Child's chafing dish
- Place of origin:
Staffordshire, England (made)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
John Aynsley & Sons Ltd (makers)
- Materials and Techniques:
Transfer-printed and glazed porcelain set in a tin-plated copper base
- Credit Line:
Given by Mrs A. M. W. Morgan
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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Teddy bears became very popular very quickly at the beginning of the 20th century. Images of teddy bears began to appear on all sorts of objects. The idea of bears behaving like humans took hold and resulted in images such as the ones on this chafing dish. The sporting activities of such bears included cricket, football, skating and golf. The dish performed a useful function as well as being decorative. When filled with hot water the metal base kept the child's food warm.
Physical description
[Chafing dish] Child's circular chafing dish, of transfer printed and glazed porcelain set in tin-plated copper. The white ceramic dish is transfer printed with motifs of golden brown teddy bears playing sports: in the centre is a newly bowled-out cricketer looking down at his bat, with his stumps fallen behind him as a bear who is fielding runs to catch the ball. In a ring around the edge are smaller motifs: the running fielder from the cricket scene, a golfing bear holding his bag of clubs, a soccer playing bear kicking a football away from two other bears in a goal mouth, and another golfing bear raising his club to hit a ball. The ceramic dish also has a curved and slightly uptilted rim decorated with an inner gold line and an outer line of fleur de lis motifs in brown. The hollow metal outer shell has two D-ring handles, one at each side, and a raised tube at one edge for the addition of hot water.
[Chafing dish screw cap] Flat circular screw-topped cap for water tube.
Place of Origin
Staffordshire, England (made)
Date
1912-1918 (made)
Artist/maker
John Aynsley & Sons Ltd (makers)
Materials and Techniques
Transfer-printed and glazed porcelain set in a tin-plated copper base
Marks and inscriptions
COPPER
BRITISH MAKE
Dimensions
[Chafing dish] Height: 4.1 cm, Depth: 2.2 cm internal, Diameter: 22.9 cm maximum
[Chafing dish screw cap] Diameter: 2.1 cm, Height: 0.8 cm
Object history note
References: See also B 268, 269 (1,2)-1997, part of same set
See also Misc.314 & A-1978 by J & G Meakin of Hanley, the cup of which has the roller-skating teddy motif found on B.269-1997
The donor found the pieces (B267/269-1997) when clearing a house belonging to distant relatives. She suggests that they are likely to have belonged to Albert Sedgwick, who was born in about 1904.
What is certain is that the addition of 'ENGLAND' to Aynsleys' mark dates the pieces from 1891 or later.
Descriptive line
Child's Chafing Dish; English, 1912-18
Production Note
Made by John Aynsley & Sons Ltd (by association with B.268, 269 (1,2)-1997)
Reason For Production: Retail
Materials
Porcelain
Categories
Ceramics; Children & Childhood; Dolls & Toys; Eating; Food vessels & Tableware
Production Type
Mass produced
Collection code
MoC
