Antique Attributed to Hammersley Chinoiserie "The Tea" Covered Small Tureen With Base

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Antique Hammersley Covered Tureen with Base. Pattern is similiar to "The Tea" . Asian motifs were quite popular with the … Read more Antique Hammersley Covered Tureen with Base. Pattern is similiar to "The Tea" . Asian motifs were quite popular with the Victorians and several other Staffordshire potteries also decorated pieces in this popular "Tea House" themed pattern, making it easy to mix and match pieces from other firms.

The piece has an oval form with a pedestal foot and two applied handles with molded details. The lid has a matching handle to the tureen handles. The oval base has 2 handles on either side. The Tureen measures 7.5 X 4.5". The base plate measures 9.25 X 5.5". There is a small chip on the bottom of the base handle and 2 small chips on the rim of the base. Please see pictures. The central decoration on the face of the bowl is bordered by a cartouche and features two women in oriental costume looking back over their shoulders while carrying a small potted plant or bonsai tree. The pair are being observed by another woman who is seated inside a nearby building. The rest of the scene is decorated with a series of trees, shrubs and flowers along with a fence which has a geometric Chinoiserie motif. The design has been hand colored with in greens and pinks and also has lustre highlights. The remainder of the piece is finished with colorful images of flowers and people that echo those found in the central decoration, and has generous lustre accents.

The piece is in good antique condition. The piece does show the signs of use expected in an antique item, namely fine crazing and minor wear to the transfer decoration. As is common in antique transferware, there are some irregularities in the transfer decoration itself and areas of discoloration under the glaze. There are also production related anomalies on the underside of the foot including stilt marks from the kiln and material caught in the glaze. As seen in the accompanying photographs, these issues do not affect the appearance of the peice and are mentioned for accuracy. See less