Transfer-printed Toilet Box, probably Staffordshire, c.1830

This transfer-printed earthenware toilet box is decorated in blue with an almost abstract chinoiserie pattern. The glaze is smooth and creamy, albeit crazed.

The box would probably once have contained cutthroat razors within its divided sections, although some historians suggest toothpicks may have formed the contents.

The base bears a small, blue printed mark, which could possibly be a capital R.

Wares of this type are incredibly sought-after, and this is a good example from an, as yet, unknown maker.

Condition: There are two tiny chips on the rim, with no cracks or restoration. The clear, printed design is in an attractive pale shade of blue.

Dimensions: Length 6 1/8" (15.5cm); Width 2 1/8" (5.4cm); Height 7/8" (2.2cm)

The Dictionary of Blue & White Printed Pottery 1780-1880, Volume I, A.W. Coysh & R.K. Henrywood (Antique Collectors' Club, 2001).