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Rare 19th Century Set of Staffordshire Swan Tureens

$2,400
$3,20025% Off
£1,781.87
£2,375.8325% Off
€2,076.37
€2,768.5025% Off
CA$3,331.98
CA$4,442.6325% Off
A$3,727.02
A$4,969.3625% Off
CHF 1,939.57
CHF 2,586.0925% Off
MX$45,880.93
MX$61,174.5825% Off
NOK 24,675.29
NOK 32,900.3825% Off
SEK 23,150.28
SEK 30,867.0425% Off
DKK 15,491.80
DKK 20,655.7425% Off
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About the Item

A rare and charming graduated pair of Staffordshire covered boxes, each modeled as a graceful swan resting amid a stylized coral-inspired base. These late 19th-century ceramic boxes are notable not only for their elegant form but also for their unusually decorative marine-themed motif—an imaginative and fashionable touch during the Victorian period’s fascination with natural history and exoticism. The swans are delicately modeled with finely incised feathering and sensitively painted features, typical of the better Staffordshire potteries of the time. The bases, adorned with molded and painted coral-like textures, add a playful yet sophisticated flair, blending novelty with classicism. Each lid lifts to reveal a hollow interior, originally intended for trinkets or desk use, and together the pair forms a harmonious visual narrative with graduated scale—rare to find intact as a matched set. Such pieces would have been collected as decorative objets for display in a drawing room or boudoir, or used as part of an elegant writing desk ensemble. Their combination of whimsy, refinement, and craftsmanship reflects the height of Staffordshire’s decorative ceramic production during the Victorian era. A particularly stylish and uncommon find for collectors of English ceramics or lovers of 19th-century decorative arts.
  • Creator:
    Staffordshire (Manufacturer)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 9.75 in (24.77 cm)Width: 10.5 in (26.67 cm)Depth: 7.75 in (19.69 cm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Ceramic,Glazed
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1880s
  • Condition:
    Repaired: old repair to one handle. Minor losses. minor wear and one repaired handle, but rare and display nicely.
  • Seller Location:
    Kilmarnock, VA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU883028068112

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