Soup it Up!

This tureen is almost perfectly preserved (there are two very light scratches from a ladle on the bottom inside of the bowl) so it looks just as it would have on the shelf of the china shop in 1890, when it was made. It is hard to believe it is over 125 years old! The elephants and those strange ducks that act as handles indicate that the design has been applied on an form carried over from the Aesthetic Movement. The transfer pattern is striking in it’s simplicity, and I think the combination adds quirkiness to this large server.
There is no pattern number on this piece. I did find a blue version of the pattern (W3607) and a subtly coloured one (W3855) where the transfer pattern acts as a border for a large area painted in yellow. The only examples of these two colourways I could find were made a year or two after this one.
If I learn more, I will certainly update this page!
Large Royal Worcester transferware soup tureen, 1890. 9.75 inches high, 15.5 inches handle to handle: $195.00