KTK Mark

Q: I inherited a K.T. & K. semi-vitreous porcelain washbasin and pitcher. The pitcher stands about 12 inches at the handle. There is a soft blue and white flower pattern with leaves on the sides. The basin is about 16 1/2 inches in diameter and 4 1/2 inches high with a small flower pattern in the inside edge. The mark is a coat of arms with a crown and a circle with an eagle and olive branches inside. Under the circle is “K. T. & K. CO.” Can you help me locate the pattern name and value?

A: The initials “K.T. & K.” stand for Knowles, Taylor & Knowles Company. The company was founded by Isaac W. Knowles in East Liverpool, Ohio, in 1853. The name became Knowles, Taylor & Knowles in 1870 after John Taylor, his son-in-law, and Homer Knowles, his son, joined the business. The company made many types of utilitarian wares, hotel china, dinnerware, and a few expensive ceramics like their belleek. It merged with American Ceramic Corporation in 1928 and closed in 1934. This mark is a coat of arms topped by a few lines, not a crown, and was first used before 1904. Most Knowles, Taylor & Knowles patterns don’t have a name. Value of your pitcher and washbasin, about $50.