Franciscan Desert Rose

25-Character Title Franciscan Desert Rose (22) Alternates: Desert Rose Pitcher Set (23) Franciscan Rose 3 Piece (23) Desert Rose 3 Pc Set (20) HiBid Description FRANCISCAN DESERT ROSE HAND-PAINTED EARTHENWARE - LARGE WATER PITCHER, CREAMER, AND COVERED SUGAR BOWL Three-piece grouping of Franciscan Desert Rose, the hand-painted California earthenware pattern introduced in 1941 and one of the best-selling American dinnerware patterns ever made. Each piece has the creamy off-white body with embossed and hand-painted pink wild roses, buds, and green leaves on a tan-brown thorny branch, finished with the pattern's signature sculpted green twig handles. The lot includes the large bulbous water pitcher with a high pinched spout, a matching creamer, and the two-handled covered sugar bowl with its rosebud finial lid. A ready-made set for a hutch, coffee bar, or breakfast table, and the pitcher displays beautifully on its own with fresh flowers. Sold as a lot of three pieces (four counting the sugar lid): water pitcher, creamer, and covered sugar bowl. Description Maker: Franciscan, made by Gladding, McBean & Co. of Los Angeles, California. Pattern: Desert Rose, hand-painted embossed earthenware Large water pitcher: bulbous body on a low foot ring, tall pinched spout, sculpted green branch handle. Measures approximately 8-3/4" to 9" tall per the tape-measure photographs, roughly 7" spout to handle Creamer: matching squat bulbous form with pinched spout and green twig handle, approximately 4-1/4" to 4-1/2" tall Covered sugar bowl: round two-handled body with a flat lid and a modeled pink rosebud finial with green leaves, approximately 4-1/4" to 4-1/2" tall to the top of the finial and roughly 5-1/2" across the handles Bidders should verify all dimensions from the photographs Decoration: raised molded roses and leaves, hand-painted in pink, yellow, two shades of green, and soft brown, with the glossy glaze intact and bright The covered sugar bowl is marked on the underside within an oval: GLADDING, McBEAN & CO. around the border, with FRANCISCAN EARTHENWARE - MADE IN U.S.A. and an F inside, plus a small painted decorator code The creamer carries the same oval FRANCISCAN EARTHENWARE backstamp The large pitcher is marked with an interlocked monogram of the letters G and F beneath a small branch device, over U.S.A., with the letter H and the number 03 below Attribution note Franciscan ware was produced by Gladding, McBean & Co. in Los Angeles from 1934, with the Desert Rose pattern launching in 1941 and remaining in domestic production until 1984, after which production moved overseas. Reference sources including Replacements, Ltd. list Desert Rose with a USA backstamp as an actual production run of 1941 to 1984. The Franciscan Ceramics Archive notes that the Gladding, McBean & Co. name was removed from the backstamps following the 1962 corporate merger, so pieces still naming Gladding, McBean are of pre-1963 manufacture; the archive also documents the letter-and-number codes as day, decorator, and year identifiers. On that basis the covered sugar and creamer are earlier examples. No exact year of manufacture is claimed or guaranteed, and the reading of the codes is offered as the consignor's photo-based opinion. Bid on the items as pictured. Condition Used vintage condition, sold as-is. All three pieces present very well in the photographs, with strong bright hand-painted color, crisp embossing, and a clean glossy glaze. No chips, cracks, crazing, or repairs are visible in the photographs. Expected light utensil and shelf wear appears on the unglazed foot rings, along with small original manufacturing artifacts on the undersides including tan glaze specks and the small kiln stilt pin marks normal to Franciscan hand-painted earthenware, and one or two tiny dark firing specks in the glaze on the pitcher body. Interiors are clean with no staining visible. The spout tips, handle joints, sugar bowl handles, lid rim, and the rosebud finial are the vulnerable areas on this pattern and should be examined closely in the photographs. Photos are part of the description. Notes for bidders Hand-washing in warm water with mild soap is recommended to protect the hand-painted decoration and the glaze, and avoid sudden temperature changes and abrasive cleaners. Only the pieces pictured are included in this lot. Terms Sold as-is, where-is, All sales final. Please ask any questions before bidding. Buyer is responsible for pickup or shipping arrangements per auction terms.