Code: 10233
EARLY CHILDS
TRANSFERWARE MUG ~~ MARY ANN
Staffordshire England ~ c. 1840
This is whimsical little child's transferware mug, circa 1840. This diminutive piece stands 2 3/4" tall x 2 7/8" wide with an applied loop handle with leaf terminals. The mug is light weight and beautifully potted.
It is transfer printed in rich black with a pearlware glaze.
The named mug " Mary Ann " is wrapped in a cartouche of flowers and vines. The mug is naive and richly detailed.
The piece is unmarked. It most certainly was made in the Staffordshire district. Mugs like this were made as gifts for good children and rewards of merit, used to aid in children's education and moral training, and to encourage their imaginations in the early to mid-19th century. The images were taken from copperplate engravings used in children's books of the same period.
The mug is in exceptional condition. No chips, cracks or repairs. Bright and very clean.
