A rare Whieldon Toy or Miniature Tea Bowl and Saucer, Staffordshire, circa 1770
This miniature or toy tea bowl and saucer are decorated with a brown tortoiseshell glaze on a creamware body. Wares with this type of decoration are typically described as ‘Whieldon’ or ‘Whieldon type’ owing to that particular Staffordshire potter’s association with the use of these coloured glazes.
Miniature or toy ceramics were prized in the 18th-century as England saw a rise in the popularity of the dollhouse amongst members of the upper classes. These ‘Baby Houses‘ were not intended for children to play with, but regarded instead as miniature objets d’art, being almost a microcosm of the owner’s home, aspirations, and social rank.
Condition: No damage or restoration. The lead glaze is typically crazed. From the manufacturing process, there are spur marks to the underside of the saucer and tiny blobs of glaze to the rim of the tea bowl.
Dimensions: Saucer – Diameter 7.2 cm; Height 2 cm; Tea Bowl – Diameter 4.8 cm; Height 2.2 cm
The Mona Sattin Collection of Miniature Cups & Saucers (Stockspring Antiques, 2011).
Creamware and Pearlware Re-Examined, T. Walford and R. Massey (Eds.) (English Ceramic Circle, 2007).
A Collector’s History of English Pottery, Griselda Lewis (Antique Collectors’ Club, 1987).