Bone Dish

Q: I have six of these dishes. My mother said they were called “bone dishes.” They belonged to my great-aunt or great-grandmother. What can you tell me about them? Are they valuable?

A: Victorian-era table settings included many special dishes. A bone dish was used as a receptacle for fish bones. The crescent-shaped dish was kept at the edge of the dinner plate so the bones could be kept away from uneaten food. Some bone dishes were made in the shape of a fish or in other unique shapes. In the 1950s, bone dishes were used as individual ashtrays at fancy dinner parties. James and George Meakin founded a pottery in Hanley, Staffordshire, England, in 1851. Meakin became part of the Wedgwood Group in 1970 and production ceased by 2000. The mark on your dish was used beginning in 1890. It includes the name of the pattern, “Victoria.” Value of your set of six bone dishes: about $120.