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ID #SA1185729
FOR SALE
£750
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Prattware Pearlware Tea Caddy, Staffordshire, Late 18th Century
Ritas Bazaar
for sale €878     $953
£750

Ritas Bazaar

Sellingantiques Verified Since Nov 2025
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Prattware Pearlware Tea Caddy, Staffordshire, Late 18th Century

19th century
For Sale by Ritas Bazaar
Description

A fine English pearlware tea caddy decorated in the Prattware tradition, featuring moulded relief figures painted in underglaze colours. The satirical subject and compact form typify fashionable domestic ceramics produced in England around 1790–1800.

The decoration uses the classic Pratt palette of green, cobalt blue, yellow and warm ochre, applied beneath the glaze to ensure durability and clarity. These colours highlight the figures’ expressions and costumes, maintaining sharp definition against the pale pearlware body.

The figures belong to the “Macaroni” type, a satirical motif drawn from English caricature of the late 18th century. Exaggerated powdered wigs, narrow shoulders and elongated forms serve as visual markers of fashionable excess and social satire.

Production of Prattware was centred in Staffordshire, with a smaller body of evidence suggesting related manufacture in Scotland, particularly around Prestonpans.

Today, Prattware is widely collected and studied by specialist collectors with a particular interest in satirical ceramics.

Dimensions: Height 12.5 cm; width 8.5 cm; depth 6.8 cm; weight 232 g.

Condition: Minor age-related wear to the enamel, consistent with age. Overall excellent antique condition.

Please study the accompanying photographs carefully as they form an integral part of this description. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them. The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance. It is important to note that shipping costs include labour, packaging and postage.

Physical Dimensions
Height
12.5cm (4.92")
Width
8.5cm (3.35")
Depth
6.8cm (2.68")
Declaration

Ritas Bazaar has dated this Prattware Pearlware Tea Caddy to the 1800s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1185729
Description
A fine English pearlware tea caddy decorated in the Prattware tradition, featuring moulded relief figures painted in underglaze colours.
“
The satirical subject and compact form typify fashionable domestic ceramics produced in England around 1790–1800.
Ritas Bazaar
fig 1. A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes.
fig 1. Prattware Pearlware Tea Caddy, Staffordshire, Late 18th Century

The decoration uses the classic Pratt palette of green, cobalt blue, yellow and warm ochre, applied beneath the glaze to ensure durability and clarity. These colours highlight the figures’ expressions and costumes, maintaining sharp definition against the pale pearlware body.

fig 2. A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes.
fig 2. Prattware Pearlware Tea Caddy, Staffordshire, Late 18th Century

The figures belong to the “Macaroni” type, a satirical motif drawn from English caricature of the late 18th century. Exaggerated powdered wigs, narrow shoulders and elongated forms serve as visual markers of fashionable excess and social satire.

fig 3. A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes.
fig 3. Prattware Pearlware Tea Caddy, Staffordshire, Late 18th Century

Production of Prattware was centred in Staffordshire, with a smaller body of evidence suggesting related manufacture in Scotland, particularly around Prestonpans.

Today, Prattware is widely collected and studied by specialist collectors with a particular interest in satirical ceramics.

fig 4. A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes.
fig 4. Prattware Pearlware Tea Caddy, Staffordshire, Late 18th Century

Dimensions: Height 12.5 cm; width 8.5 cm; depth 6.8 cm; weight 232 g.

Condition: Minor age-related wear to the enamel, consistent with age. Overall excellent antique condition.

Please study the accompanying photographs carefully as they form an integral part of this description. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them. The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance. It is important to note that shipping costs include labour, packaging and postage.

Height
12.5cm (4.92")
Width
8.5cm (3.35")
Depth
6.8cm (2.68")
Date of Manufacture

Ritas Bazaar has dated this Prattware Pearlware Tea Caddy to the 1800s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1185729
Ritas Bazaar
Sellingantiques verified Since Nov 2025
Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Ritas Bazaar Profile Page

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A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes.
1 / 11
Archive I A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes.

Prattware Pearlware Tea Caddy, Staffordshire, Late 18th Century

Archive II A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes. View II
Archive III A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes. View III
Archive IV A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes. View IV
Archive V A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes. View V
Archive VI A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes. View VI
Archive VII A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes. View VII
Archive VIII A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes. View VIII
Archive IX A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes. View IX
Archive X A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes. View X
Archive XI A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes. View XI
Enlarged Archival View

Ritas Bazaar
Telephone 07434 626011
Location
Hertfordshire
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/ritasbazaar
Verified Since Nov 2025
Items For Sale 239
Items Sold 44
Ritas Bazaar
Verified Since Nov 2025
View Dealer Info
Location: Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/ritasbazaar
Verified
Nov 2025
For Sale
239
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A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes.
Prattware Pearlware Tea Caddy, Staffordshire, Late 18th Century
Ref: SA1185729
A late 18th-century cream-coloured pearlware tea caddy featuring moulded relief figures painted in ochre and cobalt blue glazes.
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FAQs

Prattware refers to a type of late 18th and early 19th-century English lead-glazed earthenware decorated with specific underglaze high-fire colours, named after the Pratt family of Staffordshire potters.

These tea caddies were crafted from earthenware clay containing cobalt in the glaze to produce a bluish-white finish known as pearlware, decorated with relief-moulded figures and high-fire oxide glazes.

Authentic pieces typically feature distinctive relief decoration, a blue-tinted lead glaze pooling in crevices, and a muted colour palette consisting primarily of cobalt blue, ochre yellow, olive green, and manganese brown.

Position the tea caddy as a standalone decorative accent on a styled mantelpiece, open bookshelf, or side table alongside contemporary art and neutral textures to showcase its sculptural relief.

Dust gently with a soft microfibre cloth or dry brush, avoiding immersion in water or the use of chemical cleaners, which can damage unglazed rims or historic repairs.
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