Staffordshire Black Childs Toy Sugar Box Ladies Tea Party SUFFRAGETTES c1870

Description

Staffordshire Childs Miniature Sugar Box
LADIES TEA PARTY for SUFFRAGE
Ford & Challinor Staffordshire England c 1870
This is
rare
child's miniature toy
lidded
sugar box (or trinket box)
c 1870. Originally been part of a complete children's toy tea, the
tiny lidded box stands
3
inches tall on a raised pedestal base, transfer printed in
black
against a creamy
earthenware blank, highlighted with red outlines along the rims, finished
with a pearlware glaze.
F
eatur
ing
a naive depiction of three women sitting at a tripod table having a tea party,
t
he image repeats on both sides of the
sugar
.
The detailing is impeccable considering the diminutive size of the piece.
Thought not on this piece, the image is often depicted with
an
eighteenth century
nursery rhyme
poem
:
LADIES ALL I PRAY MAKE FREE
AND TELL ME HOW YOU LIKE YOUR TEA
The image and rhyme are
a symbol and
subtle expression of support for the early women's suffrage movement in England in the 1860s.
(
Significantly, the convention was signed at a round, tripod-legged tea table like the one illustrated on the
piece
. The
tea
table is now in the collection of the
National
Museum of American  History, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC.
)
The
sugar box
is unmarked. The pattern is commonly associated with the Staffordshire pottery makers Ford & Challinor (1865-1880) in England.
The
set
is
in overall
fairly good
condition.
The lid is a misfit, probably original to another piece from the same set as it is a perfect match but imperfect fit. There are old fine fleabites and chips on the rim of the pot and the edge of the lid
, as shown, and n
o other chips cracks or repairs. The design is
naive
and striking, an exciting
representation
of
women’s
empowerment
.
M
ake
s
a
great
addition to any collection of children's early wares or collection of early women's history. Offered as is.
We are offering a diverse and colorful range of early transfer printed childs and doll dishes, and are always happy to combine shipping of multiple purchases. Please send us an email with any questions or if you would like to see additional photos.
Thank you for bidding!
International Buyers – Please Note: Most of our merchandise is over 100 years old, and we mark our international parcels “antiques – over 100 years old”. US and International government regulations do not allow us to mark merchandise values below value or mark items as "gifts”. Import duties, taxes and charges, if any, are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.