These are highly collectible little pieces of antique Scottish Art Pottery.
These measure just under 7 inches.
A really lovely set for special occasions or just for display. They are all hand painted and are certainly little works of art. Indeed, other pieces in this attractive pattern are currently on display in the Museum of Edinburgh (as illustrated here).
Each plate is made by the sought-after Mak Merry pottery and all are signed on the base. They have a blue band and a grey band running around the rim. Onto this has been painted a very intricate pattern - the white Prunus blossoms set against a vivid blue sky are so beautiful and make me think of Japanese prints. There is another pale grey band towards the center which is made up of a plain white disc
I have taken lots of images for your inspection. They are all in good antique condition.
HISTORY: The MakMerry pottery grew out of the Scottish Women's Rural Institute, which was founded in 1917 in the Scottish town Macmerry by Catherine Blair.
Catherine had previously been an active Suffragist, campaigning for 'Votes for Women' and had a history of promoting female independence and equality. She became involved in the suffragette movement by writing countless letters to the press about the plight of women.
In 1920 MakMerry was set up as the trading arm of the Institute. Initially, members invested small sums of money and produced food items for sale. They soon moved into producing fine craftworks as well. One of the crafts was pottery decoration. They hand-painted smaller household items such as plates, shallow bowls, lidded pots, and the sweetest teapots. These are instantly identifiable and often featured delicate and stylized floral patterns.