A highly unusual and unique moneybox (coin bank) in the form of a closed wheel-thrown cylinder with a ceramic loop through the extruded strap finial. The body is decorated with rouletted beading around top of rim and above foot, and blue slip bands either side of a main red/brown body band. The main slip band has been further decorated with painted blue slip flowers and cut sgraffito lines through the slip. The foot and base are turned, the base is shallow recessed. White earthwnware body without any glaze.
Probably Staffordshire but this coin bank is so unusual it is impossible to link it to any specific potting location and is also extremely difficult to date. It may have been a one-off or even an apprentice piece or an experiment?
The rarity and unusualness of this moneybox cannot be stressed enough. I consulted the late Jonathan Rickard (author of the mochaware book) about this item (he bought many items of mochware from me over the years). He could not cite any other known examples of mochaware/banded ware moneyboxes, not even a single example in any industrial slip decorated ware. Furthermore he could not cite a single example of unglazed/dry-body mocha ware/banded ware, or any examples that had sgraffito decoration. He was very keen to purchase it from me, but as a collector of moneyboxes I was not ready to part with it at the time.
Final image is for comparison only. The other items are listed separately.
Pot ID: AP/1409
Dimensions: 132 mm high.
Net Weight (grams): 177
Date: c.1840-1900 (my best guess!).
Condition Report:
A few tiny scratches to the slip but basically perfect.
