Painted Enamelware Platters

B. Erk. Durf, 1888

Each signed and dated:

Diameter: 13.5 inches

Both platters have a gold-colored ground. One platter depicts white and dark-red roses with their green leaves; the other depicts pink dahlias and their leaves. Naturalistically painted. Each is signed and dated. The shortened form Erk may stand for the German name Erkenbert of Erkenbrecht. The surname Durf was found in the USA between 1880-1920, with the highest percentage of families living in Pennsylvania at the time. It’s possible that these platters come from Germany: The production of enamelware began in Germany in the 1760s and made its way to America in the mid-1880s.