Vintage China

This vintage Lenox china has glaze that’s more than 13% Lead! [136,000 ppm] – 90 ppm is unsafe for kids.

Lenox “Brookdale” Pattern, Made In USA china. This little dish was brought to me at an event in New Hampshire recently. My facebook friend sent her mama to my event and told her to bring a few dishes with her, in case I would be able to test them. She brought these and a couple…

Johnson Brothers Wedgwood Group Blue Willow Earthenware Octagonal Plate: 52,400 ppm Lead [90 is unsafe!]

This is a (c. 1980) Johnson Bros. (“A Member Of The Wedgwood Group” – see image below of back mark) Willow Earthenware octagonal plate, made in England. As with this piece with the same back mark [link]. I have not been able to determine the exact age of the piece, based on the back mark alone. If…

Johnson Bros. Willow pattern china. Post 1912, England. 43,100 ppm Lead in the glaze. 90 ppm (& up) is unsafe.*

This vintage Johnson Bros. blue Willow pattern shallow bowl/ saucer (made in England), was likely made after 1912 (based on the back mark, source.) Related: #AskTamara: What do you use to test for Lead? As with nearly all of the Willow pattern china I have tested, it was positive for very high (unsafe) levels of lead…

Vintage La Cartuja De Sevilla Pickman China Soup Cup: 44,800 ppm Lead

When tested with an XRF instrument this vintage La Cartuja De Sevilla Pickman China soup cup (Made in Spain) was positive for the following elements: Lead (Pb): 44,800 ppm +/- 1,400 Barium (Ba): 462 ppm +/- 78 Non-detect (Negative) for: Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd) and Arsenic (As) To learn more about XRF testing, Click Here….

Vintage English Johnson Brothers Mill Stream Ceramic Ironstone Plate: 54,700 ppm Lead, 90 ppm is unsafe for kids.

This vintage Johnson Brothers Mill Stream ceramic “Ironstone” dish tested positive for the following levels when tested with an XRF instrument: Lead (Pb): 54,700 +/- 1,700 ppm Barium (Ba): 489 +/- 104 ppm Tin (Sn): 1,261 +/- 78 ppm Zinc (Zn): 3,461 +/- 178 ppm Iron (Fe): 540 +/- 181 ppm For more information about…

English 1976 Liberty Blue saucer with Boston’s Old North Church: 44,100 ppm Lead. This should NOT be used for food!

Published: June 20, 2018 So many families have these dishes! They are truly works of art, and a piece of history (even though they were mass-manufactured only about 40 years ago.) My understanding, from doing a little online research, is that this line with the “Historical Colonial Scenes” was manufactured in 1976 for the United…

Do Franciscan Potteries vintage dishes have unsafe levels of lead? Does Mexican pottery that is marked lead-free have unsafe levels of lead? (video)

Here are the blog posts related to the video below: Franciscan Ivy. Franciscan Desert Rose. Mexican “Lead-Free” Pottery. Comments to the “viewers” in this are from the original posting of the video as a Facebook Live video! Video is about 6 minutes long, and also shows you how to stretch one LeadCheck swab out to…

Franciscan Desert Rose Earthenware China — c. 1941, Made in USA: 122,200 ppm Lead! (90 ppm is unsafe in kids’ items)

For those new to this website: Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used…

Franciscan Ware Potteries (c. 1948) Franciscan Ivy Pattern Serving Tray: 304,000 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe]

This is a Franciscan Potteries vintage “Ivy” pattern serving tray that I got at the Good Will Bins a while back (to add to my “Museum of Lead” collection!) The interesting thing about glazes (especially on pieces that are handmade or hand-painted) is that the levels of lead can vary significantly across the surface of…

Vintage Spode Christmas Tree Plate, Made In England: 71,900 ppm Lead [90 ppm Lead is unsafe for kids.]

For those new to this website: Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method…

“Old Town Blue” Pattern Vintage Pyrex Tea Cup, c.1972 – 1982: 17,700 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe for kids.]

Vintage Pyrex mugs/ tea cups in the “Old Town Blue” pattern: The dark blue paint on these mugs tested positive for the following elements at the following levels (with a one-minute test, using an XRF instrument): Lead (Pb): 17,700 +/- 500 ppm Cadmium (Cd): 154 +/- 12 ppm Arsenic (As): ND Mercury (Hg): ND…

Spode Vintage “Fairy Dell” English China: 36,400 ppm Lead + Arsenic! 90 ppm Lead (& up) is unsafe in kids’ items.

Copeland Spode Vintage “Fairy Dell” China, Made in England. This dish the following test results when tested with an XRF instrument: Lead (Pb): 36,400 +/- 1,400 ppm Arsenic (As): 2,332 +/- 288 ppm Cadmium (Cd): “ND” (non-detect)/ Negative Mercury (Hg): “ND” (non-detect)/ Negative To learn more about XRF testing, Click Here. For context: The amount of…

Vintage Hand Painted Nippon China: 3,115 ppm Lead. 90 ppm Lead is considered unsafe in items used by kids.

Vintage China, “Hand Painted” – Nippon. Positive for Lead at 3,115 +/- 121ppm. This dish was “Non-Detect” (negative) for mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As). Read more about the concern for lead in dishware here. Want to see a pretty lead-free dish set on Amazon? Click this link! * Thank you for reading and for…

Vintage Rosina China: 68,500 ppm Lead on the food surface. 90 ppm Lead and up is considered unsafe in items newly manufactured for use by kids.

Rosina Fine Bone China, Made in England. Positive for Lead at 68,500 +/- 1,800 ppm. This dish was “Non-Detect” (negative) for mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As). Read more about the concern for lead in dishware here. Want to see a pretty lead-free dish set on Amazon? Click this link! * [*It’s an Amazon affiliate…