Interesting, whimsical, unusual…all of that! I knew this was a special piece when I first saw it.

This is an antique plate from Homer Laughlin. The shape is Hudson, which Homer Laughlin produced from 1908 to 1929. There’s no date code on the back, but the shape name is written in script; Homer Laughlin had switched over to block lettering by 1917. This would seem to indicate that this piece was made between 1908 and 1917, but the motif would be more at home in a 1940s kitchen!

Hudson was intended to compete with French Haviland, which you can gather by looking at the scalloped edge and delicate embossing around the verge. Most of the patterns produced on this shape are what you’d expect – plain white with gold trim or lavish floral designs – which makes this one a bit of an oddball. It’s 7.25 inches diameter, so judging by the size, it would be a salad plate. But those chickens!

I’m guessing that this was intended as a child’s plate, or that the decals were added later, although they appear to be original. Maybe the designer of this one was just ahead of the times. Let me know in the comments if you have any clues to how the roosters ended up on this 1910s faux-Haviland plate!

The plate is available in our Etsy shop at this link: https://pinknosevintageltd.etsy.com/listing/1815708157