Fairylite Japanese Novelty Chequered Ceramic Cruet Set c.1920s-1930s

This is a charming, kitsch ceramic cruet set produced in Japan and probably dating to the 1920s or 1930s.

The set consists of a circular plate in off-white, with a thin band of yellow glaze on the rim. The three-part condiment set has a semicircular lidded mustard pot with a flat angular handle. The salt and pepper pots together form a second semicircle, each with its own handle. The exterior surfaces of the three pots form a continuous chequered pattern in yellow and black wavy lines.

The tops each have a small knop decorated with one green and one gold band, and a pink and blue floral design. The mustard pot has a removable lid, which is notched to allow the insertion of a spoon. The salt and pepper are each pierced below the knop with five small holes.

The base of the plate and the mustard pot are marked with the words ‘FAIRYLITE REGD. FOREIGN’. The bases of the salt and pepper pots are unmarked and have a central hole which contains a new cork bung.

The word ‘FOREIGN’ was used on pieces exported to the UK market in the aftermath of the First World War.

The set has a maximum height of approximately 6.7cm and a diameter across the plate rim of 7.6cm.

They have an unwrapped weight of 120g.

They are in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks, although since this piece is mass-produced and crudely made, there are numerous flaws within the design, including cooling cracks in the bases of the pots and smudges in the transfer-print. There is also crazing to the glaze, which is commensurate with age.