Shaving Mug
MakerMade by
William Davenport & Company
English, 1835 - 1887
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Sarah Maria Raymond
American
Dateabout 1845
MediumMechanically-molded buff-colored earthenware with a blue-tinted glaze, black underglaze decoration, and overglaze enamels in orange, yellow, pink, and green
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width including handle x depth): 3 1/8 x 4 3/8 x 3 3/8in. (7.9 x 11.1 x 8.6cm)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineGift of Mrs. R. B. Marean and Miss Ida A. Green
DescriptionOne short, round, buff-colored earthenware shaving mug with a blue-tinted glaze, a type of ceramic known as pearlware. The shaving mug is part of a larger partial toilet set, consisting of a washbowl (.1) and pitcher (.2), two matching pitchers (.3 and .4), a shaving mug (.5), a soap dish (.6a-c), a toothbrush holder or razor box (.7a,b), and a lid (.8). The entire set is decorated with a floral pattern and border. The naturalistic floral pattern consists of variously sized flowers transfer-printed in black beneath the glaze, with green, pink, and light orange enamel highlights hand-painted over the glaze. The remaining decoration consists of a scalloped border made up of a printed, underglaze, black, scalloped band, next to an overglaze, hand-painted, orange, scalloped band. This orange and black border is interrupted periodically by a group of elaborate scrolls of various sizes and widths and highlighted in green enamel. The scrolls surround a roughly diamond-shaped, scalloped-edge decorative element that is painted with light orange enamel. Finally, on all the objects in the set, the blue-tinted glaze has pooled around the printed decorative elements and raised or recessed portions of the ceramic's surface, giving the set a pearly blue and white appearance.
The outside of the mug is decorated with two groups of two large flowers surrounded by smaller flowers and leaves, printed in black below the glaze, and hand-painted with pink, yellow, and green enamel above. The orange and black border decorates the inside of the rim, with groups of flowers printed and hand-painted between the scrolls and orange decorative elements on the borders. A variation on the orange and black border, surrounded by scrolls, decorates the length of the handle. The handle was formed in a mold and applied to the shaving mug.
The shaving mug was damaged heavily at some point in the past, and repaired with mixed results. Five large pieces broke from the rim and sides, and were reattached using a glue that is now visible in the cracks. Not all the ceramic was recovered, as there is a small area of loss and one small chip in the rim. There has also been some discoloration along the rim, as some areas of the ceramic appear brown.
The outside of the mug is decorated with two groups of two large flowers surrounded by smaller flowers and leaves, printed in black below the glaze, and hand-painted with pink, yellow, and green enamel above. The orange and black border decorates the inside of the rim, with groups of flowers printed and hand-painted between the scrolls and orange decorative elements on the borders. A variation on the orange and black border, surrounded by scrolls, decorates the length of the handle. The handle was formed in a mold and applied to the shaving mug.
The shaving mug was damaged heavily at some point in the past, and repaired with mixed results. Five large pieces broke from the rim and sides, and were reattached using a glue that is now visible in the cracks. Not all the ceramic was recovered, as there is a small area of loss and one small chip in the rim. There has also been some discoloration along the rim, as some areas of the ceramic appear brown.
Object number1959.48.5
MarkingsThe shaving mug has one mark on the bottom: an underglaze, printed, black mark of an oval cartouche, embellished with scrolls, with the pattern name "ROSE & LILY" inside and the company name "DAVENPORT" below.Subject Terms
On View
Not on view
