Here we have an attractive thin-walled
mocha decorated sugar bowl with its original lid. This is English and dates to circa 1785. The body and lid are decorated with a
speckled agate composed of tiny bits of different colored clay sprinkled on the
wet clay surface, then cut smooth on a lathe.
Below the rim this is decorated with an inlaid checkered black and white
rouletting band. Around the lid and base
of the sugar this is further decorated with engine-turned vertical
ribbing. The top of the lid has a finely
molded decorative acorn knob. The
sugar is supported by a recessed flat foot ring. Measuring
6 ¼” in diameter from rim to rim by 3” in height to the rim and 5” to the top
of the acorn knob, the sugar is in original mint condition with no damage or
repairs. A photo of a matching piece is shown on
page 29 in Jonathan Rickard’s definitive book “MOCHA and related dipped
wares, 1770-1939”. It
is a testament to the beauty of this extremely rare sugar bowl that it has been
cherished and survives in this original pristine condition.