genuinely old, and is not in production today. As a consequence it will have been previously owned and used, and so will not appear as if brand new. However all the pieces we buy and sell in our on-line shop are in very good condition, without cracks, chips or excessive wear.
Wear & Flaws
The china may include some of the following:
- Minor flaws consistent with the date of manufacture, such as pitting and defects in the glaze
- Light surface scratching or light wear to the glaze, only noticeable on close inspection – for example, knife scratches on plates
- Fine crazing and feathering of the glaze
- Some discoloration to unglazed rims and the undersides of bake ware
- Slight dulling of the glaze to the inside of the bake ware
Variations in manufacture
Item sizes, back stamps and colours may have minor variations that occurred during their original manufacture - differences that occurred between production batches. Shapes and colour hues altered over the years too. For example, Woods Ware Beryl comes in a variety of apple green hues to a deeper blue-green colour, most often occurring on its cups; Wood’s Ware Jasmine comes in variety shades from custard yellow to pale primrose; and Wood’s Ware Iris varies even more greatly in its blue hues, so please check your originals, if matching with a set you already own. If you are ordering several items of the same range and wish that everything is of similar colour, then please let us know. For items that comprise a lid and a base it is preferable to buy the complete item to ensure a good fit between the two. If replacement lids and bases are purchased separately, we cannot guarantee an accurate fit.
Do call us
If you would prefer to call us to get a completely detailed description of the item you are buying or to give us exacting measurements, rather than order on line, then please do, and we will be delighted to talk to you and, if you would prefer, can also take your payment over the phone.
Guarantee
We cannot guarantee vintage china for its original intended use. Some of our china was originally made for oven use, however we would not recommend that you use it to bake or roast in, and suggest that these items should now either be used as serving dishes, or for slow-braising at lower oven temperatures.
Refunds
We cannot refund vintage items if they have been used or are not returned in the exactly the same condition they were received in. Please see our Terms & Conditions
Out of Stock
We apologise if we are out of stock of a vintage item you would like to buy. This is because the product is vintage and cannot be ordered in by us, and we have to source these items from all over the country, as and when they turn up. We do our best to keep as many products within each range in stock. On the occasion we don’t have what you are looking for, please do contact us and we can let you know as soon as the next one arrives at our store.
Dimensions
The measurements given are to within 0.5 cm / ¼” of a dimension. If you need a more exacting measurement in millimeters of the actual item that we will be sending you, then please do contact us first before ordering.
The diameter is the measure taken from the widest part of the circumference of a circular-shaped item, all handles, flanges and spouts excluded.
The width is the measurement taken across the length of a rectangular or square item, at the widest point.
The length is taken from a rectangular or oval item’s longest dimension, any handles excluded.
The height is the measure taken from the foot of the item to the very top, including the lid (if the piece has one).