Novelty Frog Loving Cup Jolly Topers - Prattware underglaze coloured - Kilnhurst Pottery Yorkshire - moulded The Miser & Grapevines - Antique c 1860

A novelty antique loving cup or two handled tankard or mug with a relief moulded exterior design usually called "The Jolly Topers". It features on one side with a couple - a man and a woman, drinking wine from wine glasses, him also holding a jug, there is a barrel in the background under a fruit laden grapevines. The other side is another man also surrounded by fruit laden grapevines, he is sometimes referred to as "The Miser".

Inside the loving cup , standing on the bottom, and apparently trying to climb out, is a realistically modelled frog. It would have been a surprise for any unsuspecting drinker who had been handed the cup when full, after drinking half of the contents, to have been greeted with the frogs face peeking from the remaining contents.

The loving cup has a Prattware underglaze colour decorated with yellow ground glaze on a white stoneware body. It is an attractive, amusing and collectable pottery tankard, mug , loving cup or twin handed drinking vessel. It would have been for beer, ale or cider and possibly from a pub or tavern. Maximum capacity 3/4 pint when filled to the rim.

There are no maker's marks as is usual with this type of ware but it was probably produced either by Rockingham or one the factories in the Yorkshire area, possibly by Kilnhurst Pottery - Rawmarsh , near Swinton in South Yorkshire, England, who made pint ale mugs with a similar moulded design. Some collectors may refer to this type of pottery as Bristol ware. Other may also refer to the decoration as majolica glazed.

This antique frog loving cup dates from around 1860 and is a great item for any collector of pratt-ware glazed items or Novelty items.

It is in very good antique condition, no chips cracks nor restoration, there is some glaze crazing and two small areas of glaze flaking, one on the rim the other on the thumb rest of one of the handles. There is a firing tear to the front left leg of the frog. Please see the images. We have a similarly decorated frog mug offered separately but shown with the loving cup in the last image.

Free UK postage with this item when purchased at the listed price. International shipping at cost.

Height 4 inches ( 10 cm)
Length 7 inches (17.8 cm)
Width 4 inches (10.0 cm)
Weight 485 grammes unpacked

References

1. See plates 116 and 117 of page 83 of The Yorkshire Potteries by John D Griffin for similarly designed items.