Antique Blue Transferware Plate Anti Slavery Uncle Tom's Cabin Tom at Home

An antique transfer printed pearlware plate with an image produced by the famous British illustrator George Cruikshank for American writer Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin that was first published in book form in 1852.

The illustrated image is printed in blue and is titled above it "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and below " Uncle Tom at Home".

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the best-selling American novel of the nineteenth century and was one of the most influential attacks on slavery ever written, and has been credited with being one of the causes of the American Civil War. The novel generated an outpouring of books, plays, music, prints, and objects.

The blue transferware plate has a plain double ring hand painted border in red enamel. 

This is a decorative and highly collectable piece of antique literary pearlware pottery dating from circa 1855 - in the Victorian period. Queen Victoria was on the throne at the time. The plate has no makers mark, and the maker is unknown. 

The plate is 6 7/8 inches (17.5 cm) diameter and is is in very good condition. There are three spur marks on the base and the front from manufacture.  It has some crazing to the glaze and smudging to the red border. No chips cracks nor restoration It weighs 190 grammes unpacked. 

References:

Gifts for Good Children - The History of Children's China 1790-1890 by Noel Riley Published by Richard Dennis 1991, pp 106-7.

Transferware Collectors Club - Database record 8663