W. Adams & Sons "Garden Sports" Tea Bowls, c. 1830

Quantity: Set of 3

A charming set of three 19th-century Staffordshire transferware tea bowls in William Adams & Sons’ "Garden Sports" pattern, beautifully decorated in a warm red/"pink" transfer print.

The pattern centers on a wonderfully detailed pastoral scene of a young couple enjoying the garden, with a girl seated in a wheelbarrow as a boy pushes her along, accompanied by two playful dogs. The scene is framed by an elaborate floral and geometric border with scrolling ornament, giving the bowls an especially pretty and decorative quality.

Produced by William Adams IV & Sons of Stoke-on-Trent, Garden Sports is a documented mid-19th-century pattern and is known in this distinctive red/pink transfer coloration. Examples of the pattern are recorded as teabowls and saucers, as well as individual bowls.

Tea bowls were traditionally used without handles for drinking tea, particularly in the early 19th century, before handled teacups became more commonplace. Today, these petite bowls are equally lovely displayed in a collection, stacked on an open shelf, or paired with other antique transferware for an eclectic tablescape.

Origin: Stoke-on-Trent, England
Maker: William Adams & Sons
Pattern: Garden Sports
Date: c. 1830
Material: Earthenware
Decoration: Red/"Pink" transfer print
Dimensions: 4" W x 2.5" H
Condition: Good antique condition with light crazing and discoloration.