Hidden in the House: Transferware Pot Lids
Transferware pot lids from the late 19th century are ceramic gems that easily become collecting obsessions—or enchanting decorative objects for a bathroom or guest room. The small ceramic lids typically measure 2 to 4 inches in diameter and are also called advertising pot lids because they depict logos or instructions for the items they contained—toothpaste, pomades, salves, and the like.

“The heyday for transferware pot lids was the 1840s until the early 1900s, when tin canisters came into use,” says David Hoexter, who with his wife, Judie Siddall, runs Merlin Antiques, specializing in transferware items.

“The lids were made with the same technique as Staffordshire plates,” he adds. Most lids were made in England or France; some were made specifically for export to America.

Some collectors today may seek exclusively American pot lids. Prices for all antique transferware pot lids—English, French or American—range from $100 to $1,000, with the top price going to rare American examples.

The pot lids were typically discarded after use—much like a toothpaste tube today—and are often found by bottle collectors doing digs. Collectors and dealers typically marry an antique lid with an antique ceramic container that fits, acknowledging the extreme unlikelihood of finding a lid with its original container.

Collectors prize the graphic designs that are characteristic of the transferware lids—elegant typography and imagery of everything from animals to buildings. The transferware was done in black or blue primarily, although red also was used.

Transferware advertising pot lids can be found from Staffordshire dealers, bottle collectors, or online auctions. To learn more, spend time at the Web site of the Transferware Collectors Club or check these recommended reference books: The Price Guide to Black and White Pot-Lids, by Ronald Dale (1987, Antique Collectors Club), or American Pot Lids, by Barbara and Sonny Jackson (1987, B. and S. Jackson).