A niche market, and one that, as I haven’t yet received an invitation to join the Masons, I knew nothing about. It would appear that as well as working with iconic Art Deco ceramic designers such as Susie Cooper, Grays Pottery were also engaged in the early 20th Century in producing commemorative/ceremonial pieces for Masonic Lodges, and in the style of 19th Century lustreware.
This mug is I presume for ceremonial purposes as it is severely oversized; I like a large mug of tea but this one would defeat me.
Original 19th Centure lustreware often features religious (Christian) instruction: ‘Prepare to meet they God’, or ‘Thou God, see’st me’. Alternatively you tend to see transfer prints depicting such 19th Century marvels as Abraham Darby’s iron bridge or sailing imagery such as the one shown below in Emily Sutton’s range of Victorian Crockery greetings cards.
