Grosvenor "Merlin" Mystery - Can You Help Us Solve It?

Hello again from Ross and Pinot the Blog Dog! 

Not long after we posted the article about the Grosvenor Merlin china in the estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, we heard from individuals who have a set of this beautiful and rare dinnerware. They were kind enough to share pictures of a selection of pieces in the set. We’re posting some of their images here. The shapes of the serving pieces are especially attractive!

Grosvenor Merlin coffee pot (left) and teapot (right). Private collection.

Creamer (left) and sugar bowl and lid (right), Grosvenor Merlin. Private collection.

The Merlin set was purchased ca. 1993 for just $100.00! (Right now, Replacements, Ltd. is charging $69.95 for a single cup and saucer set! We’re posting images of the cup and saucer, along with the backstamp, from our inventory.) The person who sold the set was an individual who inherited it from her great aunt, but didn’t like china. The great aunt, who was in her mid-90s, had recently passed away (1993). The person who inherited and sold the Merlin pieces thought that her great-aunt had gotten married sometime in the 1920s.

Grosvenor Merlin coffee cup (footed) and saucer. Replacements, Ltd. collection.

Backstamp, Grosvenor Merlin. Replacements, Ltd. collection.

In their research, our readers said they also had learned that pieces of the Merlin pattern with the backstamp, Tiffany & Co., had been sold on an internet auction site. Often, retailers will commission production of items in china or silver that bear their imprint, and will market those items exclusively at their stores. That is no doubt the case with the Tiffany & Co. Merlin. But we have no information on the production date of the Tiffany & Co. backstamp Merlin, either.

Hello, readers! Do any of you have more information about either the Tiffany & Co. backstamp, or the Grosvenor company, or any other material that might help us date the production years of this beautiful Merlin pattern?

If you can help us solve the Grosvenor Merlin mystery, send us an e-mail. We're always pleased to hear from you, whatever the subject! The e-mail address for Ross and Pinot the Blog Dog is ross.howell@replacements.com.  And remember to visit our web site for information on your favorite china, crystal, silver, and collectibles.

Ross Howell and Pinot the Blog Dog