A rare Victorian chemist's White Rose toothpaste pot with lid. The lid is exquisitely designed and bears all of the proprietor's information in black and white: "White Rose Paste / an elegant preparation for preserving and whitening the teeth / purifying and perfuming the breath / prepared by S.Mawson & Thompson Aldersgate St London England".

History

Toothpaste was sold in shallow ironstone pots such as these in Victorian Britain until the commencement of the 1914 war. Practically every small chemist made his own paste and had his own personalized printed lids. Unknown outside of their own town when alive, these chemists are now known to thousands of pot lid collectors, simply because they had the nouse to choose an attractive design for their toothpaste lids; the pots now excavated from Victorian rubbish dumps. This was the era of the so-called elixir or cure-all whose advertisers recognized no boundaries; and also the era of edible pastes: potted meats and shrimps; bloater and anchovy pastes. The lettering and graphics applied to these paste pots now provide stunning examples of Victorian utilitarianism and a glimpse into 19^th century daily life, needs and aspirations.

Year of manufacture: c.1880

Origin: England 

Material: ironstone china

Dimensions: 7 cm x 7cm Height 4.5cm

Condition: very good, considering these were literally chucked away and have been buried in the ground for a good 120 years. There is some slight discolouration, a few knocks and a chip to the base (see image) - but nothing untoward. 

What do we mean by vintage ironstone and creamware?

Is this a gift?

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