“The United States of America” — Staffordshire Transfer-Printed Child’s Cup
Staffordshire, England, circa 1820s
Height: 2 inches
 
A rare Staffordshire transfer-printed child’s cup bearing the inscription “The United States of America” within an ornate cartouche. The reverse is decorated with a bold rendering of the American eagle with shield, clutching arrows and an olive branch, an early interpretation of the national arms rendered in black transfer on a white earthenware body.
 
During the early decades of the nineteenth century, the Staffordshire potteries produced a wide range of ceramics decorated with American patriotic imagery for export to the United States. Motifs incorporating the national eagle and references to the young republic proved especially popular with American consumers, reflecting the growing sense of national identity in the post-Revolutionary era.
 
Small transfer-printed vessels of this type were produced as juvenile tablewares, intended for children’s use at table. Surviving examples bearing explicit inscriptions referencing the United States are comparatively scarce and remain desirable among collectors of early American historical ceramics.
 
Condition: Very fine, with light wear and minor toning consistent with age.