A Present For Elizabeth Antique Childs Reward Plate Nurseryware Circa 1820 RARE AF

We are thrilled to offer this rare little children's nursery plate. The rarity being it is a named example, Elizabeth always being such a popular girl's name since at least the 1500s.

Made in the Staffordshire region of England, such items of nursery ware were usually given to children at Sunday School as a reward of merit. It was in the early 19th century that developments in both the printed word book production and printed decoration within the ceramics industry both took off. This allowed children to be included as a major marketing group for the production and retailing of both books, and early ceramics.

For a more in depth background to early Children's China please see the book Gift For Good Children by Noel Riley, where incidentally you will see a similar plate to ours on page 21, plate 9 A Brothers Present. Collecting children's nursery ware makes for a fascinating hobby, but we warned it can become addictive the hunt for those more scarce examples!!

Our beautiful plate has a well moulded floral border enclosed by a thin black painted line. The centre of the plate features a transfer print under the glaze of two partridge type birds among foliage. We love the early naivety of production reflected by the slightly off skewed transfer print encroaching on the left side. Unmarked as was so common at this period.

Size: 5 5/8 inch diameter (14.4 cm)

Condition: Good but not pristine. It has an old stable hairline that covers approx half the diameter of the plate.

Please stop a while and browse our other early nursery ware items, many from good collections.

Item id:16284