The maker of the blank doesn't matter *
...should maybe have an asterisk behind it. Simply because talented hobbysts (Yes, I said it) tended to use the best quality china. A decent amount of the hobby work I've seen and all that I've taken home are really very good, technically and aestheticly. When you add to that the general rule that continental hobbyists leaned towards the finest German/Bavarian/Prussian firms, and that Americans (with skill) seemed to use Haviland or other Limoges, almost without exception -- because you have an idea where it originated -- you can sometimes get a better idea of what themes/motifs may be present, who had just swept to power or died, and what direction color and style trends are taking. Because the maker's rep for quality and (fingers crossed) date-able backmark are important.
***this is not to say that countless painters unburdened by trained or natural skill didn't churn out metric tons of dreck on exquisite blanks, just that those who DID know what they were doing, opted for the better names of china. I'm sure one day I will see a masterpiece rendered on the Edwardian equivalent of Corelle, but it hasn't happened yet.***
Setting aside the hobby-trocities you often find at flea markets and boot sales, you can easily find pieces that not only are one-of-a-kind ('yoo-neek' has become a different adjective lately) but can also tell you something about the age, gender and social status of the artist, and the times they're living in.
For example, I have a limoges dish that's decorated with muted green and white leaves around the motto: "Those who others Feed, They shall Never Need." Hokey, right? And you'd be justified in assuming that it was done in the early/mid 1930s. Because.
However, it's older than that. 1905-1918. So likely has more to do with the Great War than the Great Depression. It's done in a very Arts&Crafts handstyle with late Nouveau decorative elements.
I like having pieces of history that are TRULY unique, and executed at a level on par with the lesser decorators at the best china manufacturers...and sometimes far better.
Just my .98 cents. Hobbysts get a bad rap for good reasons, yet the biggest reason is that the truly excellent pieces are almost always assumed to be factory decorated, whether signed by the artists or not.
Not for nothing, but I LOVE those cups, and I can think of a few other people who would snatch them up for their collections, too.
