VERY RARE! 19th Century Regulation Imperial Measure Creamer or Pitcher in the Flow Blue or Transferware Pattern. Emplazoned on the front the initials "VR" for Victoria Regina, the words "Imperial Measure", the British chivalic Order of the Garter "Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense" (shamed be he who thinks evil of it) found on the British Coat of Arms, and the Imperial Motto "DEU ET MON DROIT" (God and my Right).

Additionally, the flow blue transfer pattern consists of a Royal Lion between the initials "VR", Royal British Sovereign Crown over the Coat of Arms as a badge, the head of a Royal Lion signifying England to the right of the badge, a Unicorn which stands for Scotland to the left of the badge. Also as part of the pattern is a rose representing England and a thistle which represents Scotland.

Of worthy note is that no where in the heraldic pattern is the "shamrock" which would represent Ireland which was made part of the United Kingdom in 1801 in the reign of King George III whose 4th son was the father of Queen Victoria whose reign began in 1837.

Typically these regulation "Imperial Measures" were made of copper pitchers in various sizes which were all periodically tested by the Crowns' "Weights and Measures" to ensure that fair trading was being conducted by the UK's tradespeople throughout the realm. Each copper measure was imprinted with the seal of the Royal Tester by a lead stamp. Sometimes the tradespeople would put in false bottoms or dent the bottom of the copper measures to decrease the actual measure being sold.

What is so RARE about this particular "Imperial Measure" is that it is not copper but made out of ceramic bone china which would prevent a tradesman from falsifying the actual amount that it could hold. Most of these ceramic measures did not hold up well over time as the copper measures did, and very few have survived.

There is no backstamp on this particular piece or any other identifying marks. This was part of a collection of Royal Navy flow blue Mess Plates that The Pirates Lair had aquired. We understand that the images of the trees, bridges, castle, houses signified a very specific landscape and place, if someone could offer more information that would be much appreciated.