CINCINNATI, OHIO — A rare group of six English delftware Merryman plates attained $24,000, including the buyer’s premium, at Cowan’s Americana auction December 10.

The plates, each dated 1734, are decorated with a palm wreath enclosing a numbered poetic line, reading (1) What is a Merry Man / (2) Lett [sic] him do What he Can / (3) To Entertain his Guest / (4) With Wine and Merry Jest / (5) Butt [sic] if his Wife does frown / (6) All MerryMent [sic] Goes Down.

A complete report on the auction will appear in an upcoming issue.