Blue and White transfer sugar bowl with hand-scribed incised "S" pottery mark

by Jean
(Canada)

Blue and White transfer sugar bowl with hand-scribed incised "S" pottery mark:- I have a pot, a sugar basin ( without lid) whose origins I have been trying to identify for many years. It's about 4" high and about 6" in diameter. It's kind of clunky and the glaze is worn through in many places. The pottery base is white and a bit chalky. There is a blue transfer pattern, repeated on each side of the bowl of a Grecian temple type structure with a grove of trees to the left and four women in regency or federal period costume to its right.

Oddly, the temple has two weather vanes on top, a ship and, perhaps, a celestial globe. There is a blue transfer band around the neck of the pot; shells and flowers. The pot is glazed all over in a thin blue-grey wash. The only mark is an incised or impressed "S" on the bottom . The outer ring of the foot shows fire/ charring. The workmanship overall is really not very good.

Nevertheless, the pot is intriguing; the images of the women, the roughness of the execution speak to me of an early copy of finer wares, made for the colonial market?

One expert gave a cursory glance at it several years ago and said it was made in the U.S. It was closing time and he wasn't willing to provide any further information. I cannot find any likely manufacturer or similar mark.

Jean

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Peter (admin) says:-

Hi Jean

This does look like an old pot, although this isn't my area of knowledge particularly. Looks interesting though, I think your instincts are right on this one. The mark will be tricky to place, even for an expert methinks (which is why the guy you spoke to previously might have been so cursory, rather than it being closing time).

However, an expert report would tell you much about this pot (date, style, country of origin, value etc etc, if not the actual maker, who may well be lost in the sands of time perhaps), so if a knowledgeable contributor doesn't show up any time soon, think about talking to one of my people here - (my vintage and antique china values page).

Please post comments below if you think you can help Jean.

Peter (admin)

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