Antique W A Pickard Gold Encrusted Hand Painted China Art Nouveau sugar w lid

Description

this mini sugar bowl with slotted lid is a hand painted beauty.
Pickard Company Background
The Pickard China story dates back to 1893 when Wilder Pickard established the company in Edgerton, Wisconsin. At the turn of the 20th century, Pickard was moved to Chicago where the company specialized in hand-painted art pieces and dessert and tea sets. Artists from the famed Art Institute of Chicago and all over Europe came to Chicago to decorate one of a kind ceramic pieces. These early pieces are now highly sought-after by collectors on the secondary market.
Wilder's son, Austin Pickard, joined the business in the late 1920's and soon began experimentations in developing a fine china dinnerware body. He moved the company to its present Antioch, Illinois location in 1930 and seven years later introduced the warm white china with the lion trademark still used today. This beautiful china, then as now, is noted for its graceful shapes, lightness and delicacy, unusual strength and brilliant glaze.
The third generation of the family, Pete Pickard, succeeded Austin as president of the company in 1966 until his retirement in 1994. His brother-in-law, Eben Morgan, became president in January 1994, serving in this position until December 2005. The family tradition remains in place today - Mr. Morgan's son, Andrew Pickard Morgan, succeeded his father in January 2006 and serves as the company's current president, representing the 4th generation of family members to lead Pickard.
Today Pickard ranks among the finest china made anywhere in the world. The same painstaking craftsmanship and skilled handwork necessary to produce top quality ware has not changed through four generations. Each piece of china produced in the Pickard factory passes through a minimum of 21 stages and three 100% inspections, and is handled by Pickard employees averaging 18 years on the job. The Pickard factory is a rarity in that it is a small family business manufacturing high quality chinaware in an era of huge companies merging and acquiring, becoming larger than ever. Pickard's size is an advantage in today's market because of the care and attention that is paid to each piece. All patterns are decorated with 24K gold (never anything less), pure platinum and brilliant cobalt, with a style that caters to a niche of clientele looking for elegant, timeless upscale dinnerware.