Summary

Alternative Name(s): Crockery

Toy tea set with 15 parts, Japanese style, circa 1890-1910.

Part of a collection of heirloom dolls and toys of Japanese origin or design, brought to Australia sometime in the late 1960s or 1970s by members of the Roche family from England. They were the playthings of Ruth Roche's mother Mary Paddison (later Mary Granlund, or 'Mrs G'), born in London in 1893, one of 11 children. She was raised near Tiverton, Devon, where her father was Second Master at Blundell's Preparatory School. Her family had connections in many parts of the world, although it is not known how Mary acquired the dolls and toys.

Physical Description

Japanese style toy tea set comprising teapot with lid (.1), sugar bowl with lid (.2), milk jug (.3), six cups (.4-.9) and six saucers (.10-.15). Surfaces are fluted, with green foliage design and orange stems, suggesting bamboo, with pink smudges suggesting flowers. Orange edges, with gold filigree detail. Hand-painted. White undersides & insides, though which imperfections in the clay and glaze are visible. No markings on bottoms. The pouring lip of the milk jug has broken off and is missing. One of the saucers (.15) has chip and paint losses from rim. Another saucer (.14) has two smaller rim losses. Two of the cups have lost their handles.

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