RARE!  This is such a darling baby plate/dish from the early 20th century. The plate features an adorable scene from the The Curly Locks Nursery Rhyme with a young boy and girl painted by L Hocknewll and the lines:

Curly Locks, Curly Locks,

Wilt Thou be Mine?

Thou Shalt Not Wash Dishes,

Nor Yet Feed the Swine;

I did a bit of research and learned that Curly Locks was a story from the 1920s of a young orphan girl with curly hair. See the above photo with a bit more of the back story.

Around the edge of the bowl were pictures of dishes, baked goods, Curly Locks on a cushion sewing and some feasting piglets. The illustrations are done in bright primary colors and charming detail. The top outer rim has a painted gold line around the circumference.

The bowl is marked on the base with the gray Adderley's Ltd. Made in England with the crown on top. This mark was used between 1912 and 1926.

This piece is in wonderful condition. There are no chips or cracks and the paint is in wonderful condition, considering it's around 100 years old. There is some slight paint loss to the outer gold paint rim and a small scratch in the paint of the piglets. The finish is still quite glossy. There is quite a bit of crazing in the base of the bowl and along the rim. The back has a lot of crazing and in some light a bit of a gray tint.

Fortunately I don't notice the gray hue on the front.

This would display so well in a nursery or farmhouse kitchen, but also would be a sweet gift for a baby shower or welcome baby item. I actually sent a similar piece to a niece and her husband this week, celebrating their pregnancy. It was a cherished gift!

Dimensions:

8" diameter, rim to rim,

6 1/2" diameter inner bowl

1 1/2" tall