Child's Polychrome Transferware Toy Tea Set
CINDERELLA
T G Green Derbyshire England c 1899

This is a gorgeous colorful earthenware pottery child's toy transferware tea set, circa 1899. Each piece bears the registration number 128955, indicating the year 1899. The maker of the Cinderella tea set was T.G. Green and Co. from Derbyshire England. The transfer decoration is much like the wares of Staffordshire, applied in a rich chocolate brown which has been embellished with wisps of polychrome paint in green, yellow, blue and red, with gilding along the rim of each piece.

This highly sought after ‘Tea for Two’ tea set includes 12 pieces:

• Teapot with lid, 4 inches tall (fleabite on under tip of spout)
• Open sugar bowl, 2-1/2 inches tall, 4 inches across (tight hairline on rim)
• Creamer or milk jug, 2-3/4 inches tall (2 hairlines)
• Waste bowl, 2-1/2 inches tall, 4 inches across
• Cake plate, 5-5/8 inches across
• Two cookie plates, 4-1/4 inches across
• Two cups, 2 inches tall (glaze wear on top rim), and
• Two saucers, 4-1/2 inches across.

The set, in its entirety, tells the love story of Cinderella and Prince Charming. Each piece depicts a sequential part of the story. The cups depict Cinderella dressed in rags in her ramshackle kitchen, just as her fairy godmother makes an appearance in her life. The image is captioned "THE FAIRY APPEARS TO CINDERELLA”. The teapot depicts “CINDERELLA ON HER WAY TO THE BALL”. The open sugar bears the same image as the teapot. The cream pitcher depicts “THE PRINCE ASKS CINDERELLA TO DANCE”. The open waste bowl bears the same image as the creamer. The saucers show Cinderella running to her coach from the site of the ball, and there is a clock in the background that shows that it is midnite. The title is “THE CLOCK STRIKES TWELVE”. And finally, the cake plate depict the wedding, and is entitled “EVERYONE WAS PLEASED WHEN THE PRINCE MARRIED CINDERELLA”.

This fabulous little set is in very good overall condition, with only the minor damage described above. There is light overall crazing and minor patina consistent with the age of the set. Not fine pottery and not meant to be as it was made for childs play and probably considered disposable. The transfers are not aligned neatly, there is runny glaze and little bumps and dips and transfer wrinkles and glazed over edge frits original to the making. The naïve and hasty style adds to the folksy charm.The set is a rare find that will make a prized addition to a serious collection of early children’s or nursery ware. Sold as is, as shown and as described.