Royal Torquay Pottery ‘Motto Ware’ Ceramic Loving Cup with Cottage Motif

This is a highly attractive example of a loving cup produced by the Royal Torquay Pottery.

The piece has a capacious, waisted body and sits on a thickened base. There are two handles attached one opposite the other. They are made from the classic red Devon clay and have a foliate lower attachment. The rim and base are also clear glazed, to show the base colour. The interior and exterior are glazed in cream, the latter also having two circumferential bands of pale blue. On one side is a hand incised (Sgrafitto) and slip cottage motif, and on the reverse is a motto which reads:

‘Here’s to beef steak when you’re
hungry. Beer when you’re dry
Fivers when you’re hard up
Heaven when you die’.

The base bears three dots from the use of a trivet in the kiln. It is marked in black with the words ‘ROYAL WATCOMBE TORQUAY ENGLAND’, although this is hard to read.

It has a height of approximately 10.9cm, with a diameter across the rim of about 9.6cm and across the base of about 9.5cm.

It is in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks, although there is some crazing to the glaze on the interior and the exterior.