This small mug exhibits those qualities admired in early porcelain: a still somewhat awkwa...

This small mug exhibits those qualities admired in early porcelain: a still somewhat awkward loop handle, not-quite-plumb potted body, and wonderful soft creamy tactile feel and look of the body itself. Two transfer printed floral clusters provide the only distraction from the lovely surface of the porcelain. While rich in engraved botanical detail, the prints have blurred slightly in firing, reinforcing the overall impression of softness.

Underglaze transfer printing on porcelain advanced far more quickly in the eighteenth cent...

Underglaze transfer printing on porcelain advanced far more quickly in the eighteenth century than the comparable technique on earthenware. This mug precedes by decades the great outpouring of blue and white transferware associated with the early nineteenth century. However, the printing technique was already a dominant decorative method at the Worcester porcelain works in the 1770's when this mug--a sort of junior version of the familiar Worcester tankard--was produced.