Pottery; Transfer-printed earthenware; Blue

Oval base in two pieces. two joining fragments from a soup tureen base. Whilst the transfer-printed design does not survive the printed maker’s mark lists the design name: ‘Denon’s Egypt’ and initials ‘E.J.’ This design was produced in Staffordshire by potter Elijah Jones and inspired by popular scenes illustrated following Napoleonic expeditions to Egypt. Jones probably started out at the firm of ‘Jones & Son’ in Hanley around 1826-28 before moving to the Phoenix Works, Shelton in 1831 and the Villa Pottery at Cobridge 1832. By 1845 the company was in the control of Edward Walley, a former business partner. Around 1848 the Newcastle-based ‘Maling’ firm of potters acquired the ‘Denon’s Egypt’ printing plates and continued to produce wares with the same designs. The Maling potters produced Denon’s Egpyt with a backstamp which omitted the EJ lettering, potentially identifying this example as a Staffordshire example dating between 1831 and 1848. This would have made this a relatively old item to be deposited at this site around 1900.