Early pearlware spill vases of the armorial type are few and far between, and it seems the Staffordshire potters made relatively few of them. Most well known is the Walton model, shown below. It is marked WALTON on the reverse, and a small opening in the center of the crown has always earned this very decorative Staffordshire object the title of "spill vase."
Even rarer is the pearlware beauty on the pink base below. It too has an opening in the center top, so again it too has always been assumed to be a spill vase.
But pause to think for a moment how different conventional Staffordshire spill vases are from the two armorial groups above. Typically, their opening ares quite wide, but the openings on the armorial spill vases are more like the narrow openings at the top of a bottle.
Recently the Staffordshire group below appeared on the market. Amazingly, a little lion is perched atop.
Recently the Staffordshire group below appeared on the market. Amazingly, a little lion is perched atop.
The lion serves as a stopper...so is the armorial group is intended to be a container of sorts?
My guess it that ALL these armorial containers once had stoppers that have been lost with time. What was the purpose of th containers? Clearly, they were not made as spill vases, but I don't think they were meant to be functional vessels because it is difficult to get liquid in and out of them. So perhaps they were simply intended to be decorative!.
