Ray & Diane Ginns ©

Specializing in Antique British toby jugs and Staffordshire pottery.
Ralph Wood, creamware, pearlware, Prattware, enamel figures 1780-1900.
 

 

Early Antique Pottery Cow Creamers.

Most early pottery was there for a purpose, and little cows with holes in their mouths and detachable stoppers on their back were produced to pour cream. Novelties for afternoon tea the creamers handle was the cows tail, it must have looked very delicate to see cream poured but lurking in the unwashed residues was a health problem, a salmonella illness could be caused through the lack of hygiene.
The wares can be attributed to most of the early potters, some are marked from the northern Leeds & Newcastle potteries but Yorkshire and Staffordshire would have certainly have contributed with many Whieldon type and running glaze models.
Here in the UK we are fortunate to have the Hanley Museum, Stoke on Trent where the bequeathed Keiller cow cream collection is held and part of the legacy was the understanding that many of the several hundred must always be shown. Our early recollections was the impact at seeing maybe two-three hundred being displayed, their colourful range spanned early running glaze late 18th century period through Prattware 1790/1810+ to the later lustre heavier looking models which were made in the early 19th century... It's an amazing collection, well worth taking the time to view.
Most creamers are standing on all four legs but their was also a range of standing & reclining models with wonderful bocage tree decoration that gave a rural country rustic appearance, these are quite rare and very desirable. Added extras to some are tied or haggled back legs, little milkmaids seated on stools and some have their calves at rest on their bases. If you can find genuine pairs or those with their original stoppers and un-restored tails/ears that's a rarity, as these delicate little characters are prone to damage.
Too extend a collection it maybe noted that there are horses and standing nanny-goat figures that sit well in this type of grouping as many have been potted standing on similar thin rectangular bases.

The photos below show early antique pottery cow creamers that have been sold through archive sales: with thanks L.& J. Russell.
Antique pottery cow creamer with wonderful stopper.
British Antique pottery bocage creamer
Antique British Pottery cow creamer with milkmaid
Antique British Pottery cow cream and milker
Antique British Pottery cow creamer with stopper.
Antique Britsh north country cow creamer
Antique cow creamer with unusual stopper
Fine early antique cow creamer
Antique pottery milkmaid with cow creamer
Antique British Pottery cow cream on base.
Antique pottery north country creamer
British antique pottery creamer with detachable top and milkmaid on base.
Unusual British Pottery creamer and detachable top.
Antique pottery north country Yorkshire pallet cow creamer
Fine antique pottery cow cream with loop tail
British antique pottery mottle design cow creamer
Antique British pottery cow cream with sponge decoration
Unusual stance antique pottery cow cream and maid.
Antique pottery Pratt ware pallet cow cream
Fine early English antique pottery cow creamer with standing calf and unusual stopper.
Antique pottery cow creamer standing on oval base.
British antique pottery cow cream with calf at rest.
Well detailed antique pottery cow with colourful milk maid.
Early antique British north country cow creamer with seated milkmaid.
Be aware that there was a later contemporary version (shown below) made in the mid 20th century, their colours either cherry red with black & green ( Portobello type pallet), greens, browns and black or just brown & black all with a pearlware type body. It is potted as if a pencil has been pushed in to form the mouth.( that's how a dealer described it to us when we were novice collectors). This later version can sometimes be spotted on well established dealers sites, as time evolves and we loose dealers of distinction, the experiences that help one collect true antique items diminishes.
mid 20h century cow creamer
mid 20th century creamer and milk maid

The two photos above show the mid 20th century cow creamer. For educational purpose: photos used courtesy of the internet.

 

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