Rare Mid to Late 19th Century Victorian Transferware Cherry Toothpaste Pot Lid, J Grossmith & Son

The most popular commodity sold in these transferware pots was toothpaste, with areca nut and cherry toothpastes being the most popular. It is interesting to note that cherry was limited to color, resulting from the addition of carmine to the areca nut flavored paste, rather than an actual cherry flavour or taste.

Tooth cleaning first become a hygenic standard in 18th century England, primarily for the upper classes, and was accomplished with a variety of tools. Tooth paste began appearing in the 19th century, and was marketed in these beautiful little pots beginning in the 1880s, when nearly every chemist or pharmacist would formulate his own recipe and print their own pots for advertising. 

Betel Nut or Areca Nut was a highly popular formulation which cleaned the teeth with a mild abrasive action (somewhat amusingly, Areca Nut is also an effective deworming agent). 

The pot lid was made in London England and is transfer printed in black. 

Toothpaste pots from J Grossmith & Sons are highly collectible, and a toothpaste pot by these makers was found in the debris field of the TItanic. This one is particularly rare with the double head motif which is circa 1845-1880. Victorian advertising definitely played fast and loose back then so this could well be intended to portray the Queen and the Prince Consort (then Victoria and Albert). Grossmith did have a history of royal patronage, as its perfumes were highly sought after. A interesting snippet of perfume history. 

Price marked at AUD$380.

Measurements: 7.2cm dia., 2cm height.
Condition: These pots are often chipped from use and/or found buried in mud. Many such pots were excavated from Victorian rubbish dumps, many of which are now exhausted. This is one of the better examples we have found, with some wear to the lid as pictured., including one small chip. Some wear to glaze and to base of lid as well.


Ex-provenance ABCR Auctions.