Victorian Antique English Pot Lids Set by Burgess, Circa 1880

Exceptional set of three antique English advertising pot lids bearing the celebrated Burgess’s Genuine Anchovy Paste mark.

Each lid features an elaborate black transfer-printed design centered by a heraldic composition with a crown, lion and unicorn, together with the inscriptions “Burgess’s Genuine,” “The Original Fish Sauce Warehouse,” “107 Strand, corner of the Savoy Steps, London,” and “Anchovy Paste for Toast Biscuit &c.” The mottoes “Dieu et Mon Droit” and “Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense” further enhance the formal Victorian character of the design.

Burgess’s was an important London manufacturer and retailer of sauces, fish preparations, imported foods and condiments. The company’s premises at 107 Strand became closely associated with its anchovy products, which were sold as refined savory delicacies for use on toast, biscuits and in prepared dishes. Anchovy paste was a popular ingredient in Victorian kitchens, valued for adding depth and richness to sauces, gravies and other savory preparations.

The company’s elaborate use of heraldic imagery was an intentional form of advertising. The royal-style emblem, formal lettering and prominent London address were designed to communicate authenticity, distinction and commercial authority at a time when branded food products were becoming increasingly important to consumers.

The lids are made of ceramic or pottery with original black transfer decoration. Their aged surfaces show natural discoloration, glaze variation, minor staining and signs of use consistent with their age and original function. The reverse sides retain the character of old ceramic production, with uneven surfaces and age-related wear. The three examples include slight variations in the printed design and wording, making the group especially interesting for collectors.

Based on the ceramic form, transfer-printing technique, typography, heraldic decoration and historic Strand address, the lids are consistent with late 19th-century English advertising pottery, approximately circa 1870–1900. They are authentic period examples of the type of commercial pot lids once used to cover jars of fish paste and other specialty food products.

Highly decorative and full of historic character, this set would be a wonderful addition to a collection of Victorian advertising pottery, English food-related antiques, ceramic ephemera or primitive folk-art objects. Displayed together in a kitchen, pantry, library or country-house interior, they create a striking composition of early commercial design and British culinary history.

Details

• 1stDibs reference: LU10969252005022
• Period: Late 19th Century
• Date: 1880
• Origin: England
• Materials: Ceramic
• Techniques: Molded
• Style: Victorian
• Dimensions: H 0.6 × W 3.4 × D 3.4 IN
• Condition: GOOD