my Beehive bowl collection

I love your collection there mrnarna. I just got my first beehive today and of course, I have a million questions:



(Ignore the Mars bar wrapper... )

How long did it take for you to collect these? Are there 5 definite sizes to the beehive bowls?

The one I got to day is stamped with 'Kelston Ceramics - MADE IN NEW ZEALAND' stamp. I've checked out TradeMe and the stamp I'm seeing is the tiki / 3 stars or have the impress MADE IN NEW ZEALAND / NEW ZEALAND. Does anyone know just how many different NZ stamps there are?

What else can anyone tell me about the beehives?

Did some sleuthing for you and your enthusiasm Dasiem ....
The shape number is 706 - Museum notes show four sizes....


Crown Lynn called them Basins and made them for years and years it appears, many for McKenzies.
They were made in several 'styles' ... can't think of a better word atm, here are some examples from the Deco Advices - each number is for the different style/colour/glaze decoration.
Coloured Basins 467
Striped Basins 497
White Basins 012
Colour Glaze Basins 402
Banded Basins 708
Banded Basins 708/02
Banded Basins 708/04
Banded Basins 708/05
Banded Basins 708/06
So there are at least 9 different 'styles' ... maybe more.
The coloured Basins are very popular on Trademe.
Hope that helps a little and that's all that I could find about them, though Trademe is rather valuable for shedding light on things such as these

less than a year to collect

of the ones I have 3 have made in new zealand embossed 2 no markings and one has circular made in new zealand (black)

I thought some measurements might be helpful.
These are the Beehive Basins we have at Whangarei.
These are in everyday use. Closed cracks don't seem to be a problem.
4 different base marks.

I'll photograph our Auckland ones next week.
Maybe between houses we will have a set with matching marks.

Sizes:
210mm OD top (tiki), 190 (Kelston), 162 & 132 (MADE IN NEW ZEALAND), 127 (Fiesta)

For the Fiesta one see also:
http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/t1287-cl-fiesta-ware#16742

Here are the approx. sizes for the shapes Jeremy -

13 x 9 = 5031

16.5 x 9.5 = 5032

19 x 11 = 5033

21 x 12 = 5034

24 x 14 = 5035

27.5 x 15.5 = 5036

Could you please photograph the ones you have with their number sometime please?
Thank you!

I was about to but then realised these are just the 4-digit numbers.
Which of the base stamps noted above are of the right date for 5000 numbers?
Tiki and Fiesta won't be, but what about Kelston Ceramics and MADE IN NEW ZEALAND?
Or do you just want them for the shapes?
I'll take some shots anyway and sort numbers later.

I was just coming back to say that the tiki stamp and the fiesta won't be from the four digit era, but hopefully the others are. Also we have Kat's one already.
The three digit era all had 706/1/2/3/4/5/6 so just one pic suffices.

We crossed paths!


210mm (tiki mark 706/4) "5034"

190mm (kelston ceramics) 5033

165mm (MADE IN NEW ZEALAND) "5032"

130mm (MADE IN NEW ZEALAND) "5031"

Checked the Auckland ones.
210, 190, 130 with "made in new zealand" impressed, so in combo with the Whangarei ones I have a matched set in 4 sizes. (+ sundries)

Also another wee Fiesta Ware in the same colours.

There is also a 707 mixing bowl with tiki mark. No chips cracks or crazing.
See mrnarna's one here:
http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/t1642-my-707-mixing-bowl#4690

I mixed many a Christmas cake in this, along with ginger crunch, peanut brownies, vanilla biscuits, and so on, back in my single-digit days.
I think my parents must have got this when they married.
It looks to be about 300mm OD by finger measure (4 fingers = 12 inches).
I'm taking it up North when I go, but I'll need to build an extension to the kitchen to store it. Maybe I'll move things around and store the bowls on the bench.

The gallery defns indicate two sizes:
Will this be 707/1 or 707/2?

I had to hunt around for these because they had been moved.
I'll look tomorrow and see what else I have forgotten about.

Though I can't seem to find any measurements the larger one is 707/2.

Ev,
I see the gallery one is credited to you. Is it the same size?

