Ocean Liner China

China is among the most popular ocean liner collectibles. It is fairly readily available and can be an affordable way to begin or expand a collection--usually. Some pieces are rare and command a premium price. We strive to present the highest quality ocean liner china at a fair price. We feature china from a variety of ships and ocean lines, with Cunard our featured line.

Be sure to download our article on Caring for Your Ocean Liner China. It gives good advice on how you can keep your collectibles in the best condition and provides guidance on minor restoration steps you can take to improve an object that might be not quite perfect. But remember that for many (including museums) an important part of collecting vintage pieces is to preserve the wear and tear they show as historical artifacts.

The examples shown here are only part of our extensive inventory of ocean liner china. If you have specific collecting interests, we'd like to know. We might have pieces that will fit into your collection plan or we can very likely obtain objects you haven't been able to find.

Our objective is to build long-term relationships with our customers and to offer you the best value for your collecting investment.

Cunard China

Above: Foley demitasse cup and saucer; Foley coffee cup, saucer, cake plate; Foley shell dishes; Foley officers' ward room demitasse cup and saucer; Grosvenor luncheon plate. Foley is synonymous for many with Cunard first class service on the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, but it was actually used for en suite dining service and tea service (except for the shell dishes, which were used in the first and second class dining rooms), and Grosvenor was the original supplier of the array of china for this service on the Queen Mary. The photo at far right shows the hallmark from the Grosvenor plate above it.

Above: Small and large Foley CUBE teapots; small Foley CUBE sugar and creamer set; Foley sherbet dish. The CUBE design originated in 1917 and was licensed by Foley in the 1930s. Cunard chose these designs for its first and second class service on the Queen Mary and later the Queen Elizabeth because they were easy to store and the spouts were not as likely to be damaged as traditional teapot designs. Over the years these have become popular collectibles and are seen as icons of Art Deco design. CUBE teapots, both vintage and new, are available in a variety of patterns. There are even reproductions of the Cunard Queen Mary/Queen Elizabeth patterns. These are, however, inferior to the original workmanship and, unfortunately, are not very well labeled as reproductions.

Maddock Ware

The demands of the first and second class dining room--where handling was much rougher than in the cabin service--demanded stronger tableware. And it was Maddock & Sons that delivered heavy porcelain that mimmiced the patterns of the Grosvenor and Foley China service. Above: Maddock soup and fruit bowls; Maddock oval and bread plates and Maddock egg hoop; Maddock crescent side dish; Maddock coffee cup and saucer.

To the right is a porcelain item from a Cunard ship of around 1915-1920. It's a chamber pot.

Queen Elizabeth 2 Queen's Grill Royal Doulton China

Even as class distinctions waned on the high seas with the advent of one-class cruising, the QEs'2 Queen's Grill service remained a vestige of first class. Above: Royal Doulton dinner plate, salad plate, and soup bowl; Royal Doulton crescent side dish; Royal Doulton teapot, creamer, and sugar set. These items are from the 1980s or 1990s, based on the Cunard emblem that is imprinted in gold on them.

Queen's Grill Wedgwood China

This China pattern, with deep blue and gold rims, was also used in the QE2's Queen's Grill and dates from 2003. Shown: Demitasse cup and saucer; soup bowl, soup cup.

We have many other pieces available from this beautiful and distinctive pattern.

Italian Line China

The Chinese-influenced designs, called the Chinois pattern, are delightful on both of the pieces below. The coffee cup is by Richard Ginori, Italy’s premier porcelain firm. It is marked as G9 on the bottom, along with the Italian Line’s (Finmare Group) stylized blue anchor. (This indicates that it is a later piece, produced after the Italian Line was privatized.) It measures 8.5 cm in diameter and 11 cm from the end of the handle to the opposite edge of the lip. The saucer is 14 cm in diameter and 5 cm tall. The demitasse is also by Ginori and measures 6.5 cm in diameter and 8 cm from the end of the handle to the opposite edge of the lip. The saucer is 12 cm in diameter. It carries the Italia and crown logotype and is, therefore, probably pre-1965.

This beautiful Italian Line demitasse is decorated in crimson and gold banding with an interlocking rope pattern. The cup is by Richard Ginori and measures 6.5 cm in diameter, 8 cm from the edge of the handle to the opposite edge of the lip, and is 4.5 cm tall.

Italian Line Nut Dishes

This middle china or porcelain nut dish is in the later blue and gold of the Italian Line in the double bands around the rim. The same color motif is used for the stylized Italian Line anchor at the top of the dish. The dish measures 17 cm wide by 9.5 cm vertically.

The nut dish below it matches the pattern on the demitasse shown to the right. It was manufactured by Schonwald and is 24 cm wide by 14 cm high.

Tuscan Aquitania Pattern China

This lovely pattern, similar to the Bird of Paradise, was sold on board Cunard ships as souvenirs. The cube teapot is in very good condition. It measures 3 1/8 inches tall, 3 1/2 inches across (side to side), and 4 1/2 inches diagonally (corner to corner).
The large creamer and sugar are in excellent condition. The large creamer measures 4 1/8 inches tall, 2 3/8 inches across (side to side), and 3 1/4 inches diagonally (corner to corner). The large sugar measures 1 3/4 inches tall, 2 3/4 inches across (side to side), and 3 1/2 inches diagonally (corner to corner).
The small creamer measures 2 3/4 inches tall, 1 7/8 inches across (side to side), and 2 1/4 inches diagonally (corner to corner). The small sugar measures 1 1/2 inches tall, 2 inches across (side to side), and 2 1/2 inches diagonally (corner to corner).

Furness Bermuda Line Bird of Paradise Pieces by Royal Doulton

These delightful pieces of china are from Furness Bermuda Line, which sailed such notable ships as the Ocean Monarch and Queen of Bermuda. The pattern, registered in 1932, features colorful bird and pastel floral designs on bright white china. We understand that this pattern was designed specifically for use on the Queen of Bermuda. The ship sailed between 1933 and 1966. The teapot measures 3 1/4 inches from top to bottom, 5 1/2 inches from tip of the spout to end of the handle, and the mouth of the pot is 2 inches in diameter.

The demitasse measures 2 inches tall with a diameter of 2 1/8 inches. The saucers are 4 inches in diameter.

Clewes Souvenir Items

The brown stoneware creamers and sugar bowl shown here were sold as souvenirs on board Cunard Line ships and are marked as such on the bottom of each item.

The large creamer measures 4 1/4 inches tall, 2 1/2 inches across the top (side to side) and 3 1/8 inches diagonally across the top.

The small creamer measures 3 inches tall, 1 3/4 inches across the top (side to side) and 21/2 inches diagonally across the top. The sugar measures 1 3/4 inches tall, 2 3/4 inches across the top (side to side) and 3 1/2 inches diagonally across the top.

How the finer things in life arrive