Pepper pot: C.181-1932

Maker(s)

Maker: Unidentified Staffordshire factory

Entities

• Pepper pot
• caster

Categories

• Stoneware
• White salt-glazed stoneware

Description

White salt-glazed stoneware painted in blue, turquoise, green, yellow, rose-pink, red and black enamels

Off-white stoneware, moulded, pierced, salt-glazed, and painted in blue, turquoise, green, yellow, rose-pink, red, and black enamels. The caster is vase-shaped with a spreading foot, a pierced domed top, and a small finial of the same shape. The underside of the foot has a round central hole to admit the pepper or sugar. There are bands of uncoloured gadrooning round the edge of the foot, the shoulder, and a short distance below the projecting edge of the domed top (which is not removable). The underside and the exterior above and below the shoulder have a turquoise ground. The area below the shoulder is decorated with pink roses and other flowers and foliage on a wavy stem. The area above the shoulder has upward pointing lappet-like outlines filled by a yellow and pink half-flower and three leaves. Between the points there is a pink and blue plant motif. Above the top band of gadrooning there is a narrow red border of circles enclosing dots between horizontal bands. The projection below the cover is turquoise with pink and green half-flowers alternating with yellow half leaves. Seven of the holes in the top are outlined in pink and black, and the finial is turquoise.

Notes

History note: Unknown before donor, Mrs W.D. (Frances Louisa) Dickson, Bournemouth

Legal notes

Given by Mrs W.D. Dickson

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1932-10) by Dickson, W. D. (Frances Louisa), Mrs

Dating

18th Century, third quarter#
Circa 1755 CE - 1770 CE

Note

This was accessioned as a pepper pot, but the holes seem large enough to emit a whole pepper corn, and if used for ground pepper would surely have had everyone at the table sneezing. On the other hand, the pot seems rather small for a sugar caster.

School or Style

Rococo