Sevres China Bone Dish

Q: I’ve kept six of these plates because I like how they look. They are decorated with clover and berries and have gold details. This mark is stamped on the back. I researched them and found they were made by Sevres and were only used by royalty. I heard they are called bone plates. What year were these made and what’s the value?

A: Your dishes were not made by the Royal Porcelain Factory, the famous French porcelain company that was established in Sevres, France, in 1769. Your dishes were made by Sevres China Company of East Liverpool, Ohio. The company was started in 1900 by several men who bought a pottery formerly owned by Sebring Pottery. Sevres China was in business until at least 1908. Bone dishes were part of the table setting during Victorian times and held the discarded small bones of fish and other food. Later, some were used as ashtrays. Today, fewer people smoke and ashtrays aren’t usually part of the table setting. Bone dishes are still being made. They sell for about $5-$10.