The combination of Adams' "Chess Players" print with this large inverted pear-sh...
The combination of Adams' "Chess Players" print with this large inverted pear-shape ewer creates one of the most lively examples of Staffordshire transferware we know.
The main focus of the pattern is a group of three aristocrats decked out in the elaborate dress of another era. In the scene which is repeated on each side of the jug, two stately women seated in an elaborate garden arbor have paused from their game of chess to speak to the courtly man standing nearby.
A swirling border of gaudy hibiscus-like flowers plays across an elaborate gridwork to envelop the large scalloped rim, the petite foot, and even the extravagant molded handle.