Antique Sponge Ware Pottery Mantel Cats in the style of Wemyss, 1890s, Set of 2

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Boldly modelled in an alert seated posture, this pair of ceramic mantel cats displays the characterful folk charm associated with … Read more Boldly modelled in an alert seated posture, this pair of ceramic mantel cats displays the characterful folk charm associated with British art pottery. Each figure sits upright with an elongated neck, moulded curled tail, and raised head fitted with inset glass eyes. Delicately painted facial features include finely brushed black whiskers, pink mouth accents, and individually delineated black claws. The white glazed bodies are decorated in the spongeware manner, featuring trailing stems of loose five-petalled crimson flowers and mottled green foliage. Delicate salmon-pink enamel washes highlight the interiors of the upright ears and the cushioned paw pads, creating a lively contrast against the pale ground. Produced around 1900, the figures reflect the strong popularity of ornamental felines pioneered by Scottish potteries such as Wemyss, as well as contemporaneous English earthenware makers. Although unmarked, the modelling, bright underglaze colours, and glass eye sockets closely mirror Fife and Staffordshire domestic menagerie wares of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Both cats rest on hollow unglazed bases with four integral foot pads. Across more than a century of domestic display, the figures have acquired minor wear consistent with antique pottery. One cat is missing an inset glass eye, leaving an open socket, whilst the fellow cat retains its eyes with possible early replacement. A fine age-related hairline crack is visible to the reverse of one body, alongside natural glaze crazing.

Each cat measures approximately 17 cm in height and 10 cm across the base, making them well-proportioned accents for a period mantelpiece or shelf display. See less