This is a highly collectable antique pair of Scottish Art Pottery cups and saucers.
CODE H
This pair is very pretty and would look fine on display in a country kitchen on a Welsh dresser or in a china cabinet. They are handy items to make up a similar set if you are missing pieces.
The clear, glassy glazes used on Mak Merry (and also Bough) pottery - have a tendency to develop surface crazing called craquelure, so it might indeed be better for very occasional use or display purposes. I have taken close-ups for you of the surface so that you can assess this properly. The condition is generally fine with no chips or cracks. Nice and clean inside all pieces with no nasty staining. On this selection, one of the cups has a crack to the glaze on the handle which I have photographed for you - and reduced the price for this item here.
Each cup is 2 1/4 inches in height and 2 1/2 inches in diameter, Each saucer is 4 3/4 inches in diameter.
This matching pair dates to the 1920s. One cup and saucer is priced at £35. The other with the glaze crack to the handle is £25.
They are all hand-painted with a very attractive pattern of autumn fruit and berries - russet leaves, apples, redcurrants, and cherries.
HISTORY: The MakMerry pottery grew out of the Scottish Women's Rural Institute, which was founded in 1917 in the Scottish town Macmerry by Catherine Blair.
Catherine had previously been an active Suffragist, campaigning for 'Votes for Women' and had a history of promoting female independence and equality. She became involved in the suffragette movement was by writing countless letters to the press about the plight of women.
In 1920 MakMerry was set up as the trading arm of the Institute. Initially, members invested small sums of money and produced food items for sale – but they soon moved into producing fine craftworks as well – one of the crafts was pottery decoration. They hand-painted smaller household items such as plates, shallow bowls, lidded pots, and the sweetest teapots – and all these are instantly identifiable and often featured delicate and stylized floral patterns.