CONDITION
It amazes me that some earthenware pieces like this escape crazing while others are totally disfigured. I put it down to sudden changes in temperature such boiling water, or (as one on advertised trademe) putting them in the oven. The 210mm here is perfect but the others crazed and stained. I'll have a go at them with peroxide so I can have not just a matched set but a clean set.

BASIN SIZES 3 Digit vs 4 Digit
One thing I have yet to investigate is the sizes, 3-d vs 4-d. I have noted already that the land at the top (the rim) is bigger on my plain 130mm basin (made in new zealand mark, 4-d?) than on the Fiesta Ware one (127mm, 3-d). I suspect that this will be consistent through the range, so the sizes for three and four digit basins will be different. In my pictures above, it appears to be relatively smaller on the tiki mark 210, than all the others. This could be helpful for dating and numbering unmarked basins. I'll have a better idea of this when I can compare all mine together.

LARGER BEEHIVE BASINS 706/5/6 5035 5036
As I only have beehive basins in the four smaller sizes I had a look through trademe for larger ones. Nothing useful there. The Museum illustration you posted for DaSiEm shows only /1 through /4. Are you sure the 706 range included a 5 and 6?
In mrnarna's photo the largest bowl (of 5) which I take to be a 240mm APPEARS to have a smaller rim than the others so maybe it is a 3 digit 706/5. He has not shown his marks so there is no other indication.

The large mixing bowl in the gallery belongs to a friend.  I do have this one though ...

http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/t1410-once-i-was-a-treasured-mixing-bowl?highlight=mixing

Jeremy I don't make the records up, all I do is share what is recorded and the 6 basin sizes are recorded with three digits and again with four digits.  I had to dig deep on google to find the two biggest size measurements from listings that were once on trademe.

Ta. Then I'm pretty sure mrnarna's large one will be the 706/5.

I read the sad story last night after I had written my little bit about using the bowl when I was a lad, so it rings true for me. I'm glad my mum took such care of hers.
I did most the mixing when I was a boy, except for scones, which required a light hand.

I don't bake anymore as I will just eat everything, but Nicole has taught herself.
I think she'll enjoy the 707. So much better than the 706/4.

I've taken some photos of it but don't have the connectivity to put them on the computer so I'll sort that next week.

I've also photographed my three Red Tango baking dishes (Gibsons and Paterson, 1968) and will try to find a more accurate measure than my fingers as I will be leaving them in Auckland. I just had a look at the gallery and they appear to be 873, 874, and 875, so that may not be necessary.

I have a bit more house to search so I'd better get to it.

-----
later
5 x B&B in Warwick. Dad's. Condition varies.
We have the pattern on a cup from mrnarna.
1 x Kelston Potteries B&B white with gold rim. Badly crazed.
I'll post these next week.

I measured a 707/1 E/W mixing bowl at Deco 2 Retro today.
Didn't have a camera!

707/1 is 26cm OD.

706/5: 2nd largest size of the Crown Lynn beehive mixing bowls.

No marks.


One to go.

I'm going with the 5035 Four Digit number for this one Jeremy .... Thank you

Sorry, that's what I meant. I've been in a bit of a rush today!

I was just about to leave the Hospice shop when I saw a package of four beehive bowls including the largest, the 5036. All clean and white, no chips or cracks but some fine crazing, except for this one which is perfect.

5036 (measurement later)

The whole set:
[mail not loading, will add later]

This is about the same size (capacity) as, if not actually bigger than, the 707/2 large mixing bowl.

I have beehive bowls galore now with the three new duplicates, plus 707/1 and/2.
In regular use.

Great stuff Jeremy !!

12cmD x 7.5cmh .. it sits comfortably in a 13cmD

I picked up 2 matching ones with the hacienda pattern in Oz, one of the bigger ones and a small one $3 each! I couldn't believe it!!! I carried them home in my hand luggage - fear of them breaking!!

Here's an image from the Te Toi Uku Crown Lynn archives Promotional image of bowls, 1960s. ()

I bought a beehive bowl today..
It has no Crown Lynn back-stamp but has the 4 dimple marks on its base, so I think its correct. It has no crazing either
11 inch diameter or 280mm rough measurement
Photo to follow