44 The cow that came to tea. F


or something that purports to have a practical purpose, the pottery cow creamer possesses


a rather cartoonish charm much like the plastic tomato shaped sauce dispenser. Its origins lie somewhere back in the first half of the eighteenth century with the Dutch taking the credit for their creation, although the Staffordshire potters and others were quick to jump on the bovine band wagon. Typically, a cow creamer


stands four square on a simple base with a curled tail forming the handle and an open mouth the spout, with a hole and simple cover on the back to allow for filling. Outside of the obvious


connection with cream, one has to ask, why cows? From earliest times man has modelled the beasts around him and one can fully understand why he might reproduce the horse, his primary mode of transport, even the lion and unicorn with their royal connotations, but a cow? The answer probably lies with the Industrial Revolution in that by the closing decades of the eighteenth century more of us lived in urban areas. Literally within a generation,


Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood Okehampton Street, Exeter. EX4 1DU Tel: 01392 413100 www.bhandl.co.uk


people who once inhabited the countryside now lived amongst ‘those dark satanic mills’. It was little wonder they sentimentalised the rural idyll. One wonders whether cow creamers


were actually used at the table. We have to assume they were, though it does seem strange that only creamers were given the ‘folk art’ treatment,


I’ve yet to see a matching teapot, a silly sugar box and daft cups; creamers seem to be standalone conversation pieces, something that spent more time on display. Unfortunately, their cleanliness was questioned during the cholera epidemics that affected Sunderland and East London from the early 1830’s. This adverse publicity caused them to fall unfairly from grace by the 1850’s. Before you shed a tear for the innocent, many had unglazed or partially glazed interiors that made cleaning difficult. A century of production has left a good number quietly


grazing the kitchen dressers and mantelpieces with prices ranging from £50 to £1,000 . Let’s face it, they are certainly more attractive and collectable than plastic tomatoes.


ANTIQUES VALUATIONS


One of our valuers will be in your area to undertake home visits


To make an appointment please telephone 01392 413100


A Chinese yellow-ground bowl Sold for £4,700


St. Edmund’s Court, Okehampton Street, Exeter. EX4 1DU T: 01392 413100 W: www.bhandl.co.uk


E: enquiries@bhandl.co.uk


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